The Great Song in a Nutshell

The great river flows east, its waves sweeping away all the great figures of the ages., Su Shi

The Song dynasty (960–1279) ruled for 319 years and was divided into the Northern Song and Southern Song, with a total of eighteen emperors. The Northern Song lasted 167 years and had nine emperors, while the Southern Song lasted 152 years and also had nine. Leaving everything else aside, at first glance the two Song dynasties were remarkably symmetrical.