Why didn't Guangdong, which ranked first in the country for 33 consecutive years, have much sense of existence in ancient times?

In 20021year, Guangdong's GDP reached 12.4 trillion yuan, becoming the first province in China to break through 12 trillion yuan, ranking first in Chinese mainland for 33 consecutive years.

12.4 trillion yuan? According to the annual average exchange rate, the total GDP of Guangdong Province last year was about 1.92 trillion US dollars. In 2020, this figure will rank in the top ten of all countries and regions in the world, and it will be higher than the top ten developed countries such as Italy (1.89 trillion US dollars), Canada (1.64 trillion US dollars) and South Korea (1.64 trillion US dollars), so it can be called "as rich as an enemy".

But in ancient China, Guangdong was not as powerful as Xi, Nanjing, Beijing, Luoyang, Kaifeng and other ancient cities, which can be analyzed and discussed from the following aspects.

First, the geographical location determined that Guangdong was marginalized in ancient times.

Geographical location plays an important role in the social and economic development of a region. Guangdong is located in the southern part of the motherland, facing the South China Sea and backed by Wuling Mountains, forming a relatively independent geographical unit that is closed internally and open to the outside world. In ancient times with inconvenient transportation, the central dynasty was beyond its reach, and it was difficult to operate as a core area like the Central Plains, Jiangnan, Guanzhong and Sichuan, so it was often ignored or even marginalized by the ruling group.

Second, Guangdong's position in the minds of rulers since Qin Dynasty.

In 2 14 BC, Qin Shihuang pacified Lingnan, and Guangdong began to be incorporated into the territory of the Central Plains dynasty. Guangdong established a feudal system, and Qin ruled Guangdong for only eight years. Longchuan County, Nanhai County and Qin Dynasty made Zhao Tuo rise by chance, became independent and established Nanyue State. Only when Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was pacified. South Vietnam has a complete political and economic system, relatively developed material civilization and considerable achievements in urban construction. Yuecheng is located in the core of Guangzhou today, and it has not been moved in 2000, which is rare in cities all over the country.

During the Three Kingdoms, the Jin Dynasty and the Southern and Northern Dynasties, in order to avoid the war in the north, more Han people moved south, which promoted the economic and social development of Guangdong. During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the dynasty was strong, and most countries in West Asia and Southeast Asia had cultural and trade exchanges with the Tang Dynasty Empire in Guangdong, which led to the rapid development and economic prosperity of cities such as Guangzhou and Zhou 'en (Yangjiang and Enping).

During the Song and Yuan Dynasties, a large number of immigrants from the Central Plains went south, and the immigrants were widely distributed in the Pearl River Delta, the mountainous areas of eastern Guangdong, Gaolei Qionglian and other places. Han people began to become the main residents of Guangdong, and Han culture also became the mainstream culture of Guangdong culture, which opened the climax of Guangdong's reclamation and development. A large number of high-quality land has been reclaimed and become an important grain producing area in China, and the Pearl River Delta has become the basic economic zone of the country for the first time. In particular, the status of foreign trade has risen, and the Maritime Silk Road has flourished abnormally. Guangdong began to enter the stage of comprehensive development.

During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Guangdong's territory gradually formed and remained stable, and a new mode of production, the bud of capitalism, first appeared. Handicraft production and commodity economy gradually flourished, and a large number of people concentrated in cities and towns. Guangzhou became the only foreign trade port, and the prosperity of the Maritime Silk Road reached its historical peak, but it was also the eve of its collapse, which was more prominent after the Opium War.

Modern Guangdong first became a semi-feudal and semi-colonial society and the cradle of modern revolution, affecting the whole country. Opium War, Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, Reform Movement of 1898, Revolution of 1911, etc. They all broke out or brewed in Guangdong first, and then spread to the whole country.

After the May 4th Movement, Guangdong entered the stage of modern history. After the baptism of revolution and war, Guangdong was reborn. Especially since the founding of New China and the reform and opening up, Guangdong has begun to appear in front of the world with a brand-new look, becoming the vanguard of reform and opening up and the forerunner of economic development, leading the rapid and high-quality development of the national economy.

Third, special status breeds special opportunities.

Because it is located in the border and the traffic is blocked, compared with the external environment where the North and the Central Plains have been divided for a long time and the wars have continued, Guangdong has less wars in ancient times, relatively stable society and relatively relaxed political environment, which is conducive to the development of ideology and culture, but it also retains its unique local culture because of its closeness.

The central government often adopts some special policies towards Guangdong. For example, Liu Bang tolerated the Zhao Tuo regime and "ruled according to its customs"; Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty implemented the policy of restraining business in the northern part of the Central Plains, except Lingnan. The land equalization system was widely implemented in the Tang Dynasty, but it was not implemented in Lingnan. Song dynasty had less restrictions on Guangdong's handicrafts such as mining, metallurgy and wine making, which was beneficial to the development of handicrafts; During the Ming and Qing dynasties, most of them closed their doors to the outside world, leaving Guangzhou alone for foreign trade; During the new China period, Guangdong became the first region in China to carry out reform and opening up, which brought about the rapid development of Guangdong's economy, that is, it has a profound historical origin.

Guangdong, which does not disgrace the mission of the vanguard of reform and opening up, will always practice its leading role!