Abstract: China’s indus trialized course and opening to the outside world beginning in the middle of 19th century first brought about the concept of coas talland and inner land.Then, coastal regions, particularly those trading portcities began to enter their course of isolated modernization,whereas, the broad inner land kept almost intact its pre- modern economic structure. Consequently there appeared in China a situat ion of isolated and opposi te economic structures between traditional regions and modern regions, between rural areas and urban areas, and between pre- modern economic departments and modern economic departments, thus preventing the spread of modern material civi lization to the whole society, causing the backwardness of the broad countryside and bringing about the long time social turmoil.

Key words: coastal land and inner land, modernization, dual structure of economy