Lineage Society on the Southeastern Coast of China: The Impact o ...

Chapter 1

Setting the Stage

Deriving its name from the meandering Qiantang River that originates in the mountains bordering Anhui and Jiangxi and flows through over 310 kilometers (186 miles) of its territory, the province of Zhejiang (literally, “crooked river” or “winding river”) is located on the eastern coast of China. It borders Jiangsu and Shanghai to the north, Anhui to the northwest, Jiangxi to the west, and Fujian to the south; the East China Sea forms Zhejiang’s eastern boundary. Traditionally known as the “land of fish and rice,” it is part of the agricultural center of the lower Yangzi delta and is well known for its production of grains, silk, cotton, and tea. Though one of China’s smallest provinces, Zhejiang today ranks among the most densely populated and intensely developed in terms of agricultural and industrial production.¹ Falling within the boundaries of what G. William Skinner defined as the lower Yangzi delta macroregion, which stretches from the Shanghai-Suzhou area of modern Jiangsu Province to the Hangzhou-Ningbo area of modern Zhejiang, this area was part of the region known as Jiangnan (literally, “south of the river”) during imperial times.²