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PrefaceAfter
the mid-10th century, a new unified dynasty called Song(960-1279) was
established in China, which replaced the 54-year-oldFive Dynasties
(907-960) during which the nation was carved up intoa number of separate
regimes by rival warlords. At the beginning ofthe Song Dynasty, a
rehabilitation policy was adopted, aiming to di-minish the social
repercussion caused by the dynastic change and helprestore agriculture
and handicraft to the original level as seen in theTang Dynasty
(618-907). Eventually, the Song saw an agriculturalgrowth exceeding that
of all the previous dynasties in history.
The urban business economy
was thriving accordingly. The Festi-val of Pure Brightness on the River
by Zhang Zeduan delineates themetropolitan life on both sides of the
Bianhe River in the NorthernSong (960-1127) capital Kaifeng during the
Qingming (PureBrightness) Festival. Economic prosperity and population
growth alsohelped turn south China into a developed region. Thus the
YangtzeRiver basin became another economic and cultural center of the
coun-try following the Yellow River.