Abstract
At the end of the 10th century, the Northern Song government constructed a series of ponds in northern Hebei in order to thwart its nomadic rival, the Khitan Liao. Throughout the following one and a quarter centuries of the dynasty, this strategic set of water features was enlarged, despite the environmental and human costs. This article looks at the history of these ponds, and paddy rice planting in this area, and explores their interaction with Hebei’s economy and environment during the period. It argues that the presence of these ponds dramatically changed the ecology of northern Hebei and brought about a series of political and economic problems: not only were local residents driven to find alternative means of livelihood or to emigrate out, but the government also came under significant economic pressure and committed itself to an unsuccessful policy of paddy rice production. The problems caused by this strategic military scheme played a significant role in the economic decline, especially of agriculture, of northeast China during the middle period of Chinese history.
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