The Longue Durée of Weitian Landscapes in the Yangtze River Delta

The ancient weitian (polder) system in the Yangtze River Delta represents a particular form of water urbanism, integrating productive polders, villages and prosperous water towns (shui-xiang). Over millennia, the hudangweitian (shallow lake polders) transformed the muddy plains around Taihu Lake into a highly productive area. Zhenze, founded in the twelfth century, is an important water town that initially operated within a network of garrisons and trading ports. This case study illustrates the resilience of weitian landscapes and how twentieth-century water management reshaped the small polders into larger wei-qu (polder zones) through a process of lian-wei-bing-wei (joined and merged polders). While urbanization and industrialization continue to erase many historic polders, the region’s water towns are being preserved and developed, largely for tourism. The case highlights both the benefits and shortcomings of the weitian transformations, emphasizing the need for a balanced approach that both facilitates development and preserves the region’s unique deltaic conditions.