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Lin'an (Hangzhou)

Type Object Region Asia Time 1138–1276

Lin'an, today's Hangzhou, was made the Southern Song temporary capital by Emperor Gaozong in 1138 and became the de facto capital.

Timeline

  1. 1138Lin'an Prefecture · ZhejiangIn the eighth year of Shaoxing, Emperor Gaozong decreed Lin'an Prefecture as the temporary seat of government; court institutions and imperial guards moved in gradually, making Hangzhou the political center of the Southern Song.
  2. c. 1141–1150Lin'an Prefecture city · ZhejiangAfter the Shaoxing peace negotiations the war situation stabilized; Lin'an extensively built palaces, city walls and the imperial street, while gardens and government office districts around West Lake expanded, gradually fixing the city's layout.
  3. c. 1145–1150Qinghefang area, Lin'an Prefecture · ZhejiangIn the 1140s Lin'an, relying on the Grand Canal and sea transport, became the commercial hub of Jiangnan, with wine shops, tea houses and bookshops lining the streets; its population exceeded one million, making it one of the world's most prosperous cities at the time.

Sources