Southern Song Capital Lin'an

Timeline

1. c. 1129–1142Lin'an Prefecture city · Lin'an PrefectureAfter Emperor Gaozong of Song, Zhao Gou, crossed south, he took up residence in Lin'an, gradually constructing the imperial city and imperial avenue, fixing the political center of Jiangnan from a refugee temporary capital into the long-term capital of the Southern Song; the city layout expanded along the Qiantang River and West Lake.
2. c. 1171–1180Lin'an imperial city and imperial avenue area · Lin'an PrefectureUnder Emperors Xiaozong and Guangzong, Lin'an's population and commercial scale reached their peak; the maritime trade office managed overseas trade, paper currencies such as huizi and guanzi circulated alongside copper coins, and celadon, silk, and book publishing formed the core of the Jiangnan economy.
3. c. 1200–1279Lin'an Prefecture · Lin'an PrefectureIn the mid-to-late Southern Song, Lin'an remained the court's hub of military, political, and fiscal coordination until the Yuan army advanced south and captured the city, ending the Zhao Song temporary capital; however, the city's status as a Jiangnan commercial center continued into the Yuan and Ming.