Objective The development of flood-resilient physical carriers in Jingzhou has been profoundly shaped by the unique natural environment of the Jianghan Plain and over two millennia of political, economic, and cultural evolution. This research takes Jingzhou, a representative ancient city in the region, as a typical case study to explore the ecological wisdom embedded in ancient cities in Jianghan Plain. Current research primarily focuses either on individual physical carriers (e.g. city walls or embankments) or on the single objective of countering the impact of Yangtze River floods. This research bias stems from two key factors: First, the interactive relationships between the various physical carriers in Jingzhou were implicitly recorded in ancient documents and making them difficult to identify and interpret; second, there is an inadequate understanding of the multi-directional flood risks confronting the city. Only through systematic collation of historical records concerning these physical carriers and the corresponding flood scenarios can we fully elucidate the ecological wisdom inherent in ancient flood-resilient strategies.
Methods This paper proposes the concept of the Jingzhou city−embankment−water system (CEWS), defined as an integrated system comprising the urban flood-defens location, city walls and gates, embankments, as well as the interconnected lake and water systems both inside and outside the city. Taking the two current city sites of Jingzhou City and Shashi City as the primary research objects, this study systematically sorts out the geological, geomorphological and hydrological characteristics of the Jianghan Plain during the Ming and Qing dynasties, and collects historical documents related to the physical components of the CEWS and the corresponding flood risks. On the basis of integrating evidence from geological and geomorphological surveys, historical documents, and existing archaeological and historical geographical studies, this paper explores the practical approaches through which the location, morphology and structure of the CEWS interacted to adapt to the local topographic and hydrological conditions as well as flood risks, and further elaborates on the planning concepts embodied in these approaches.
Results This study indicates that natural conditions in Jingzhou are jointly shaped by its geological structures and the alluvial processes of the Yangtze, Han and other rivers, forming topographic and hydrological features including hills, sandbanks, natural embankments and submerged valley lakes. During the flood season, rivers such as the Yangtze and Han surge across the Jianghan Plain. Freed from the constraints of flanking mountains and hills, they meander and overflow, scouring riparian zones and submerging the plain’s lakes. Most areas sit between the flood and dry water levels of rivers and lakes, making them highly prone to inundation. To mitigate the specific challenges posed by the topography, hydrology, and flood risks, the Jingzhou’s CEWS manifests two primary practical approaches and one practical concept as follows. 1) Site selection was conducted by situating cities along rivers such as the Yangtze River, the Yang River and the Xia River; utilizing submerged valley lakes (e, g., Chang Lake) as flood detention basins; and choosing sandbanks and natural embankments as construction sites. 2) Morphologically, the system employs the cut-corners shape of the city wall, the location of the city gate, the Xishi and the artificial stone shoals to resist the strong water flow of the Yangtze River and the Juzhang River in the Shashi River Bay. Structurally, it adopts a strategic configuration focused on southern flood prevention through embankments, complemented by northern storage and discharge through lake basins, thereby addressing the distinct flood situation from the north and south. 3) The holistic view is a practical concept for solving complex flood situations and achieving a combination of flood prevention, storage and discharge, as well as the synergistic utilization of water resources for multiple objectives. This concept is manifested in the comprehensive cognition and judgement of the topographical and hydrological conditions, as well as flood situation.
Conclusion The practical approaches and concepts contained in the ecological wisdom of Jingzhou’s CEWS epitomize a duality of regional universality and distinctiveness within the Jianghan Plain. Guided by the practical concept of a holistic view, two primary practical approaches were adapted to local conditions to construct the CEWS based on the unique topographic, hydrological, and flood characteristics of Jingzhou’s location, thereby providing a concrete reference paradigm. Meanwhile, the practical concept of holistic view has developed into a universal thinking paradigm for city flood management across the Jianghan Plain. The findings of this study are applicable to comparative research among cities within the Jianghan Plain or across different geographical regions, and can facilitate the advancement of research on the distinctiveness and universality of the ecological wisdom in ancient Chinese city construction. The fundamental characteristics of the ecological wisdom in Jingzhou’s city construction identified in this study are conducive to providing empirical insights for the methodologies of Jingzhou’s ecological planning and design—especially for the Shabei and Jingbei areas in Jingzhou, which are located in more low-lying areas and are currently under development.
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