The Prosperity of Zen Culture in Zhejiang during the Late Ming Dynasty and the Reaction of Confucianism - Focused on Jingzuo -

The Study of “Zuofeian rizuan” by Zheng Xuan in Late Ming Dynasty Author’s Name: Chieh-Min Chou Advisor’s Name: Mei-Chen Ho Department & College: Chinese Literature, Liberal Arts SUMMARY The thesis analyzes “Zuofeian rizuan” which compiled by Zheng Xuan in late Ming dynasty. First, this thesis collects historical documents, reinspects Zheng Xuan’s life and reinvestigate the versions and the spreads of “Zuofeian rizuan”. Second, it concludes and arranges the contents of “Zuofeian rizuan”. The concept is compilation. It can divide into three subjects. The three subjects are “regimen compilation”, “official admonition compilation” and “compilation of virtuous persuasion”. Analyze and explain these three subjects individually. Then, compare it with similar times’ version. It can stress the characteristic of “Zuofeian rizuan”. The research achievements of the thesis is that clarify the literature value of “Zuofeian rizuan”. “Zuofeian rizuan” was a note which Zheng Xuan wrote when he studied. This book had three volumes which contained twenty chapters. It had been imitated and modified in late Ming dynasty and early Qing dynasty. It also had been circulated to Japan and Korea. According to the contents, this book had Zheng Xuan’s belief which is meliorism and virtuous persuasion. It also showed that the books in late Ming dynasty were mainly to use compilation and miscellany-note. Generally, “Zuofeian rizuan” reflected people’s reading preference in late Ming dynasty. It was also a feedback which Zheng Xuan wanted to give to the world he lived. Key words: late Ming dynasty, Zheng Xuan, “Zuofeian rizuan,” note, compile INTRODUCTION Zheng Xuan (about 1602-1646) was born in Houguan, Fujian. He had two courtesy names, Hanfeng and Hongkui. The highest-ranking post he got is a provincial governor of Yingtian. He worked as a ministry of Works in Long Wu of South-Ming dynasty. He compiled “Zuofeian rizuan” which had similar meanings to Tao Yuanming’s poet “I know today I am right, if yesterday was a complete mistake.” “Rizuan”, this word had strong feeling of time, so Zheng Xuan’s purpose of compiling was “introspection”. This book had three volumes which contained twenty chapters. It published in Chong Zhen of Ming dynasty, and it also republished in Long Wu dynasty. “Zuofeian rizuan” was a note which Zheng Xuan wrote when he studied. The chapters were short and the language was simplified. It had characteristics of note-novel and proverbial-style essays. People neglected “Zuofeian rizuan” for a long time. Therefore, the research achievements were less. However, researching into various version of documents and the ways of compiling books in Ming dynasty would rediscover the value and meaning of “Zuofeian rizuan”. MATERIALS AND METHODS This thesis uses the following materials: “History of the Ming dynasty”, “The Southern Ming”, chorography, anthology, literary sketches in Ming dynasty and Qing dynasty, the catalogs of studies in China. The methods of this thesis are document analysis, textual interpretation, statistical method, induction method. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION This thesis has six chapters. The first chapter is exordium which makes a description of question consciousness of this thesis. Sort selected publications and general situation of “Zuofeian rizuan” at present. This chapter also has conceptual framework. The second chapter is about the content of “Zuofeian rizuan” and its characteristic of compiling and recording. This chapter is also related to historical materials collected in Ming dynasty and Qing dynasty to investigate Zheng Xuan’s life. According to bibliography, this chapter shows the arrangement of existing editions and spreading circumstance. “Zuofeian rizuan” had been circulated to Japan and Korea. “Zuofeian rizuan” had been counterfeited to be “Fu Shou Quan Shu” by booksellers who palm off Chen Ji Ru (1558-1639) in late Ming dynasty. In Qing dynasty, Nan Zhu Yuan, a jin-shi in Chong Zhen tenth year, re-edited it to be “Jing Ren Ji”. We can say that “Zuofeian rizuan” had been influenced by indirect spread of “Fu Shou Quan Shu” and “Jing Ren Ji”. The third chapter to the fifth chapter focuses on three subjects which generalized from “Zuofeian rizuan”. Three subjects are “regimen compilation”, “official admonition compilation” and “compilation of virtuous persuasion”. Use this word, compilation, in order to emphasize compiling way of this book and the behavior of rewriting and abbreviating. Three subjects extend an individual to a group. These hide Zheng Xuan’s ideal for compiling this book. It not only has self reflection, but also exhorts people to be good. Furthermore, these chapter shows a comparison about “Zuofeian rizuan”,“Zun Sheng Ba Jian”, official admonition books in Ming dynasty and “Di Ji Lu”. “Zun Sheng Ba Jian” was written by Gao Lian(1573-1620). Yan Mao You, a jin-shi in Chong Zhen seventh year, wrote “Di Ji Lu”. CONCLUSION The content of “Zuofeian rizuan” is various, and it doesn’t have complete ideology. However, this book embodies the possibility of inquiring and pursuing righteousness from individuals in uneasy politics and society of late Ming dynasty. Therefore, we can say that “Zuofeian rizuan” represents compiling way of miscellany-note in late Ming dynasty. It reflected people’s reading preference in late Ming dynasty. It was also a feedback which Zheng Xuan wanted to give to the world he lived.

當前台灣地區寓言的研究仍是待開發的領域，就研究時代而言，大量研究者集中探討先秦諸子寓言，尤其是莊子寓言，其次是明清時期的寓言。就文體而言，散文寓言研究較普及，詩體寓言較少。其實中國寓言數量龐大、內容豐富，至今的研究只能算是冰山一角，還有許多亟待深入探索的領域，筆者擬以明末成書的擬人傳體寓言：《廣諧史》為研究對象，冀能投入寓言研究，繼續作挖深掘微的工作。 《廣諧史》一書編成於明代，為匯編性的寓言著作－－將各類物種擬人化，為之作傳的「擬人傳體寓言」，共242篇，數量龐大，內容豐富；作者上自唐代的韓愈（768－824年），下至明代陳詩教（1615年），綿延近八百年，作品形式相當一致，形成一種仿擬風潮，為何如此？引發研究動機，冀能探究這一系列寓言的價值與意義，追探各代擬人傳體寓言所欲表現的內容為何？是否為中國寓言史上另成系統的支派？其次，寓言往往透過迂曲的方式反映生活、批判時代、頌揚生命，我們是否能夠透過《廣諧史》的研究，體察文人對當代政治、社會的關懷為何？理解傳統中國文人的人生觀和用世襟懷？以上為本論文希望解決的問題。復次，解讀《廣諧史》的字面表層意義，並非最困難、最重要的部分，如何深入時代背景，透過對各寫作時代的文化剖析，追探《廣諧史》中作者寄寓的言外之意，深究其創作初心與社會意義，並藉此管窺中國文人創作擬人傳體寓言的意圖，此才是本論文最欲呈現的部分。 本論文的研究範疇包括寓言理論、作者人物傳記、文化史、政治史、制度史等；主要方法為傳記研究法、資料分析法。 論文內容分為七章：第一章說明研究動機、範圍和方法。第二章解釋擬人傳體寓言的定義，並簡要介紹擬人傳體寓言代表作《廣諧史》。第三章就形式結構追溯擬人傳體寓言的前有所承以及組構方式。第四、五章則分論唐、宋、元代與明代之擬人傳體寓言內涵寓意，這部分的寫作，並非筆者強作解人，穿鑿附會，乃根據《廣諧史》作者陳邦俊編意推敲尋思，有所本而得的結論。第六章討論《廣諧史》的藝術特色。第七章為結論。 研究結果顯示：陳邦俊編輯《廣諧史》的動機，至少包含諷刺明神宗萬曆皇帝荒政以及褒貶歷代政治得失兩方面；且《廣諧史》充分反映明人關心政治發展、明代文人思想深受儒學教育之影響、明代文學盛行擬古風氣以及明代文化繁榮等四方面現象。該書收錄的擬人傳體寓言形式，在世界寓言中是極為特殊的一支，文學價值應該超越高麗假傳寓言。其次，擬人傳體寓言多半在政治黑暗的時刻勃興，因此擬人傳體寓言富有反映社會的意義。至於《廣諧史》缺點則是各篇情節轉折雷同、典故重出少變化、主題嚴肅而侷限等落入窠臼的形式，造成紀曉嵐、林雲銘等文學家的誤解，以致歷來不受重視，甚且被人忽略。本論文的意義即在發潛德之幽光，冀能透顯廣諧史擬人仿作的創作意圖與編意所在。

This article investigates the historical arguments found in the Da Song sengshilüe, an important work on the history of Buddhism in China by the vinaya monk Zanning. Throughout a life that spanned the turmoil of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period as well as the imperial consolidation of the early Song, Zanning proved adept at developing close relationships with important political figures and prominent literati. He was widely praised for his literary skills, and he established a reputation as an erudite scholar of both Buddhist and Confucian learning. His fame attracted the attention of Emperor Taizong, and in the late tenth century, Zanning was ordered to write a text on the history of Buddhism in China, which he called the Da Song sengshilüe. In this work, Zanning described the institutional relationships that developed between Buddhism and the state as well as the manner in which these changed over time. His historical analysis revealed that Buddhism needed to maintain a relationship with the government and that this relationship should ideally be one of mutual assistance and support. In addition, Zanning used the Da Song sengshilüe to advance a polemical argument on the proper stance that the state should adopt towards Buddhism, Daoism and Confucianism. Based on an historical analysis of the causes underlying the vicissitudes in the political fortunes of the Three Teachings, he contended that Buddhism, Daoism and Confucianism should be treated equally, and that the holders of political power should refrain from establishing policies advocating either favoritism or persecution towards them.

In the late Ming Dynasty, a family of the Po, who was a Mongolian military officer, emerged in Xuanfu. At first, they served as “Yi Ding(Tatar Soliders)” in Jiubian(nine-frontier fortification system of the Ming Dynasty). Unlike the Mongolians who joined the Wei Suo system in the early Ming Dynasty, the Po family served as private armed servants of Ming Dynasty border defense generals. They not only serve as frontline soldiers for border defense generals, but also serve as Mongolian language translators for them. In short, they have a lot of effectiveness.At the same time, they were incorporated into the military status of the garrison in Xuanfu, and became officials in the camp step by step from the positions of garrison and guerrilla.Its members took part in a series of eastern expeditions and western wars in the late Ming Empire, such as the Imjin War, and participated in the battles of Jigsan and Ulsan to expel the Japanese army, while the father and son of Pou Tingxiang participated in the war between the Ming Dynasty and the Later Jin Dynasty and sacrificed their lives on the battlefield. After the change of Dynasties in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the members of the Po family chose to become officials in the Qing Dynasty for the sake of family interests, and tried to let the next generation continue to engage in the army and maintain their glory. However, due to the collapse of the former Ming Dynasty’s military officer system, the Qing Dynasty’s vigilance against the former Ming Dynasty’s generals, and the characteristics of the Qing Dynasty’s military system and military officer system itself, the Po family did not get the same position of power as the former Ming.In the end, like other generals on the Jiubian(nine-frontier), the former Ming generals, who were born as adherents, gradually withered away in the Qing Dynasty.

In the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty, Yunqi Zhuhong 雲栖祩宏 and Ouyi Zhixu 蕅益智旭 integrated Zen thought and Pure Land Buddhism based on the fusion of various Buddhist sects, which facilitated the transition to Chan Jing He Yi (integration of Zen and Pure Land Buddhism 禪淨合一). In this context, Journey to the West 西遊記, published in the late Ming Dynasty, reflects the characteristic of Chan Jing He Yi (integration of Zen and Pure Land Buddhism 禪淨合一). Based on the historical fact that the monk Xuanzang 玄奘 journeyed to India to seek Buddhist scriptures during the Tang Dynasty’s Zhenguan period, four relatively complete literary works that recount the stories of this westward journey were published over nearly a thousand years, from the Tang Dynasty to the Ming Dynasty: Da Ci En Si San Zang Fa Shi Zhuan 大慈恩寺三藏法師傳, Da Tang San Zang Qu Jing Shi Hua 大唐三藏取經詩話, the Journey to the West drama 西遊記雜劇, and Journey to the West. The Buddhist ideas in these four works went through a transformation from advocating yoga theory 瑜伽論 to advocating belief in Vaisravana 毗沙門天王信仰 and then to focusing on the “mind nature 心性” theory of Zen Buddhism. Finally, in Journey to the West, Buddhist thought is aimed at achieving rebirth in the Western Pure Land and supplemented with Chan Buddhist practices, which are aligned with the trend of Chan Jing He Yi (integration of Zen and Pure Land Buddhism 禪淨合一). In Journey to the West, the concepts of Ming Xin Jian Xing (find one’s true self 明心見性) and Ji Xin Ji Fo (the mind is the Buddha 即心即佛) differ from the Zen Buddhism concept of seeing one’s own nature. Instead, it requires seeking other Buddhas and ascending to the Western Pure Land to meet Amitabha Buddha in order to achieve complete spiritual cultivation. This had changed from the Wei Xin Jing Tu (mind-only Pure Land 唯心淨土) theory advocated by Zen Buddhism to the Xi Fang Jing Tu (Western Pure Land 西方淨土) theory advocated by the Pure Land School. The numerous depictions of Pure Land cultivation methods, such as Cheng Ming Nian Fo (chanting the name of Amitabha Buddha 稱名念佛), Chi Jie (commandment keeping 持戒), and the Pure Land reincarnation-type Guanyin faith 淨土往生型觀音信仰, also appear in Journey to the West, reflecting the profound influence of Chan Jing He Yi 禪淨合一 in the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty on Journey to the West.

In the 15th and 16th centuries, Portuguese and Spanish successively opened up two trade routes through the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, establishing the Maritime Silk Road from China to Europe and America. Since then, Chinese silk has been continuously sold to the West. Although the export volume of silk fabrics in the late Ming Dynasty is considerable, many western museums still have a certain amount of silk fabrics at that time, due to the lack of source records in the collection, it is difficult to trace the origin of their trade, and it is more difficult to clarify the origin of their varieties, decorative style, transmission path, as well as their functions and influence overseas. This paper is based on craftsmanship and ornamental styles of silk fabrics in the Ming Dynasty in Western museums, including Kesi, Zhuang Hua satin, Song brocade and so on, as well as the influence of the Ming Dynasty’s policy of tribute on silk trade. The change of the form of silk trade in the late Ming Dynasty and the development of Jiangnan silk producing areas in China is sorted out. At the same time, this paper aims at clari-fying the characteristics of culture in visual sense of the main varieties, origin, ways of transmission and decorative styles of Chinese export silk fabrics in the late Ming Dynasty. In addition, along with the spread of Chinese silk fabrics to the west, Chinese weavers began to weave new patterns integrating Chinese and Western cultural elements, such as a textile with crowned double headed eagles, which created visual symbols with the characteristics of the times, reflecting the multidimensional

During the Ming and Qing Dynasties it was common thought that the Qinglou talented women were not bound by normal human relationships and women’s virtues because they lived outside the patriarchal order. Chased after by male bigwigs in the society, they mingled at upper-class male playing places and obtained higher reputations because of their outstanding talent. However, they held a very contradictory position because, especially in the Ming dynasty, women’s virtues were still regarded as an important standard of female evaluation in the society. On the one hand, they faced dilemmas in their living conditions, and on the other, there was a subtle interaction between their living space and the patriarchal clan system – this also occurred because of changes created by the patriarchal clan system and social rules, which exerted a continuous influence on the way a female could survive in the later imperial period. Based on historical and literary documents such as jottings, novels, and unofficial history of Ming and Qing Dynasties, this essay aims at analyzing the living space of these talented women.

This is a study of the possibility of identifying antique Chinese porcelains according to the period or dynasty, using major and minor chemical components (SiO2 , Al2O3 , Fe2O3 , K2O, Na2O, CaO and MgO) from the body of the porcelain. Principal component analysis is applied to published data on 66 pieces of Chinese procelains made in Jingdezhen during the Five Dynasties and the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. It is shown that porcelains made during the Five Dynasties and the Yuan (or Ming) and Qing Dynasties can be segregated completely without any overlap. However, there is appreciable overlap between the Five Dynasties and the Song Dynasty, some overlap between the Song and Ming Dynasties and also between the Yuan and Ming Dynasties. Interestingly, Qing procelains are well separated from all the others. The percentage of silica in the porcelain body decreases and that of alumina increases with recentness with the exception of the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, where this trend is reversed.

At the beginning of Ming dynasty, thrift and simpleness prevailed. From A.D. 1435, however, this unsophisticated ambience changed among the prosperous south of Yangzi River area. During the years of Jiajing (A.D.1521), the extravagance began spreading, and it became worse and worse, especially during A.D.1572 to1620, the era of Wanli. In the late Ming dynasty, the whole country escalated to the consumer society in which the literary intelligentsia, with a view to differentiating themselves from the hoi polloi, endeavored to cultivate their disparate tastes from the common people. This endeavor equipped the literati with idiosyncratic aesthetics and delicate culture values that the common people could neither compete with nor mimic. At Ming dynasty, these dramatic events caused by the drastically changing society and culture had been realistically written in custom diaries, the note books and the novels, among which was ”Tao An Meng Yi”.”Tao An Meng Yi” was written at the end of the Ming dynasty and the beginning of the Qing dynasty by Zhang Dai who presented the book in the style of literary sketchbook by remembering and confessing to portray the life styles of those literati living in the different stratums. Those life styles depicted by means of theaters are not only considered symbol of the ”savoring's life” but also vividly transcribed as theatrical veritable records at late Ming dynasty.Because of the participation of those literati in the theatrical events, the staging, play creation and aesthetic standard has disparate perspectives from its previous dynasty. One of the significant factors that made theatrical events so distinguished was the wealthy and prominent family employed and patronized theatrical companies, watched plays constantly, all of which rendered drams at late Ming dynasty in splendor. The drama and playwrights had inseparable relationship, and how those literati treated ”insignificant skill” is a task worth dealing with. Based on not only theatrical veritable records and critical viewpoints but also social circumstances, important tune theories and staging arts in ”Tao An Meng Yi”, this article tries to study the different perspectives of literati on the late Ming dynasty opera. Hence, the academic value of ”Tao An Meng Yi” is not merely Zhang Dai's individual memoirs.

Liu Zongzhou 劉宗周 (personal name Xianzhang 憲章, courtesy name Qidong 起東, literary names Niantai 念台, Jishan 蕺山; b. 1578–d. 1645) was an important Neo-Confucian thinker in the late Ming dynasty (1368–1644) of China. Born as a posthumous child in Shanyin (Shaoxing) of the Zhejiang province, he was brought up by his mother, educated by his maternal grandfather and became a successful candidate of the metropolitan and palace examination in 1601. In 1621, as the Supplementary Secretary in the Ministry of Rites, he began to impeach the corrupt but powerful eunuch Wei Zongxian. In 1624, he declined the offer to be Junior Vice Commissioner of the Office of Transmission, and his status was reduced to that of a commoner. In 1629, he resumed office as the governor of Shuntian Prefecture, and resigned the next year to establish the Zhengren 證人 Association and to lecture at the Shigui 石匱 Academy. In 1636, he became Senior Vice Minister of Works. Yet he soon resigned to criticize the Senior Grand Secretary Wen Tiren 溫體仁, and this led to the degradation of his status to a commoner again. In 1642, he was promoted to Censor-in-chief, but he was relieved of his office when he antagonized the emperor by trying to save two censorial officials. During the fall of Beijing, he resumed his office as Censor-in-chief. He attacked the corrupt officials Ma Shiying 馬士英 and Ruan Dacheng 阮大鋮 and finally left his office. His official career lasted for forty-five years, during which he had held office six and a half years, was in active service at court only four years, and had been degraded to the status of commoner three times. With the fall of Nanjing and Hangzhou in succession to the Manchus and his decision to express his loyalty and patriotism to the country, he ended his life by fasting for twenty days. Liu distinguished himself as a Neo-Confucian philosopher and scholar. The main doctrines of his teaching are “vigilance in solitude” (shendu慎獨) and “sincerity of will” (chengyi誠意), which originate from the two Confucian classics Doctrine of the Mean and Great Learning. Huang Zongxi 黃宗羲 (b. 1610–d. 1695), his important disciple and a well-known intellectual historian, placed him and his school of thought in the last part of Huang’s influential work, The Records of Ming Scholars. Huang not only compared him to the most significant Neo-Confucian philosophers, but also hinted that his philosophy signified the final summation of the Neo-Confucian tradition from the Song to Ming dynasties. He is commonly regarded as one of the most important Song-Ming Neo-Confucian thinkers. It is the creativity and depth of his philosophy that deserves scholars’ attention.

In the late Ming Dynasty, the decline of the tribute trade and changes in China’s maritime prohibition policies led to a substantial export of Chinese silk. Late 16th century, the Portuguese occupied the triangular trade to Lisbon. The Spanish, through the Manila galleon trade, sold Chinese silk to their colonies in the Americas. In Europe, Chinese silk was used in household items, religious garments, and diplomatic gifts, symbolizing exotic luxury. In the Americas, Chinese silk replaced European silk, becoming widely used in the daily lives of the upper class as well as in religious and political activities. The wide spread of silk in the late Ming Dynasty, while forming cross-cultural influence, also unknowingly shaped China’s image overseas. Today, a considerable number of late Ming silk textiles are preserved in overseas collections. This study leverages representative Ming Dynasty silk textiles housed in international museums to analyze their incorporation of traditional Chinese styles and Western elements, exploring the overseas utilization of late Ming export silk. It aims to illustrate the artistic dissemination along the maritime Silk Road during this period and it also highlights the far-reaching influence of Chinese silk on global cultural exchanges in the late Ming Dynasty.

The Ming dynasty was one of the most prosperous dynasties in ancient China and one of the most distinctive and important periods in the history of Chinese feudal society. The late Ming dynasty was an important turning point in social and economic development. In the context of social transformation, the development of commercial agriculture caused structural changes in the agricultural economy and rural society; the prosperity of regional commercial trade, the growth of merchant power and the formation of inter-regional market networks created a new stage in the development of regional commerce. This paper examines the economic development of the Dali region in the late Ming dynasty from a regional perspective against the backdrop of social transformations, taking into account the economic development of the region in the late Ming dynasty in terms of factor inputs and outputs of economic activities, foreign trade and commercial development, and finance and finance. The findings of this paper can provide a reference for deepening the study of regional economic history and promoting regional economic development.

After the Song and Yuan dynasties, the development of the imperial examination system was witnessed by the spread of the Neo-Confucianism of the Song and Ming dynasties. This was accompanied by the position of culture and education buildings in the local urban landscape system that was greatly improved, some even dominating the performance of the urban landscape. resulted structure of the urban landscape before the Song Dynasty is described as the so-called status change of the The Status of Culture and Education. Studies have shown that The Status Change during the Ming and Qing Dynasties could be found here and there. This work took the City of Yangzhou Prefecture in the Ming and Qing Dynasties as the research object. Starting from the background of the development of culture and education, this paper expounds the process and characteristics of such a status change during this period.

Imperial edicts in ancient China were with strong political preference and practicality. It is very meaningful to interpret the psychological meaning of the emperors and necessary to analyze the sociality and individuality of emperors based on their imperial edicts. This paper analyzed the differences of psycholinguistic features in imperial edicts of Song and Ming dynasties via Classic Chinese LIWC (CC-LIWC) to obtain word frequency results for each word category in the edicts and used statistical tests to compare the differences of functional words-personal pronouns, emotional process words, cognitive insight words, physiological process words and motivational level words - in the edicts of Song and Ming dynasties. The result indicates the differences in CC-LIWC lexical frequencies between Ming and Song dynasties had an impact on the intensity of the emperors’work and their mentality in dealing with state issues.KeywordsPsychological semanticsCC-LIWCPsychologyEmotional motivation theoryLanguage comprehensionTextual semantic analysis

Floods had a massive impact on the development of ancient cities around the world and understanding this phenomenon constitutes an essential part of the history of long‐term and dynamic human–environment interactions. There remains, however, an enormous challenge in identifying records of ancient floods in urban environments due to various sedimentation and postdepositional processes that often remove, erase, and alter such environmental records. During archaeological excavations in the famous historic city of Kaifeng, we identified records of two historical floods at the Shuntianmen site. Related stratums were carefully studied, from which dating and sediment samples were collected. These excavated stratums were also scanned to obtain digital data for modeling. Combining these data, we then applied three‐dimensional modeling to reconstruct the evolution of the natural and cultural landscape of the site since the Northern Song Dynasty (960–1127 AD), which was not possible in previous studies due to the deep burial of archaeological strata. Our results indicate that the two floods occurred during the late Ming Dynasty (1368–1644 AD) and the Qing Dynasty (1636–1912 AD), respectively. During the Northern Song Dynasty, Shuntianmen was an important part of Kaifeng, which was, at that time, the capital of China and one of the largest cities in the world. Later, during the Yuan and Ming dynasties, Shuntianmen became a suburban settlement situated along various traffic routes. During the Qing Dynasty, the area became a small village. Subsequently, the area was completely abandoned and deserted until modern Kaifeng, which was built at the same place. The evolution of the regional landscape is the direct result of the interaction between the natural environment and human activities, among which the precarious alluvial processes of the Yellow River were playing an increasingly vital role. Over the centuries, the Yellow River floods, warfare, and wind‐blown sand accumulation reduced the Kaifeng region from a prosperous capital to a comparatively deserted area.