This book captures the poetry and details of history, recreates the atmosphere and social fabric of the era, and invites you to discover the real Song Dynasty and everyday life from the 10th to the 13th centuries.
A book about the daily lives of people in the Song Dynasty. It draws on a wide range of sources, from ancient texts and historical records to poetry and vernacular tales, and covers everything from the changing seasons and daily routines to clothing, food, housing, and travel. Open these pages and travel across a thousand years of history on a deep-dive, great-value “Song Dynasty adventure.” Follow Su Dongpo, Liu Sanbian, Emperor Gaozong of Song, Ximen Qing, and a host of other famous figures of the Song dynasties as your guides. Visit Fanlou, the world-famous hotel of its time; the celebrated Daxiangguo Temple in Dongjing; Jinming Pool, a waterside amusement park; and the imperial palace beneath Phoenix Mountain in Lin’an. Step into the entertainment quarters and pleasure districts, the brightly lit world of nightlife, and the home of the great Ximen. Go watch cockfights, learn the art of whisked tea, play cuju, and ride the tides. Experience the prosperity, the fashions, and the pastimes of the Song Dynasty, and spend a day living as one of its people!
Forget the harmful misconceptions about the Song Dynasty planted in your mind by shoddy TV dramas, and experience what life was really like. Lodging, travel, dining, shopping, food, pets, bathing, makeup, tea and wine, poetry, festivals, competitions, even doing business and going to court: every detail of daily life in the Song Dynasty is grounded in fact, and every account cites its sources. This book never distorts history or misleads its readers. Along with food, drink, entertainment, clothing, and daily life, it introduces the politics, economy, culture, and customs of the Song Dynasty as fully as possible, so you can experience what it was like to live in that era in every way, up close and without missing a thing!
Unexpectedly, the Song Dynasty was the most relaxing life we pursued. Life was rich and colorful. Three of the four major inventions were in the Song Dynasty. Intellectuals were valued and science was respected. Even the literary literacy of employees in cabarets and restaurants is comparable to that of college students in current university literature departments.
Especially seeing that the Song Dynasty also had a rich nightlife, I was really surprised. In contrast, we are really happy now and have more freedom and choices. This reminds me that I sometimes complain about the dullness of life. In fact, we should cherish everything we have now. This book not only made me understand history, but also gave me new thinking about life. I recommend you to read it, you will definitely gain something different!
A gentleman has three qualities: he looks at someone as if he is right, he is gentle when he hears someone, and he is sharp when he listens to his words.
It's very interesting. Although it's a bit verbose, it's very informative.
I learned a lot of knowledge, and the style is humorous, which is pretty good.