The Song Dynasty (960-1279)

Economy, Culture and Neo-Confucianism
(This title is given by the editor of HeritageEast)

China: An Illustrated History
Yong Ho, Hippocrene Books
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"Summer Mountains", attributed to Qu Ding of the Song Dynasty

View this painting at the Metropolitan Museum of Art,
New York City

Although the Song was a weak dynasty from the beginning, its economy remained robust, urban growth was unparalleled, and technology made extraordinary strides. China was probably the wealthiest country in the world during the period, as historical records show that people were engaged in a variety of business pursuits, producing paper, wine, textiles, tea, sugarcane, lacquerware, pottery, and porcelain. Printing was invented, and heavier industry such as iron/steel production and shipbuilding evolved.

Culture, too, continued to flourish. Many of the artistic and literary traditions of previous
dynasties were refined and enhanced. The Song continued the glorious tradition of the Tang poetry with its own variations. Lu You and Xin Qiji were famous poets of the Song. Considering the tumultuous state of the period, many of their poems reflected the people's concerns and sentiments regarding the constant threat of war and misery. Buddhism was curbed somewhat by the monarch, as it was draining the royal treasury with its demand for financing its temple building and exemption from taxation. This restriction coincided with renewed interest in Confucianism among the intellectuals.

An influential school of thought to emerge in the Song period was Neo-Confucianism, an outgrowth of Confucianism. Neo-Confucianism was represented by Zhu Xi, among others, who synthesized Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism to form an official ideology. Although Zhu Xi was not the first person to advance the philosophy, his elucidations were considered so authoritative that they were required readings for the imperial civil service examinations. Neo-Confucianism focused on the harmonious relationships between man and nature and between man and man. A key concept of Neo-Confucianism is li (principle or reason). Based on the Confucian theory of the innate goodness of man, exponents of Neo-Confucianism advocated the study of li and the development of the ability to apprehend it by intuition. In addition, the Neo-Confucian school specified in no uncertain terms the unquestioned obligation of obedience and subservience of subject to ruler, son to father, wife to husband, and younger brother to older brother. This doctrine had a profound effect on the intellectual life of not only China, but also of other Asian countries such as Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.

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