The Creation of Da-yi(the Largest City)——Preliminary Discussion about the Capital Scale and Organization of Pre-Qin,Qin and Western Han
Studies on the spatial organization of capitals in pre-Qin,Qin and Western Han is of great importance in understanding the history of Chinese city construction.This paper reviews literature and points out that attention to create Da-yi(the largest city) is an important city building feature in the Shang and Zhou Dynasties.The main purpose of creating Da-yi is to enhance defense capability of cities,and accomodate peasant households in cities as much as possible.In order to increase number of peasant households,the two dynasties had adopted a city life system called "spring out and winter back" and this system affected the capital population structure,population scale and spatial organization of the the capital city.In addition,this paper preliminary discusses the extended form of Da-yi,exemplified by Xian'yang of Qin Dynasty and Chang'an of Western Han Dynasty.The new form in reflected in the pattern of population resettlement as well as the spatial organization of cities.