Song Dynasty Module Guide: A Walkthrough of the Qingming Scroll – Teaching Guide

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This video and Teaching Guide refers to Song Dynasty China: The Most Advanced Society in 1000 CE on the Asia for Educators website and serves as a walkthrough of our online, digitized Song Dynasty Qingming Scroll.

Vocabulary of note:

Pollarding – form of tree trimming where lower branches and new shoots are removed in order to preserve life of tree and make roots grow deeper
Palanquin – a large box shape and an opening for a person to sit in, with long poles on each side for others to carry the box; a form of “taxi” or car

Names of note:

Kaifeng (ki (as in “hi”)-fung) – city in northern China that was the capital of the northern Song dynasty (possibly a model for the scroll

Outline of Presentation

Part 1

Introduction to the Topics of the Module

Intro – Economic Revolution – Technology – Cities – Confucianism – Outside World

Walking through the Scroll [02:30]

How scrolls are viewed
Rolling from right to left
Explanation of red pins
Mechanism to enlarge or reduce frame
The scroll begins in the countryside and then follows a road and Canal, with activity increasing, until coming to a city gate and following life inside the “city” proper. The title of the scroll is “Qingming,” meaning “clear/bright and peaceful” and also referring to the annual holiday for visiting and cleaning grave sites of ancestors. Valerie Hansen believes the painting is a painter’s idealized rendition of a city where peace reigns.

Three Themes [04:30]

Technology and innovation
Consumer society
Government

Technology and Innovation

Pollarding of trees
Rice cultivation
Rudders to navigate boats
“Rainbow” bridge and use of iron [later at 16:50]

Consumer Society [11:00]

Prior to the Song, in the Tang dynasty, all commerce was government controlled in specified market areas, with set times. During the Song, commerce exploded as shown by shops throughout the countryside before arriving at the city gate – Part 2 [12:40]

Food stalls of all sorts
Hardware store – goods arranged on ground
Wheelbarrow maker
Furniture store (example of foreign trade) – at Part 2 [16:40]
Sandalwood store (example of foreign trade)
Barber shop
Camels unloading wares – trade with northern areas
Toy seller
Doctor

Part 2

Government Control [07:20]

Wine and salt monopolies
Jail
Tax collectors station
Scholars and officials – different styles of hats [16:00]
Students studying to take civil service exam
Officials who have passed the exams
Well station for water inside city

“Eye” of the Painting [19:00]

A figure in large hat on horse going in opposite direction, back through the scroll; is it the painter himself?

Conclusion [21:30]

Summary of Themes