Urban Civilization of the Northern Song Dynasty
2 min readUrban civilization was already developed in the Tang Dynasty（618-907），with Chang an，the capital（todays Xian，Shaanxi Province），as the largest city in the world at the time.There were other large cities，such as luoyang to the east of Chang an and yangzhou，a commercial center in the south each of these cities had a population of around one million Chang an，in its prime had a population that reached over 1.5 million.
By the northern Song Dynasty，urban culture had further developed.The capital Bianliang，with a population of one million，was then the worlds largest city.Although it was smaller than Tang Dynasty’s Chang an，Bianliang was commercially more prosperous.In the five dynasties（907-960）the city of Luoyang had started to see shops set up along its streets，and by the northern Song dynasty this had become the vogue，with Bianliang having more shops than any other city. In the cities of Changan and Luoyang, shops were set up in designated areas called”shopping markets “but in Bianliang there was no such restriction and shops were allowed to set up anywhere on the streets along the riverbanks, and basically wherever there were people. The large number of shops enriched the life in the city.
Records of the Prosperity of the Capital(Dongjing menghua lu). by Meng Yuanlao(birth and death dates unknown) of the Northern Song Dynasty describes the affluence of bianliang. the book made note of 72 restaurants with numerous branches and other small taverns scattered throughout the city Commercial activities were very dynamic. One famous market, the templefair around Daxiangguo Temple, was open five days a month with animals vegetables, daily necessities, embroidery, books, antiques, spices, and medical herbs all available. Meng Yuanlao called it the “Ten Thousand Families Fair, a name evoking brisk scenes in the imagination. In each district of the capital here were entertainment areas incorporating businesses, trades and theaters, some large enough to hold audiences of thousands The nightlife in bianliang was rich and diverse, with restaurants, theaters and shops opened all through the night, when the city was lit as brightly as if it were day A Riverside scene at Qingming Festival provides a detailed illustration of life in the capital of the northern Song dynasty at its prime. The highly developed urban civilization gave creative inspiration to court artist Zhang Zeduan. He chose to paint the sunny morning of a festival day, when everything seemed spirited and full of vitality-the green grass, the flowing water and the crowds of people on the streets. With meticulous brushwork, the artist endowed the city with a strong sense of action and rhythm. The painting is capable of arousing soul-stirring emotions in the viewers who, like the painter himself, would love to immerse themselves in the warm, joyous, avid, and Intoxicating atmosphere.
