Lin'an (Southern Song Capital)

Timeline

1. 1129–1138Lin'an Prefectural City · Hangzhou CityEmperor Gaozong of Song took up residence in Lin'an, elevating the former Northern Song temporary capital into the Southern Song capital; the imperial ancestral temple, imperial city, and Six Ministries offices were successively built, establishing the political center of Jiangnan.
2. 1151–1160Lin'an Prefectural City · Hangzhou CityIn the late Shaoxing era court affairs and imperial guard garrisoning centered on Lin'an; markets along the imperial street, Qiantang River grain transport, and Maritime Trade Office commerce continued to prosper, with silk weaving, printing, and porcelain crafts highly concentrated, and the city's population and tax revenue ranked among the highest in the country.
3. 1162–1276Lin'an Prefectural City · Hangzhou CityFrom Emperor Xiaozong through Emperor Lizong's reigns Lin'an remained the capital, with the city's scale and overseas trade continuing to expand; in 1276 Yuan forces occupied Lin'an, the Southern Song court collapsed, and the era as national capital ended.