Luxurious Heavenly City: Song Dynasty Hangzhou

Author: Zhou Ying / Zhao Daxiong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: The Splendid Heavenly City: Song Dynasty Hangzhou is dedicated to reviving and recreating the historical scene of Hangzhou during the Song Dynasty, aiming to achieve a sense of being there. This historical scene held typical significance during the Song Dynasty and also serves as the foundation for contemporary Hangzhou's life. It is a very real and tangible site. The recreation of the historical scene is the result of our presence and dialogue with history. The Song Dynasty was a peak in the development of ancient Chinese society. It conducted a comprehensive historical summary of China's original intellectual and cultural achievements and carried out highly effective refinement and re-creation. In a certain sense, it also marked the end of traditional Chinese culture. The culture that followed was largely its legacy. Therefore, studying the history of the Song Dynasty holds special significance for researching the history of the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, as well as for the present day. This book is dedicated to reviving and recreating the historical scene of Hangzhou during the Song Dynasty, aiming to achieve a sense of being there. This historical scene held typical significance during the Song Dynasty and also serves as the foundation for contemporary Hangzhou's life. It is a very real and tangible site. The recreation of the historical scene is the result of our presence and dialogue with history. The book is divided into four parts in terms of its structure.
Part 1 explains the historical evolution and the urban layout, as well as the natural material foundations such as the Xixi Wetland, the Qiantang River, and the Grand Canal. It aims to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the geographical and environmental conditions.
Part 2 introduces the achievements in economic development. From the aspects discussed, it can be seen that Song Dynasty Hangzhou was not only highly developed in industry and commerce but also produced highly creative economic thought.
Part 3 introduces the cultural achievements. Most of these achievements were the most outstanding and highest level in China at the time, and some even stood out globally.
Part 4 introduces historical figures. It is limited to the few who, in the authors' opinion, had the most significant impact on Song Dynasty Hangzhou. Their selection differs from conventional perspectives.