The culture of the Song Dynasty is a rich period in China's cultural history, with fruitful achievements in the fields of Neo-Confucianism, literature, history, art and science and technology. The imperial examination established to screen officials promoted the development of the education system, and the wide spread of printed matter promoted the exchange of literature and appreciation of art. Jingdezhen porcelain flourished.
Unlike the Tang Dynasty, ordinary officials have the characteristics of scholars, poets, painters and politicians, and they love calligraphy and painting, are good at poetry and collect antiques. Ordinary people love opera, restaurants are full of dishes, and the market is full of clothes and shoes.
The literary thoughts of the Song Dynasty are closely related to those of the late Tang Dynasty. Emperor Taizong resolutely opposed Qi Liang's beautiful style of writing, demanding that his works be conducive to politics and religion, advocating equal emphasis on content and art, and replacing eroticism with momentum and emotion to create a new world, that is, the so-called prosperity and character.
with the decline of the Tang dynasty, the literary world appeared indifferent realm, advocating high sentiment and far-reaching charm, and pursuing the trend of formal skills. In the late Tang dynasty, he returned to the beautiful style of writing and pursued the beauty of poetry.
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Compared with the overbearing Qin Dynasty, the powerful Han Dynasty, the rich Sui Dynasty and the prosperous Tang Dynasty, the Song Dynasty seems to be a more diversified dynasty, and it cannot be described in one word. Because during the Song Dynasty, many countries appeared around the Song Dynasty, including Liao, Xixia, Jin and Dali, and the civilizations of these countries complemented each other with the Song Dynasty.
Although the Song Dynasty was not independent in diplomacy, it was a dynasty that connected the preceding with the following in culture. Many experts believe that the Song Dynasty is the peak of China culture. Chen Yinque, a master of Chinese studies, said: "The culture of the Chinese nation experienced thousands of years of evolution and reached its peak in the Song Dynasty."
As a historian, Japanese Jiro Tenghu made an important point, because the Song Dynasty was a very important turning point in China's history. Later, someone put forward the "Theory of Transformation in Tang and Song Dynasties", which means a big turning point in China's history. Although everyone has different opinions, the only thing that will not change is that the Song Dynasty was indeed a major turning point in China's history.
a great feature of song culture is retro. Because the rulers of the Song Dynasty greatly wanted to restore the ritual and music system in the Qin Dynasty. For example, Zhao Kuangyin liked Confucianism very much after he came to power, so he praised Confucianism and made people modify the etiquette system. Therefore, the emperors behind the Song Dynasty paid special attention to etiquette and were also influenced by Zhao Kuangyin.
under the influence of the system of rites and music and Confucianism, the group of scholar-officials gradually developed. And the scholar-officials played a role in promoting the culture of Song Dynasty. There was a special shortage of scholar-officials in Song Dynasty, so Zhao Kuangyin stepped up the selection of imperial examinations.
Let many ordinary people take the Imperial Examination and become scholar-officials. They not only helped Zhao Kuangyin to assist in political affairs, but also gave full play to their literati's strengths and made important contributions to the cultural development of the Song Dynasty.
Baidu Encyclopedia-Song Dynasty Culture