Today, I saw a netizen asking: "Tokyo, the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty, is it now?" The answer is: "Kaifeng".
Let's talk about in detail why the Northern Song Dynasty chose Kaifeng as the capital:
First of all, Kaifeng is located on the south bank of the Yellow River, with flat terrain and convenient water and land transportation, which is a very important transportation hub and a necessary place for north-south transportation. This strategic location enabled Kaifeng not only to control the important economic resources of the Yellow River Valley, but also to defend the north from enemies from the north to the south due to the loss of the sixteen states of Yanyun.
Secondly, Kaifeng's economic development was also an important factor in the Northern Song Dynasty's choice of it as the capital. Since the opening of the Bianhe River, Kaifeng has always been a major hub of north-south waterway transportation, carrying the heavy responsibility of transporting grain from the south to the north. The huge amount of north-south transportation brought about economic prosperity and the southward shift of the economic center, so that Kaifeng had the qualification to become the national capital in terms of material foundation.
Finally, the Northern Song Dynasty's choice of Kaifeng as the capital was also influenced by the old site of the previous dynasty. The capital of the Later Zhou Dynasty was in Kaifeng Prefecture in Tokyo, and the Northern Song Dynasty continued here.
Of course, judging from the final result, it is difficult to say whether the Northern Song Dynasty's choice was correct. Later, Jin broke through Kaifeng and captured two emperors, Huizong of Song and Qinzong of Song, and the Northern Song Dynasty perished.