 Reference Base  Das Leben in der Verbotenen Stadt: Die Qing-Dynastie 1644... |
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Wan Yi; Wang Shuqing; Lu Yanzhen, 1998. Das Leben in der Verbotenen Stadt: Die Qing-Dynastie 1644-1911. Redaktion der deutschen Ausgabe: Friedemann Berger, Dai Shieng, Gu Xiaoyun. Hong Kong, The Commercial Press
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| Location: |
Asia - East Asia - China |
| Subject: |
Distribution - Records |
| Species: |
Asian Rhino Species |
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The historical documents on the distribution of Rhinoceros in China are unique and detailed. They provide records on what has happened even as far as 3400 years ago. And this forms a trustworthy information to formulate ecological principles of Rhinoceros extinction.
Wen Huan Ran (1981, Newspaper Wu Han Normal University) judged from the Rhinoceros character in ancient books that there had been Rhinoceros unicornis, R. sondaicus and Dicerorhinus sumatrensis. All of them disappeared from China 3200 years ago (Shang Dynasty); vivid pictographs on bones show Rhinoceros and places where King Shang captured them. One can conclude that the northern border of the rhinoceros' distribution was `Hua' from the record in Jiaguwen of Shang Dynasty, that indicated how many (normally 5-6, sometimes 11 or 12 to 16) were captured at several places north of Huang River and south of Tai Hang Mountains. Accoridng to our country's ancient geography works, Shang Hai Zhing, in Mt Nu Chuang (at present Mt Mi Gang), located at the upper section of Jing River near Mt Liu Pan, there were many tigers, leopards and rhinoceros, including D. sumatrensis. In Mt Xun Wu (now Mt Quwu) north of Mt Liu Pan, there lived tigers, leopards, yaks, Rhinoceros and D. sumatrensis, similarly to those in Mt Zhong Shou. Shan Hai Zhing describes also Mt Zuozi (Mt Table) that was Mt Da Xian then (north of Yin Cuan city and east of Huang River), as rich in Rhinoceros and yaks. Mt Quwu and Mt Table are all situated at 37-38?N. It means that the northern border of distribution of Rhinoceros was that far north some 3000 years ago.
The last 3200 yaers of the Chinese history can be divided into eight historical periods, each lasting approx. 400 years. The area with Rhinoceros contracted southwardly. However, the withdrawal of Rhinoceros at the eastern coast had a higher rate than that in the mainland. That process was simultaneous to the spread of the Chinese population. Finally, Rhinoceros vanished somewhere at the west of Yu Nan 200 years ago.
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