Author(s)

Weicong Xia

Corresponding Author

Weicong Xia

Abstract

The Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties marked the beginning of the southward migration of ancient Chinese economy. Since then, China's economic focus has gradually shifted from the north to the south, and this process was finally completed in the Tang and Song Dynasties. This paper reveals the background of economic development in the south during the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties from four dimensions: natural environment, politics, economy and military, and deeply explores the development of agriculture, handicrafts and commerce in the south. The development of land development and agricultural economy in the south during the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties was not only reflected in the construction of water conservancy in some areas, the increase in unit area yield and population growth, but more importantly in the expansion of rice planting area, the advancement of production technology and the irrigation area of farmland. In terms of handicraft industry, during the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, handicraft industry in the south developed in many fields, among which textile industry, shipbuilding industry and paper-making industry developed significantly. In terms of commerce, commercial activities in the south increased during the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, and both bureaucratic and private commercial activities were frequent. The remarkable progress in agriculture, handicrafts and commerce in the south laid the foundation for the long-term prosperity of the southern economy and germinated the buds of the gradual shift of the national economic center to the south.

Keywords

Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, Agriculture, Handicrafts, Commerce in the South