The port spatial relationship between Shanghai and Ningbo

Shanghai and Ningbo are the two most important ports in the Yangtze River Delta port system.In this paper,on the basis of international and domestic historical research on spatial relationships between ports,the author used historical documents and shift-share model to analyze and measure the spatial relationships between Shanghai and Ningbo from a more historical perspective.Before 1840 the two ports opened to foreign traders,however,Ningbo was the only authorized port trading with Japanese,while Shanghai was one of the most important ports for domestic trade.After 1840,as we all familiarized with that Shanghai port had developed much more rapidly than Ningbo did.Eventually,Shanghai became one of the most important hub ports in East Asia while Ningbo the feeder port of Shanghai.Recently ocean shipping volume ship sizes were getting larger,and the advantage of Ningbo port's deep water was embodied.And also with the development of regional economy,more and more containers were transited through Ningbo port.Ningbo port transformed from Shanghai's feeder port to a large deep-sea direct-call port.Based on the analysis of Shanghai and Ningbo's physical condition,port type,hinterland development,modes of transport and traffic cost,the author considered Ningbo port would be developing from large deep-sea direct-call port to hub port.Bi-hub port would be the spatial relationship between Shanghai and Ningbo ports.