Abstract：The ethnic minority settlement is a unique geographical landscape of urban society. The phenomenon of mosque-centered agglomeration of Hui traders is a valuable case to study spatial agglomeration and spatial proximity.From the perspective of spatial proximity and based on the deep investigation and spatial analysis, our aim in this paper is to made a heuristic theoretical explanation on the mosque-centered agglomeration of Hui traders. When doing so, the paper highlights that the spatial proximity mechanism of mosque-centered agglomeration of the Hui traders can be represented geographically and culturally. The findings have been shown as follows: 1) Spatial proximity is the fundamental way for the mosque-centered agglomeration of Hui traders and mosque proximity and market proximity have become the localizing strategy and spatial strategy for the survival and development of the minority; 2) The mosquecentered agglomeration of Hui traders can be mainly demonstrated as the form of Halal markets surrounding the mosque.But different types and sizes of the Hui traders spatially show a variety of forms of mosque-centered agglomeration structure; 3) The mosque-centered agglomeration of the Hui traders is dependent on mosque-centered proximity and market proximity; 4) The mosque-centered agglomeration structure is dependent on the location of the mosque and location choice and spatial preference of the Hui traders; The mosque-centered agglomeration is an important strategy to deal with the low threshold market competition; The embedded and restrained chatacter of the Hui culture is an important reason for the spatial flexibility of the mosque-centered agglomeration; The Hui traders is dependent on the“mosquecommunity”structure. It is argued that it will be seen as the exploration of spatial proximity mechanism of the mosquecentered agglomeration of the Hui traders which will provide the empirical evidence for understanding the spatial agglomeration mechanism of commercial economy of the minorities.
Keyword：spatial proximity; mosque-centered proximity; market proximity; the embedded and restrained chatacter of the Hui culture; mosque-centered buying-and-selling; Hui traders;
【source】Economic Geography2017年11期
