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Lin'an (Southern Song Capital)

Type Object Region China Time 1138–1276

Lin'an, today's Hangzhou in Zhejiang, was designated the temporary capital (xingzai) after the Song court moved south in 1138, becoming the de facto …

Timeline

  1. 1138Lin'an · ZhejiangEmperor Gaozong of Song designated Lin'an as the temporary capital; the Southern Song court rebuilt palaces and government offices there, shifting the political center of Jiangnan eastward from Kaifeng.
  2. c. 1170–1250Lin'an · ZhejiangGardens around West Lake, markets along the imperial street, and canal grain transport all prospered; Lin'an became a commercial and cultural center with a population exceeding one million, linked by overseas trade to Mingzhou and Quanzhou.
  3. 1276Lin'an · ZhejiangYuan forces entered the city and the Southern Song court surrendered, ending Lin'an's history as the Southern Song capital; the city was subsequently incorporated into the Yuan provincial system.

Sources