Hou Renzhi (1911-)

Hou Renzhi was singularly influential in shaping the modern study of geography in China, leading its transformation from a tradition of chronicling to a systematic approach. Hou built his reputation by publishing important work on historical Beijing, the historical archaeology of the Huang Ho River basin, and classical Chinese geographical thought. His historically based geographical contribution to the development of the modern city of Beijing included redevelopment of irrigation and water conservation systems and planning for Tiananmen Square.

Hou was born in Hebei Province and holds a BA in history (1936) and an MA in historical geography (1938) from Yenching University, predecessor institution to Peking (now Beijing) University. Hou was an instructor at Yenching and elsewhere during the Japanese occupation of China, before joining H. C. ...