History of Dalian
Coastal Cities, Dalian, and Mao
When Mao and his revolutionary army took power in 1949, it signaled a change in the urban and regional policy in China. To set the stage; for much of the Imperial era, Chinese cities served largely an administrative and military function, as well as that of a market. While this did not create a completely even pattern of urbanization, it was a much more even system than that created by the system of treaty ports. The establishment and development of these ports exacerbated the concentration of population and industry along the Pacific coast.
When the Maoist government took power, both their nationalism and socialist ideology suggested a concentration on the development of the countryside. Geographically, this makes sense as a way to preempt and prevent rural-to-urban migration. Furthermore the development of smaller cities was promoted to create a cascade effect to increase distance decay by presenting intervening opportunities. Of course, controlled population movement also contributed to this effort. As a result, the coastal cities were neglected during Mao's time.
Next: 1984-?
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