近二十年來地方社會及區域歷史研究方興未艾，對區域研究的「個案」和「普適」意義的討論自然也無可迴避。其實，無論一項研究具有個案意義抑或總體而言有普適價值，皆說明該主題具研究意義。以總體關懷或系統內在性聯繫的視角研究「地方史」，以個案研究發見普適意義，本是題中應有之義。漳浦遷海為我們提供了一個觀察的契機，在濱海一隅以「小」見「大」，個案意義與中華帝國在明清交替多層次歷史中整體脈絡的呈現相得益彰。首先，以往關於不同地方遷海範圍三五十里的成說，可進一步落實明確：漳浦的例子揭示了一個「小」縣內如何「因地制宜」而出現不同的內遷里數，如何依山勢和地方原有的防衛性設施（如堡寨）而劃定。其次，這些堡寨遺跡作為存留的景觀，不僅可以展示文獻無徵的遷海「線」，也反映地方勢力的變動情形。遷海之後地方大族和小姓的勢力雖各有升降，總體而言原有的地方勢力仍然遭受了一定打擊，體現了所謂的「社會重組」。最後，基於這種地方秩序的變化，清代國家開始重新進行編戶和保甲。漳浦的編戶和保甲旣建立在地方堡寨歷史演化的基礎上，又與東南其他地區共享相似的安民防寇路徑和程式：在傳統認為的漢人地區，帝國同樣需要依靠區域特性和歷史「遺產」處理如同「非漢」地區一樣的「邊界」與社會重組問題。這個過程其實也是「國家」形成的過程。

Qianhai, the early-Qing order that forced people in southeast coast to evacuate the coast to a distance of ten to eighteen miles inland in order to eliminate anti-Qing activities, is an excellent topic through which to examine the formation of the border in Han local society, and to encourage dialogue between the ＂New Qing History＂ and the ＂South China Studies schools. The development of regional studies during the past twenty years encourages us both to refine our local case studies and to map the wider picture. The story of social transformation in Zhangpu County during the Ming-Qing transition provides a perfect case to discuss how the coastal evacuation policy was implemented in local society. It can also promote our understanding of multiple histories. First, the familiar story of the coastal evacuation can be described in greater detail. Even in a single county, there was no standard evacuation distance. Local officials relied on mountainous terrain and existing forts and fortified villages to form a line of defense that determined the scope of the evacuation. Second, the social landscape in the communities of the county demonstrates the rise and decline of local power structures. Many of the most influential and deep-rooted families were badly weakened by the time they returned home after the evacuation order was rescinded. On the basis of the ebb and flow of local elites, the Qing state began to regulate households more closely, and state power thus penetrated to the local level. The household registers of Zhangpu were established based on the specific historical context of the county, but the process shared with the rest of the southeastern coastal region a pattern whereby pacification and local defence shaped state penetration Even in a supposedly ＂traditional＂ Han region, the empire needed to handle the problems of the border and social complexity, just as it did in non- Han areas. This illustrates the process of late imperial state formation in practice.