The Song Dynasty is an important dynasty in Chinese history, from 960 AD to 1279, because the emperor Zhao Kuangyin at the beginning of the regime was the Taizu of the Song Dynasty, so the name "Song", the whole dynasty lasted 319 years, divided into two periods, the early period was the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), and the later period was the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279).
The Northern Song Dynasty is also known as the "Liangjing Period" because its kingdoms were in Bianjing (present-day Kaifeng, Henan) and Linchuan (present-day Yangzhou, Jiangsu). The history of this period is special, representing the transformation of China's feudal society from prosperity to decline. At the beginning of the Northern Song Dynasty, the social economy was prosperous, the development of science and technology was advancing by leaps and bounds, the agricultural productivity of the Central Plains was greatly improved, the commodity economy developed rapidly, and the output of handicraft industry, especially mining and metallurgy, textile, ceramics and other industries, increased greatly. There are not only the famous "four great inventions", but also many major scientific and technological achievements, such as China's earliest astronomical clock, water carriage and China's earliest mechanical clock, self-striking clock. However, the invasion of the Song Dynasty by the Liao, Jin and other northern ethnic groups caused the national power of the Northern Song Dynasty to gradually decline.
During the Southern Song Dynasty, its capital was in Lin'an (present-day Hangzhou, Zhejiang). Despite the loss of the Central Plains in the Yellow River Valley, the Southern Song Dynasty maintained a strong economic power in the Jiangnan region. During the Southern Song Dynasty, the handicraft industry in the Jiangnan region was further developed, especially the silk weaving and ceramic industries, whose output and technology reached a very high level, which had an important impact on the development of the world economy. Not only that, the Southern Song Dynasty also innovated the military, and many battles such as the naval conquest and the anti-Jin campaign had important strategic value. In terms of culture and art, poetry has reached an unprecedented peak, and many important figures in the history of calligraphy and painting have appeared, such as Su Shi, Lu You, Zhao Mengfu, and Wen Tong, who have had a profound impact on later generations.
To sum up, whether it is the Northern Song Dynasty or the Southern Song Dynasty, they have made breakthroughs and innovations in many fields such as politics, economy, culture, science and technology. The history of the Song Dynasty is full of twists and turns and upward forces, and its prosperity and decline are important reflections of China's feudal society, and its unique historical status and the many cultural and artistic legacies it produced have important value in the history of China and even the world.