Land Mortgage in Mountainous Regions of Southern Zhejiang during the Mid- and Late Qing: A Study Based on "Land Mortgage Contracts" from Shicang Village, Songyang County.

The article discusses land mortgage in Shicang Village, Songyan County, China during the middle and later Qing period of Chinese history. Details are provided about the history of economic activity in China and about the methods used by residents of Shicang Village to discharge mortgages. The effect of social status on land transactions is examined and the relationship between land prices, grain prices, and the mortgage rate is explored. Information is also presented about the decentralization of wealth through land transfer.