What was the living standard of the people like during the heyday of the Song Dynasty?

We basically have two perceptions about the Song Dynasty: first, it was cowardly; second, it was rich. Indeed, in terms of military strength, the Song Dynasty has been in a state of being "beaten" for a long time since the middle period, but in terms of economy, the overall economy of the Song Dynasty at its peak even accounted for 60% of the world at that time, which was also brilliant. For a while.

To talk about the living standards of the people in the Song Dynasty, we have to quote this slightly exaggerated metaphor: the living standards of European monarchs at the same time could not keep up with the soldiers guarding the walls of Bianliang City in the Song Dynasty.

Although this metaphor sounds a bit exaggerated, it also reflects the prosperity of the people of the Song Dynasty at that time.

In our traditional understanding, the common people in ancient times just wore common clothes with a few patches and a pair of straw sandals. They were dirty and their homes were bare. This situation also existed in the Song Dynasty, but when it comes to the overall life In terms of level, the Southern Song Dynasty dared to be ranked second, and no other unified dynasty in ancient times dared to be ranked first.

Take silk as an example. In ancient times, those who could use silk were mostly the families of high-ranking officials. However, during the heyday of the Song Dynasty, ordinary people could also wear shoes and clothing made of ordinary silk.

The Song Dynasty was one of the few dynasties in history that did not suppress industry and commerce. While the agricultural industry developed vigorously, the Song Dynasty's industry and commerce also experienced unprecedented prosperity. Economic circulation showed that ordinary people had the ability to consume and were willing to The living conditions of consumption and daring to consume also reflect from one perspective that the people in the Song Dynasty were "not short of money."

In the Song Dynasty, you could cover yourself with thick quilts in winter and eat popsicles in summer. The richness of dishes and seasonings was also a major feature of the Song Dynasty. We read a lot about ancient cuisine. The film and television dramas are basically set in the Song Dynasty. It is precisely because in the Song Dynasty, while everyone had enough to eat, they also pursued good food.

It is precisely because the people's lives are prosperous and stable. According to statistics, the ancient population truly exceeded 100 million in the Song Dynasty. And according to incomplete statistics, during the peak period of the Song Dynasty, there were more than 100,000 towns with a population of more than 100,000. More than fifty seats.

Among them, Bianliang City in Tokyo is home to thousands of favorites, with a population of over one million.

For Chinese people, this number may not seem outstanding now, but did you know that it was not until the industrial period in Europe that the first city with a population of one million, London, was born? It was hundreds of years later than the Song Dynasty.

Extended information:

Exhibitions of commercial prosperity in the Song Dynasty:

1. The emergence of paper money and the expansion of commercial capital. The prosperity of commerce in the Song Dynasty created a large number of wealthy businessmen, and the good business environment made their wealth increase day by day. According to historical records, wealthy businessmen gathered in Bianjing, the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty. There were many people with assets of more than 100,000 guanwen. It was not uncommon to have assets worth millions. Some wealthy businessmen engaged in overseas trade had annual incomes of tens of millions.

The expansion of commercial capital and the increasingly frequent exchange of commodities caused a surge in currency minting, but it was unable to meet demand.

The world's earliest paper currency, Jiaozi, came into being during the Northern Song Dynasty. By the Southern Song Dynasty, the types of banknotes had increased, mainly including Southeast Huizi, Chuanyin, Huaijiao and Huhui, with different denominations. In addition to the increase in currency types, the amount of issuance has also increased significantly. These have greatly facilitated business activities.

2. The formation and development of regional markets. Numerous land and water transportation trunk lines and branch lines in the Song Dynasty connected regional central cities with other counties and towns, forming a nationwide commercial network. This was also the most significant feature of the commercial prosperity of the Song Dynasty.

The commercial network during the Northern Song Dynasty has formed several regional markets, mainly including the northern market centered on the capital Bianjing (Kaifeng), the southeast market centered on Suzhou and Hangzhou, and the Sichuan-Sichuan market centered on Chengdu. and the northwest market, mainly in Shaanxi and Hedong areas.

During the Southern Song Dynasty, a commercial network was formed with the capital Lin'an (Hangzhou) as the center and Jiankang (Nanjing) as the hub, connecting the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the southeastern coast. The formation of these regional markets was an important symbol of commercial prosperity in the Song Dynasty.

3. The variety of commodities is increasing, and the types of business are increasingly subdivided.

Many agricultural products in the Song Dynasty also became commodities, and together with handmade products, the variety of commodities increased greatly. At that time, agricultural products as commodities mainly included grain, tea, vegetables, fruits, silk, linen, cloth, etc., and there were even more handmade products.

Some products also have local characteristics and have become specialties, such as Jingdezhen porcelain, Shu brocade, Duan inkstone, Jin copper, Wu paper, Jianzhou tea, etc. The increase in product varieties will inevitably make business operators more segmented. According to historical records, there were at least 160 industries in Tokyo during the Northern Song Dynasty. By the Southern Song Dynasty, Lin'an's market had grown to 440 lines.

4. Urban business prosperity transcends the limitations of location and time. The cities of the Song Dynasty broke through the boundaries of cities and districts. There were commercial activities on both sides of the streets and in residential areas. There were businesses at the ends of lanes, bridges and hidden places, which showed that the commerce in the Song Dynasty was highly prosperous. Morning markets and night markets also appeared in Bianliang City, the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty, which broke through the time restrictions of previous commercial activities and showed a comprehensive prosperity.

5. A three-level market network system of "grass market-town-city" has been formed. The commercial prosperity of the Song Dynasty was reflected in cities, but also in market towns and rural markets. Four famous commercial towns appeared in the Song Dynasty: Hankou Town, Foshan Town, Jingdezhen and Zhuxian Town. At the same time, hawkers and salesmen walked through the streets and alleys, activating the rural market and enriching the lives of farmers.

6. Overseas trade was very developed during the Song Dynasty. During the Southern Song Dynasty, overseas trade even became an important source of government revenue. The overseas trade of the Song Dynasty surpassed that of previous generations and became the most important country engaged in overseas trade in the world at that time. A wide range of countries and regions conduct sea trade with China.

According to "Zhufan Chronicles", there are more than 50 countries and regions that conduct sea trade with China. Among them, countries in the Arabian Peninsula and the Malay Archipelago are the main ones, and in the east, North Korea and Japan are the main ones. Even the overseas trade of the Song Dynasty expanded to many countries and regions in Europe and Africa.