History of Social Life in the Song, Liao, Western Xia, and Jin Dynasties

Author: Zhu Ruixi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-08-01
Features: The Song, Liao, Western Xia, and Jin dynasties were an era of ethnic conflicts and integration. Every aspect of social life reflected the rich and diverse customs of different ethnic groups, with a blending of cultures. During this period, there were four major changes in Chinese customs. First, seating habits shifted from sitting on the floor with bent knees to sitting with feet dangling, leading to a series of changes in etiquette and furniture. The (heated platform bed) introduced by the Jurchen people gradually became popular in the northern regions. Second, there was a long process of cotton replacing traditional silk and hemp as clothing materials. Third, coal was widely used as domestic fuel. Fourth, the spoken language of Chinese became more colloquial, and the standard language began its long transition from the Luoyang dialect to modern Beijing dialect. At that time, the economy and culture of the Song Dynasty were at the forefront of the world. The development of cities and the growth of urbanites (fāngguōhù) led to a rich and vibrant life of cultural and sports activities. Storytelling, zaju (a form of traditional drama), dance, acrobatics, martial arts, sumo, football, cockfighting, shuanglu (a board game), and dice games presented a kaleidoscope of fascinating and mesmerizing performances. The diversity of festivals and holiday consumption reached its peak during the Song Dynasty. The Khitan people loved wild game, while mutton was considered the noblest meat in the Song imperial court. Silk textiles and cotton winter clothing were common attire, while cotton fabric and cotton robes were rare and valuable items. Noblewomen traveled in ox carts rather than horse-drawn carriages or donkey carts. This book is part of the series on the Social Life History of Ancient China. Using a wealth of literary and other related materials, it provides an in-depth examination of all aspects of social life during the Song, Liao, Western Xia, and Jin dynasties, covering topics such as diet, clothing, transportation, marriage, and religious beliefs. It is a specialized work on social life history with a high academic level.