Lowland islands at the water-land nexus in Lixiahe, China: A boundary approach

Abstract

Historically known as China’s ‘Netherlands’, the lowlands of Lixiahe were and still are characterized by vast waterscapes. This paper introduces an island society fostered by this wet landscape, which thrived in premodern times and has undergone a transition into modernity. From a long-term perspective, there have been constant interactions between this island society and the water-land environments. This study details such socio-natural interactions and reconsiders the role of natural settings in the evolution of this island society in the modern context of intensifying human interventions. A comparative study is conducted in two periods of premodern and modern times, and a parallel examination is conducted into three levels of this island society to explore island relations. A boundary approach based on landscape ecology theories is employed to interpret the complex socio-natural interactions in both temporal and spatial dimensions. Through this historical exploration, the paper concludes with three links between resilience thinking and architecture/planning practice in wet landscapes and discusses contemporary issues connected with the socio-ecological resilience of these lowland islands.