Lin'an (Southern Song capital)

Timeline

1. 1129–1138Lin'an Prefecture · ZhejiangAfter crossing south, Emperor Gaozong resided at Lin'an; in 1138 an edict designated it the temporary capital, expanding the palace and imperial city. Lin'an rose from a prefectural seat to the Southern Song capital, taking over some administrative functions of former Bianjing, forming the dual structure of 'temporary capital' and 'Lin'an Prefecture'.
2. 1220–1230Lin'an Prefecture · ZhejiangIn the 1220s Lin'an was the largest city of the southeast, densely populated, with shops lining the Imperial Avenue and West Lake a scenic destination. The court set up a Maritime Trade Office to manage overseas trade; huizi paper money and copper coins circulated together, and the urban economy remained highly prosperous despite the Song-Jin wars.
3. 1220–1230Lin'an imperial city and Jiaotanxia official kiln · ZhejiangLin'an was the Southern Song court's center for painting and calligraphy, Neo-Confucianism, and porcelain; the Jiaotanxia official kiln and Xiuneisi official kiln produced celadon for the imperial house. In the 1220s court culture flourished under Emperor Lizong, and the city served both as a political hub and a site of literati aesthetic consumption.