Southern Song dynasty
Quick Summary
The Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279) was a period in Chinese history that followed the Northern Song dynasty. After the Jurchen tribes, who established the Jin dynasty, conquered northern China, the Song imperial family fled south of the Yangtze River. Emperor Gaozong reestablished the dynasty with a capital at Lin'an (modern Hangzhou).1
The Southern Song focused on defending against the Jin and restoring imperial authority. Despite facing external threats, this era was marked by significant cultural and economic achievements. Commerce flourished, paper currency was widely used, and large cities grew. Innovations in printing, including movable type, made literature and learning more accessible. Neo-Confucianism was systematized, and the arts, particularly landscape painting and pottery, reached new heights.1
The dynasty eventually fell to the Mongols, led by Genghis Khan's grandsons, after decades of conflict. The Song capital fell in 1276, and the dynasty officially ended in 1279 with the destruction of its fleet.1
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Xia GuiLife…dynasty is known as the Southern Song period (1127–1279). During this period, the centre of painting and the concentration of major artists was in the Imperial Painting Academy. Accordingly, the leading masters of the 12th and the first half of the 13th centuries, with a few exceptions, were the court…
Read More…dynasty is known as the Southern Song period (1127–1279). During this period, the centre of painting and the concentration of major artists was in the Imperial Painting Academy. Accordingly, the leading masters of the 12th and the first half of the 13th centuries, with a few exceptions, were the court…
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ZhejiangCultural lifeDuring the Nan (Southern) Song dynasty (1127–1279), the political and cultural centre of China moved from North China to Zhejiang. The Hangzhou area became the homeland of a galaxy of famous painters (including a Song emperor), as well as calligraphers, poets, essayists, philosophers, and historians. The beauty of Lin’an…
Read MoreDuring the Nan (Southern) Song dynasty (1127–1279), the political and cultural centre of China moved from North China to Zhejiang. The Hangzhou area became the homeland of a galaxy of famous painters (including a Song emperor), as well as calligraphers, poets, essayists, philosophers, and historians. The beauty of Lin’an…
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In the Nan Song many great painters served at the Hanlin Academy, becoming noted for brush effects, miniatures, and, under Chan (Zen) influence, paintings of Buddhist deities, animals, and birds.
Read MoreIn the Nan Song many great painters served at the Hanlin Academy, becoming noted for brush effects, miniatures, and, under Chan (Zen) influence, paintings of Buddhist deities, animals, and birds.
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Chinese paintingSong (960–1279), Liao (907–1125), and Jin (1115–1234) dynastiesThe Nan Song (Southern Song) never seriously tried to recover the north but enjoyed the beauty and prosperity of their new home, while the arts continued to flourish in an atmosphere of humanity and tolerance until the Mongols entered China in the 13th century and swept…
Read MoreThe Nan Song (Southern Song) never seriously tried to recover the north but enjoyed the beauty and prosperity of their new home, while the arts continued to flourish in an atmosphere of humanity and tolerance until the Mongols entered China in the 13th century and swept…
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