Opinion Editorial (Bound Feet)

Like in most dynasties in that time period in the Southern Song dynasty is was traditional for women to bind the feet as a social symbol; this excruciatingly painful and degrading process made it possible for them to obtain a good marriage since bound feet were a symbol or class and status. I completely disagree with this, because this implies that women were just another pretty object lacking emotions or dignity. Also it implies that men were superior and that women could not do what men could therefore they had there feet bound making it nearly impossible to moving quickly, restricting there travel and ability to stand up to men because that gave then no power. Also girls started this around the age of five which meant that they were hardly old enough to understand what was going on, or oppose, so they were basically forced into something that would hurt them, limit there movement, and cause them to lose all there dignity just to please men! Girls would even have to break the arch of there foot many times forcing the toes under the foot itself, leaving there feet a total of 5 inches long just to secure a good marriage. To conclude I completely disagree with bound feet.

Religion (Neo-Confucianism)

Neo-Confucianism was a combination between and new ideas. Zhu Xi was leading the new idea of Neo-Confucianism in 1130-1200, he believed that the human mind was some how connected to the forced of the universe. Also, in order for someone to be a scholar they should understand all living things. He changed and wrote near a hundred books about this new found religion. A lot of the religion was about becoming one with nature and learning to relate nature to your everyday life. Another thing was t was very based on the power of your mind collaborating with the universe and that creating a greater out come then the two separate. The picture above shows the symbol of Confucianism!

Silk

In the Southern Song dynasty a lot of farms specialized in growing mulberry leaves, which they used to raise silk worms. That led to them organizing crafting industries for silk weaving and embroidery. In Hangzhou there was a lot of clothes and cloth made in imperial workshops and many others throughout the dynasty! For a long time silk even were thought of as more valuable then silver and gold!

Lacquer

In southern China you will find many lac trees growing; he sap from the trees can be turned into a plastic like surface coating which is called lacquer. Lacquer can be spread over the surface of any wood or bamboo to make them water proof. It can be made into many different items, like cooking spoons, bowls, coffins, boat hulls, the possibilities are endless. In the Southern Song dynasty artisans were amazing at carving designs of flowers into lacquerware. The dynasty invented a process in which they took a wooden object as put as many as two hundred coats of lacquer. They layered many different colors. Once all the colors had been coated on, scroll patterns were carved on, showing all the colors that had been painted on! The end result was beautiful!

Map of Southern Song Dynasty

The Southern Song dynasty settled around the Yangzi River. At first they referred to Hangzhou their “temporary residence.” But later it turned out to be great place to have settled, because it since it was right by the Yangzi River it had the richest soil in China. Also, the temperature was warm, and there was a god amount of rain. This all helped allow farmers to grow rice. This was beneficial because rice was the only grain that could be boiled without breaking down into mush. Rice also topped all the other crops on calories for acre. The city was a major place for trade since it was near the waterways that made up the Grand Canal. Therefore, near the Yanzi River was a very smart place to settle.

Interview with Meng

Us- We are so glad to have an empress with us today!
Meng- Thank you it’s so great to be here.

Us- Now Meng, tell us about your first husband Zhe Zong; how did you feel when he left
you for the alluring concubine Lui?
Meng- After being selected from 100 candidates to be his bride and empress, I have to say I was to say the least pretty distort. I just couldn’t believe he left me for a concubine, I really thought that he loved me. To make it worse he pressed witchcraft charges against me. I never did any of that yet I was still put into jail.

Us- Did anything good come of this?
Meng- Well…when the jurchen army took over Kaifeng all the rulers were rounded up as prisoners, but that’s to what happened I was over looked. After one of the Jurchens became emperor, he found out about me and asked me to serve as his regent.

Us- Did you agree?
Meng- I did but not for long. Once I found out that the old emperor Gazong had survived; (he had fled earlier) I stepped down and acknowledged him as china rightful ruler.

Us- Wow, that was very admirable, what was his reaction?
Meng- He was extremely grateful. He had me spirited out of Kaifeng, and welcomed me into his court in Hazong. But I was forced to by courtiers to serve as regent to his three year old son. That was a conspiracy that was eventually ended, and I gladly returned the boy to his fathers care.

Us- Do you consider your self a guarding of china?
Meng- I Believe that I was and will be remembered as one of the true guardians of china but am not so sure I completely agree with that. I like to think that I was a small contribution to great people.

Us- Well it was great to speak with you, thank you for coming today we greatly appreciate that!
Meng- I’m just glad I could share my story with you.

Southern Song Dynasty Fashion (Magazine Article)

As we all know in the Song dynasty, fashion is very important to your status.  Are you tired of your nails constantly breaking while your trying to grow them out?  Well with the new nail guard your nails will never chip again, they come in gold and silver and are decoraded with colorful stones!  Also, for lower class women pale nail poish is usually worn.  As for the royalty, red and blacks and super great right now, because the red and black singnifies boldness, daringness, and strenth!   As for clothes woman mostly wear blouses, jackets, coats, skirts, robes, short gowns and long coats made out of silk material.  Adding beautiful embroidered patterns of peonys, camellias, plum blossoms is a great way to make any oufit look amazing!  Generally, women keep their strait black hair long unless someone close to them has passed,  there are very many pretty updos.  Right now the most in style updo is the the cloud tip-shaped forelock style, to unbtain this look you stair with combing your  “forelock,” or bangs into cloud like coils that sit horizontially above your eyebrows, and the number of cloud coils is up to you!