Since the Qinling-Huaihe line was delimited as the boundary between north and south China in 1958, discussions on the local position of the line, criteria for dividing temperature zones, the line's environmental effect, among others, are ongoing. The National Basic Resources Investigation Program "Integrated Scientific Investigation of the North-South Transitional Zone" launched in 2017, introduced the concept of north-south transitional zone (Qinling-Daba Mountains) and planned to explore the north-south dividing line from the perspective of transitional zone, so as to strengthen and make some breakthroughs in the study of the north-south division. The Qinling-Daba Mountains are the main body of China's north-south transitional zone, with multi-dimensional zonal structures and high degree of environmental complexity, biological diversity, and climatic sensitivity. The following 10 scientific issues need to be dealt with in the years to come: 1) The relationship between the north-south dividing line and the north-south transitional zone; 2) improvement of criteria for identifying subtropical and warm-temperate zones; 3) integral north-south series and variation of vegetation and soil types; 4) relationship between global warming and spatial change of key bioclimatic criteria; 5) decomposition and integration of multi-dimensional zonal structures in the Qinling-Daba Mountains; 6) pattern and mechanism of biological diversity and endemics; 7) the corridor effect of the Qinling-Daba Mountains; 8) regional environmental effect of the Qinling-Daba Mountains and implications for the national ecological security; 9) significance and position of the Qinling-Daba Mountains for the history and development of China; and 10) significance of the geographic structure of Western Qinling Mountains for the origin of the Chinese civilization. These key issues are not only the results of previous research, but also the starting point for further exploration and study in the future. They are intended to inspire and encourage an in-depth study of China's north-south dividing line or transitional zone, and to provide new perspectives and framework for the exploration of physio-geographic theories, biodiversity, and ecological security, and even the birthplace of the earliest Chinese civilization.

The elimination of geography at Harvard University is a big event in the history of geography, which contributed to a key question whether geography is a vulnerable discipline. The elimination of geography at Harvard has a significant influence in the history of geographic thought. This article takes the elimination of geography at Harvard as a typical case and attempts to reveal the truth and the influences of the event based on the analysis of the stories in some references. The present essay is not just a case study of an important event in the history of American geography, but an opportunity for reflection and an invitation to learn from history and to apply these lessons to the present. The article argues that there were six reasons for the elimination of geography at Harvard, including the prevailing atmosphere of science, the arrogance of the university management, infighting between natural sciences and humanistic studies, the political factor of excluding communist influences, discrimination against homosexuals, university financial constraints, and the background of the particular period. The vulnerability of geography is actually a matter of identity, and is how to position the subject. It depends on how geography deals with its own relationship with other disciplines, society, the government, and management, which involves the scientific, social, and political nature of geography. As an independent interdisciplinary field with a long history, geography is closely related to other sciences, society, and politics. This is both a vulnerability and an advantage. The identity of other disciplines and societal issues are important to geography. Geography should adapt and change.

this article explains the significance of the "Outline of Collaborative Development of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei Province" for the positioning of the capital city—Beijing. In China, only the capital city Beijing can become one of the largest nodes of the global "flows" and one of the centers of global economic impact and dominance. Beijing as the capital city enjoys the highest status of financial and business center in China, which is an important pillar for the economy and security of the country. The positioning of the capital city and its realization is a fundamental task crucial for generations to come, which cannot be replaced by any other big cities. High-end financial and business district of the capital city needs scientific planning, and some suggestions are put forward in this article. Improper functional orientation and overdevelopment of the Seashore New Area of Tianjin has led to serious waste of resources, and the experience and lessons are worth learning.