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Bianjing (Northern Song Capital)

Type Object Region Asia Time 960–1127

Bianjing was the Northern Song capital, also called Dongjing Kaifeng Prefecture, established as the imperial capital in the Jianlong era from 960 unt…

Timeline

  1. 960Bianjing · Henan ProvinceSong Taizu, Zhao Kuangyin, made Bianliang the capital in the first year of Jianlong, renaming it Dongjing Kaifeng Prefecture, establishing Bianjing as the political center of the Northern Song and replacing the capital pattern of Later Zhou and most Five Dynasties regimes before it.
  2. c. 1000–1100Bianjing urban districts · Henan ProvinceDriven by Bian River grain transport and the ward-market system, Bianjing's population grew steadily, night markets and rural markets flourished, and the urban scenes depicted in Along the River During the Qingming Festival reflect the highly developed commerce and handicrafts of the period.
  3. 1111–1120Bianjing imperial and palace cities · Henan ProvinceDuring Emperor Huizong's reign, Bianjing was home to the Xuanhe Painting Academy, the Genyue gardens, and court ceremonial centers; urban architecture and cultural activities reached the peak of the late Northern Song, with population and tax scale among the world's leading.
  4. 1126–1127Bianjing · Henan ProvinceAfter two Jin sieges, Bianjing fell; Emperors Huizong and Qinzong were captured, the Northern Song perished, and Bianjing's history as the capital of a unified dynasty ended, with the city suffering severe destruction.

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