History >Regime, Government and Spheres of Influence
The Song Dynasty (The Northern Song Dynasty)
The Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), called the Song Dynasty in combination with the Southern Song Dynasty, is also known as "the Two Song Dynasties". Since its capital was in Bianliang (Kaifeng, Henan Province today) in the north, it was historically known as the Northern Song Dynasty in order to distinguish it from the later Southern Song Dynasty. The Northern Song Dynasty, beginning from the demise of Emperor Gongdi of Zhou following a coup by Zhao Kuangyin, lased 157 years with 9 emperors in the reign, and governed the areas mainly inhabited by the Han people in the south of the basin of the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River. In antagonism with Liao, Jin and Western Xia successively, the Northern Song Dynasty was conquered by Jin in the second year of Jingkan (1127).
Text
Ancient tomb discovered in Kuqa county, Xinjiang

An ancient tomb has been discovered at a construction site in Kuqa county in Aksu prefecture in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region on Nov 2, 2016. A preliminary excavation earlier this month, revealed a small tomb with a dome structure and a south-facing entrance. The tomb has been constructed using black bricks and is 2.3 meters in height and 2.2 meters across. Small fragments of pottery and bones have also been unearthed. So far, the owner of the tomb has not been identified. Based on the evidence gathered so far, archeologists believe the tomb may date back to the Northern Song Dynasty.

Shandong Special: Friendly Shandong welcomes you

With a tradition of hospitality that dates back 7,000 years, Shandong beckons travelers from all lands. This is a stretch of magical and old land. Magnificent mountains and vast sea nurture her 7,000-year history of civilization. It is the place where Confucius was born, where Mount Tai rose skyward, where the Yellow River empties into the sea and where the Olympic Sailing Games took place. It is the land of ceremony and propriety with a perfect combination of ancient and modern civilizations. This is Shandong! Hospitable place Shandong has the tradition of being hospitable since ancient times. One of the defiing features of Shandong people, a number of whom are prototypical heroes in China, is being straightforward and great-hearted. That is fully demonstrated in those novel characters that are from Shandong, like Qin Qiong, Cheng Yaojin, Wu Song and Li Kui, all of stocky and imposing build, drinking liquor in big bowls, eating meat in big bites, and sticking together in both good and bad times. The hospitality, boldness and generosity of Shandong people is also vividly and thoroughly shown in their drinking style, as "when drinking with a bosom friend, a thousand cups will still be too little", and "drink till all's blue". Holy Land of Oriental culture Located in the eastern part of China, Shandong is one of the birthplaces of Chinese civilization. Yiyuan Man, from the same period of Peking Man, was discovered in Shandong. Home to the ancient states Qi and Lu, it was within the political and economic center of China from the pre-Qin period to the Northern Song Dynasty. The Great Wall of Qi State, 400 years earlier than the Great Wall of the Qin Dynasty, is well preserved, emitting the scent of Chinese civilization. Confucius, the greatest educator and the founder of Confucianism, was born in Shandong. His thought has influenced the evolution the Chinese nation and culture, and his family lasted for more than 2,000 years in Shandong, which is a miracle in world history. Mencius said, "Having climbed the East Peak (of Mount Tai), Lu seemed small to Confucius. Having climbed to the top of Mount Tai, the whole world below seemed small." The towering spirit of Mount Tai is unparalleled among all the grand, peculiar, pretty and beautiful mountains in China. The tremendous body of Mount Tai crystallizes the essence of the mountain culture of China. "It flows away endlessly day and night." The Yellow River, mother river of China, embraces the ocean in Shandong after flowing 610 kilometers within the province. The estuary displays a spectacle like "a yellow dragon jumping into the sea". Holiday paradise When the heat wave of summer starts to harass the north and south of China, the beaches of Shandong peninsula turn out a fairyland that offers unrivaled opportunities to enjoy the breeze, take a sea bath, and eat the seafood. Qingdao is a modern metropolis blessed with mountains and sea and dotted with red roofs and green trees against the blue sea and sky. It charms travelers with its annual beer festival. Qingdao gained the reputation as "Sailing City" as it hosted the Sailing Games of the 2008 Olympics. Shandong Special: Friendly Shandong welcomes you Yantai is considered the world's seventh-largest grape coast. It is the fairyland on earth where the legend "Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea" took place. Weihai lies at the easternmost tip of the Shandong Peninsula and faces the Korean Peninsula and Japanese archipelago across the sea. It is surrounded by mountains and water and is known as "the most livable city". Rizhao is a new port city and distinguishes itself with blue sea, golden sand and water sports. It is an ideal place of leisure for holidaymakers who prefer unfrequented places. A blessed land The land is blessed with timehonored history, splendid culture, numerous celebrities and charming natural sceneries. The 17 cities with specific characteristics are embedded in the land like 17 sparkling pearls, forming the unique tourist map of Shandong. With the joint efforts of all working on tourism, Shandong has developed 10 tourist destination brands attracting the people across the globe - Oriental Holy Land, Fairyland Coast, Mount Tai in Peace, Capital of Ancient Qi State, City of Springs under the Heaven, The Grand Canal Bathed in Confucianism, Hometown of Water Margin, Yellow River Estuary, Affectionate Yimeng and China Dinosaur City. As Confucius said 2,500 years ago, "Isn't it a great pleasure to have friends come from afar?" This is a sincere invitation from the hospitable Shandong people to the world. Today, we welcome more friends from home and abroad to appreciate the unlimited charm of "Friendly Shandong". Shandong Special: Friendly Shandong welcomes you

Dynasties' delights on display

The Diligence and Intelligence exhibition at the Long Museum's West Bund space in Shanghai has received rave reviews. Lin Qi reports. Art auctions so far this year have generated several high prices for artworks from the Song (960-1279) and Yuan (1271-1368) dynasties, including Yuan official-painter Ren Renfa's color work Five Drunken Kings on Horses that grossed 303.6 million yuan ($44 million) on Dec 4. Intense bidding in salerooms indicate greater interest by private collectors, as they have become more knowledgeable about the two empires' cultural depth in recent years. The Diligence and Intelligence exhibition at the Long Museum's West Bund space in Shanghai has garnered great reviews for its presentation of Song and Yuan art. Dynasties' delights on display Top: A work by Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) painter Ma Yuan. Above: A piece from Xiesheng Zhenqin Tu (a painting scroll of precious birds) by Zhao Ji, or Emperor Huizong of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). Photos Provided to China Daily Song and Yuan artworks represent the epitome of ancient Chinese views on nature and the universe because they evoke elegant simplicity and majestic splendor. As the works are very rare they are coveted by serious collectors of classical Chinese art. It is also very rare to see dozens of such fine examples of art in private hands at one exhibition. The show presents more than 80 paintings, calligraphic pieces and ancient books. The Long Museum, founded by self-made billionaire-turned-collector Liu Yiqian and Wang Wei, now operates from three locations - two in Shanghai and one in Chongqing. It houses their cultural assets, spanning from antiques to contemporary art pieces. Wang, who runs the museum cluster, says half of the exhibited works at the show are from their collection, while the rest are on loan from some 20 collectors, both from home and abroad. Xie Xiaodong, who co-curated the exhibition along with Beijing-based ink artist Hao Liang, says the collectors shared the most iconic pieces, many of which are of museum quality. Xie says some of the collectors have amassed their cultural assets partly through public auctions. Their pieces account for a bulk of quality Song and Yuan pieces that have been auctioned at home and international sales. Other exhibits are family treasures that have been passed down for generations and have never come onto the open market, he says. "Therefore, the exhibition offers a glimpse of the quantity and quality of Song and Yuan artworks in private hands," he says. "It provides rich examples for both ordinary viewers and scholars who can deepen their knowledge of the aesthetic traditions that have evolved since the Song period." The works on display include Jushi Tie, a letter by Song politician and scholar Zeng Gong. It fetched 207 million yuan at a Beijing auction in May. The calligraphy piece of 124 characters is the fourth costliest work of traditional Chinese art sold so far this year. Its buyer was Chinese media mogul Wang Zhongjun, a partner in a Shanghai art auction house that plans to hold its inaugural sale on Dec 22. The exhibition also features works that represent the efforts of Chinese collectors to bring home art from abroad, such as Xiesheng Zhenqin Tu (a painting scroll of precious birds) by Zhao Ji, or Emperor Huizong of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). He was also an acclaimed artist and avid sponsor of art. The painting, which was once part of a collection in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), was taken out of the Forbidden City and passed through several hands until finally landing in a private Japanese collection. It was sold for 25.3 million yuan at a Beijing auction in 2002 - then a record for any Chinese work of art, to the Belgian couple Myriam and Guy Ullens. They sold the painting seven years later in Beijing when it was acquired by Liu Yiqian for 61.7 million yuan after a 45-minute bidding war. Also on display is Gong Fu Tie, a calligraphy scroll by Song scholar and literati Su Shi (1037-1101). Liu bought the scroll for $8.2 million at a New York auction in 2013. Dynasties' delights on display The purchase, however, sparked a controversy back home as three researchers from the Shanghai Museum said that it was a 19th-century forgery. Hao, the co-curator of the exhibition, says the organizers put aside the debate over the authenticity of the works, and focused on the collector's enthusiasm for traditional culture. Xie says Song and Yuan art are seen as pearls in a crown, and adds that these days collectors are serious about what they collect. "They seek professionals for advice on cultivating a discerning taste when it comes to art and building up a hierarchical collection. They rely on strict standards so that they collect the best works," he says. "Their devotion to safeguarding cultural heritage should be encouraged." Contact the writer at linqi@chinadaily.com.cn (China Daily USA 12/13/2016 page8)

Knowledge Graph
Examples

1 Wang’s paper, titled On the Relationship between Acute-grave Divergence of Han Rhyme in Northern Song Dynasty and Separation of Hanshan and Huanhuan Rhymes of Northern Dialects in Yuan Dynasty, presented theories and facts about northern dialects to prove the history of modern Chinese phonetics.

2 Following the collapse of the Northern Song Dynasty in 1126 AD, many Xus migrated southwards to avoid the fighting that flared up in the aftermath.

3 Dongpo was the famed scholar of Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127).