文化的自然

就自然体系而言，国土上有两种不同的自然类型。一种是原始的自然，表现在景观方面是天然的景观。另一种自然是人类对原始的自然进行干预后形成的自然。自从人类定居以来，为了生产、生活、精神、宗教和审美等需要不断地改造自然，对自然施加影响，形成了一种在原始自然的基础上经人工梳理和改造的自然，如水库、运河、渠塘、农田、果园、园林等。这是一种经过人工改造、需要人工维护和管理的自然，也是一种与原始的自然相互依托、互相影响、互相叠加的自然。这类自然记录着人类对土地的影响，反映出人与土地的关系和人们的生产与生活方式，具有文化的属性，是一种文化的自然。

在漫长的前工业时期，人类在土地上进行的最直接的大面积开发活动就是农耕。农耕所形成的农业景观就是一种文化景观，经过农耕活动改造过的自然系统就是地表上面积最广阔的一种文化的自然。中国是一个农业国家，几千年的灿烂文明都是建立在农业基础之上的，然而，中国的地形和气候对于发展农业来说有许多不利的方面。作为一个山地国家，中国适于开垦的土地数量有限，分布不均。此外，季风性的气候带来年内降水不均，并且降水的自然过程与农作物生长需水周期也不合拍。因此，中国的农业生产不能仅仅依靠自然降水，必须要建设水利设施，依靠人工控制水文条件满足农业的需求。几千年来，中国人在实践中不断摸索，因地制宜，综合运用各种治理水环境的技术和方法，力求改造自然水环境，控制自然水文，为农业生产提供灌溉用水，同时也为不同地区之间的交通运输提供便利。

在各类水利工程中，最常见的一种类型就是陂塘系统。一套完整的陂塘水利系统包括了一个或若干个陂湖、系列塘河、水闸和数不清的引水灌渠。杭州西湖、湘湖、宁波东钱湖、济南大明湖等都是历史上著名的陂湖，都对当地的农业灌溉和人民生活起到了重要作用。一个成功的陂塘水利工程不仅能支撑起区域的农业发展，也往往会促进一座城市的产生与繁荣，如西湖孕育了杭州、东钱湖滋养了宁波、大明湖润泽了济南。陂塘水利系统具有全方位的功能，如防洪、蓄水、灌溉、供水、生产养殖等。各种尺度的塘河和引水渠联系着陂湖和自然河川，将水引向农田、村落和城镇，形成了一个网络，滋养着土地、哺育着民众。

陂塘水利系统只是中国古代人工营建系统中的一种类型。在漫长的农耕文明中，中国人依据国土的自然条件，以自己的方式兴修水利，开垦农田，建设村落，营建城市，形成了一整套土地整理和土地利用的策略，也创造了中国国土的山水田城融合、城乡相依的国土景观。更重要的是，经过长期的经营，中国人逐步将这一系统转变为城市内外的如画如诗的风景和名胜，形成了中国特有的文化的自然体系。

与农业社会时期相比，我们今天的土地利用方式和人居环境建设途径已经彻底改变了。我们为什么要研究历史上所留下来的国土景观中文化的自然体系？的确，农业社会所留下自然系统的部分功能在今天已经弱化甚至消失了，但是那些能够一代代积累传承、留存至今的自然系统都是基于国土的复杂环境和条件产生的，它们适应这片土地，具有相当强的综合性和多功能性。它们是一个区域中重要的绿色基础设施，仍然能为区域生态环境的健康发挥关键的支撑作用。

另外，文化的自然在人类干预的过程中是动态变化的，呈现在人们面前的这一自然系统是一个对地表不断复写、不断叠加和融合的结果。作为一种客观的存在和历史的记录，它传承着过去的文化，积淀着历史的记忆，它是我们所拥有的最丰富的史料。阅读这一自然系统是了解中国社会发展，分析国土景观不断变化背后的逻辑的最直接的渠道，也是抚今追昔，展望未来，维护中国国土的山水结构，寻求当今和未来更恰当的土地利用方式的重要的依据。

PREFACE

The Cultural Nature

In terms of the natural system,there are two different types of nature on land.One is the original nature,representing the natural landscape; the other is the nature formed after the original nature is intervened by human beings.Since the settlement of human beings,we have transformed the nature constantly for the needs of production,living,spirit,religion and beauty-appreciation,etc.,and exerted influence on the nature.Then an artificially combed and intervened nature is formed based on the original nature,such as the reservoir,canal,farmland,orchard and garden,etc.This is not only a nature which has been transformed artificially and requires the artificial maintenance and management,but also a nature which depends on,interact with and superimposes on the original nature.This kind of nature records the in fluence of human beings on the land and reflects the relationship between the human beings and land,also the production mode and life style of them.This kind of nature can be called the cultural nature.

In the long pre-industrial period,the most direct and large-area covered development activity conducted by human beings on the land was farming.The farming landscape formed during this period is a kind of cultural landscape.The natural system which has been transformed by the farming activity is the most expansive cultural nature on the earth’s surface.China is an agricultural country and its thousands of years’ splendid civilization is based on agriculture.However,there are many disadvantages for the development of agriculture in terms of the topography and climate in China.As a mountainous country,there is limited land suitable for reclamation in China.And the distribution of land is uneven.In addition,the monsoon climate brings uneven precipitation among the year.The natural process of precipitation is discordance with the water need cycle of crop growth.Therefore,China’s agricultural production cannot simply rely on the natural precipitation and must aided with the water conservancy facilities in order to meet the agricultural demands by controlling hydrologic conditions artificially.For thousands of years,the Chinese has continued to look for ways in practice,searching for methods according to local conditions,comprehensively apply the technologies and measures of managing the water environment,strive to transform the natural water environment and control the natural hydrology for the purpose of providing the irrigation water for the agricultural production and offering convenience for transportations in different regions at the same time.

The most common type among the water conservancy projects is the impounding lake.A complete set of impounding lake water conservancy system includes one or several impounding lakes,canals,water gates and innumerable water diversion channels.West Lake in Hangzhou,Xianghu Lake,Dongqian Lake in Ningbo,and Daming Lake in Jinan are famous impounding lakes in history,which had played a significant role in the local agricultural irrigation system and local people’s life.A successful impounding lake water conservancy project may not only supports the regional agricultural development,but also tends to promote the generation and prosperity of a city.For example,the West Lake bred Hangzhou,Dongqian Lake nourished Ningbo and Daming Lake enriched Jinan.The impounding lake system is endued with multiple functions,such as flood control,water storage,irrigation,water supply,farming production and aquaculture,etc.All scales of canals and division channels connect with the lakes and natural rivers,directing the water to the farmland,villages and cities,forming a whole network to nourish the land and foster the people.

Impounding water conservancy system is just one type of the artificial construction systems in ancient China.In the long farming civilization,the Chinese launched water conservancy projects,reclaimed farmlands,constructed villages and built cities based on the natural conditions of the land,forming a complete set of land consolidation and utilization strategy and creating a landscape with the fusion of mountain,water,farmland and city,also with the dependency of city and countryside.What’s more important,the Chinese gradually turn this system into the picturesque and poetic scenery and scenic spot inside and outside the city after the longterm management,forming cultural nature system with China characteristic.

Compared with the agricultural society period,the land utilization and construction of the human settlement environment today have been completely changed.Why do we need to research on the cultural nature system of the landscape left in history in China? In truth,part of the function of natural system left in the agricultural society might has been weakened and even disappeared,but those which can be accumulated and inherited from generation to generation and remained today were generated based on the complex environment and conditions of the specific land.These systems adapt to this land and are of considerable integrity and multi-functionality.They are the important green infrastructures of an area and still able to play a key supporting role in keeping the health of regional ecological environment.

Furthermore,the cultural nature is dynamically changing in the process of human intervention and this natural system presents a result which replicates,superimposes and fuses the earth’s surface constantly by people.As the objective existence and the record of history,it inherits the past culture and accumulates the historical memory,it is the most abundant historical data we own.Reading this natural system is not only the most direct way to know China’s social development and analyze the logic behind the changing of landscape,but also the important basis for recalling the past in the light of the present,looking forward to the future,maintaining the structure of China’s landscape and looking for the more appropriate way for land utilization at present and in the future.

Chief Editor:Prof.Dr.-Ing.WANG Xiangrong

December 6th,2019