Song Dynasty (960-1279)
By: Liam and James
Flag during Song Dynasty
The economics in the Song Dynasty were amazing! In the 11th century they had 8.6 million houses and a century later improved to 10.8 million households. Between the 750 and 1100 CE the Song population doubled and the trade industry grew rapidly. The Song Dynasty traded with Liao, Jin, Western Xia, Uighur states, Dali, and Tibet. They imported horses, leather, felt, weapons, salt, etc. They exported tea, medicine, food, silk, books, incense, copper coins, rare materials, etc. The Song Dynasty was the first government in the world to issue paper money in 1120’s. They either paid with the new paper money or used copper or bronze coins. Merchants and traders were very helpful because they helped import the stuff they didn’t have. This way the merchant and/or traders got money and paid taxes to the government. The annual output of coins a year was 6 BILLION! The Song Dynasty usually mined iron, coal, and copper. The Song Dynasty mined enough iron to make a hundred million kilograms of iron product a year. Many people inside China started to trade iron after that.
Song Dynasty's paper money called, "Jiao Zi"
A coin that the Song Dynasty used, some coins had differnt descriptions on them, just like the coins we use today
Another of the Song Dynasty coins
Inventions/Technology/Science and Architecture
The Song Dynasty had many religions including Buddhism, Confucianism, Neo Confucianism, Taoism, and ancestor worship. The Song Dynasty had many religious things and came up with the “Ci” poem which was a new type of literature which would show their culture and religion. One of the famous paintings the Song Dynasty created was called the “Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival” created by Zhang Zedwan. The social life of the Song Dynasty with better food, music,art, and entertainment. Much of the Song Dynasty’s art was landscaping paintings that were usually made with watercolor ink. A wealthy boy's daily life in the Song Dynasty would go to school. A girl's daily life would be to work at home with their mother or grandmother. When a girl was little, they would get their feet bound because small feet were considered attractive, but this ended up making the girls walk funny or be unstable. A woman's daily life would consist of writing poetry and literature while the men worked. A man would go work which could have been farming, fishing, or owned a shop. Everyone in the family was required to listen to their father or husband. If there was an elder in the family, everyone had to respect and/or listen to them. When the elder’s passed away the family would worship them which made ancestor worship.