Northern Song Research Articles

Why He Killed Her as a Lover : A Feminist Analysis of the “Xiang Gong Murder Case” in the Northern Song Dynasty

在唐宋之交的向拱杀妇案中，各个人物背后的行动逻辑为何，是值得探究的问题。通过文献资料分析法和案例分析法，结合女性主义的理论工具，详细解析了在案件的背景年代唐宋时期，性行为规范的不平等特征。研究发现，从身份差异的角度看，法律对贱民妇女的性行为保护较少，约束较少；对良民妇女的性行为保护较多，约束也较多。从性别差异的角度看，良民男性比良民女性享有更广泛的性自由。总之，良民妇女的情欲在该时期受到极大压制。在此背景下，向拱杀妇的行动虽然被向拱本人、警巡者赋予了较为正面的评价，但事实上，这仅仅是一场男性霸权行动与阴茎中心主义的性别的展演，而非正义之举。总之，向拱杀妇的行动是厌女的表现，潞之妇女的杀夫行动则是一种毁灭式的反抗。这场以暴制暴的惨剧，对今世之人仍具有警示意义。

Research on the Academic Inheritance of the Traditional Performance of Hilgasan Khuur

Shen Kuo, a scholar in the Northern Song Dynasty, wrote in Mengxi Bi Tan: "The Hilgasan Khuur follows the Han Dynasty, and the music still complains about the Chanyu." This is the earliest record of the term Hilgasan Khuur in history books. Hilgasan Khuur refers to bowed string instruments made of Hilgasan and carried by northern nomadic peoples. It originated from the Xiongnu and has been passed down to this day. The traditional Mongolian bowed string instruments such as the Morin Khuur, Khorchin Choor, Chahar Hiil, and OirdsYekel all belong to this category. As a bowed string instrument that has been passed down for thousands of years and carries a profound historical and cultural heritage, the inheritance and protection of the traditional playing method of the Hilgasan Khuur faces the impact and challenges of the development of modern music. This article summarizes the artistic characteristics of the four tuning methods, four playing methods and related traditional repertoires of the four instruments of the Hilgasan Khuur. By analyzing the history and current situation of the academic inheritance of the Hilgasan Khuur, it reveals the advantages and challenges of the academic inheritance. It emphasizes that under the background of national policies and the protection of intangible cultural heritage, promoting the academic inheritance of the traditional playing method of the Hilgasan Khuur has far-reaching significance for protecting the musical diversity of the Hilgasan Khuur and promoting national traditional culture.

Historical Geographical Information System (HGIS): social trajectories of two Chinese historical figures Su Shi and Zuo Zongtang in spatial context

Historical figures have important significance worldwide. This paper introduces the concept of historical Geographical Information System (HGIS) using the lives of two personalities from Chinese history as case studies: Su Shi, a literary figure of the Northern Song Dynasty, and Zuo Zongtang, a military strategist from the late Qing era. By studying the geographical points marking their life activities, their migratory patterns were explored, along with the dynamics of their social networks within time and space, examining the distinctive phases and characteristics of their individual journeys. Kernel density estimation, standard deviation ellipse, location-based distance analysis, and social network graphs were employed in this work. Our findings reveal that Su Shi’s migrations were largely dictated by official appointments, ultimately rooted in imperial successions and factional strife, with his intellectual pursuits significantly influenced by the humanistic milieu. Conversely, Zuo Zongtang’s migrations were predominantly shaped by war, reflecting the challenges of the late Qing era in relation to governance, sovereignty, and diplomacy. The military encampments selected by Zuo Zongtang tended to be situated near water sources, illustrating how his migratory trajectory was influenced by natural geographic conditions. The social circles of these figures are tied to their social and political stature. Through the socio-historic context, the characteristics of these historical figures’ behavioral trajectories relate to the unfolding process of societal and historical development. These insights offer a glimpse into the life journey behind historical figures, implicitly highlighting their perseverance and resilience in adversity, thereby describing innovative approaches to inheriting and disseminating the cultural legacy.

A Historical Survey of Fayun Monastery (法雲寺) in Bianjing (汴京) during the Northern Song Dynasty

Fayun Monastery (法雲寺), a prominent Chan Buddhist monastery in Bianjing (汴京) during the Northern Song Dynasty, thrived for about half a century under the reigns of emperors Shenzong (神宗), Zhezong (哲宗), and Huizong (徽宗). Led by four generations of abbots—Yuantong Faxiu (圓通法秀), Datong Shanben (大通善本), Foguo Weibai (佛國惟白), and Fozhao Gao (佛照杲)—the monastery was esteemed by the royal family and influential in the development of the Yunmen School. This paper examines the monastery’s history through the tenures of its abbots, providing insights into the monastery’s significance in Northern Song Buddhism and its broader cultural and political context.

A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON CHINESE RED GLAZE

Glazes obtained by the reduction method, also called Chinese red or copper red in the literature, were first seen on porcelains of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and Northern Song Dynasty (960-1126) periods in China. These glazes, which require a very difficult process to produce, are obtained by reducing the copper compounds in the recipe in the kiln. From its historical process to the present day, the surface of Chinese red glazes has been desired to be shiny and smooth, and their production has been carried out according to this principle. Within the scope of this study, a new artistic perspective was wanted to be brought to Chinese red glazes and instead of a smooth surface appearance, a pin hole image, known as a glaze defect, was desired. For this purpose, silicon carbide (SiC) was used to achieve the desired effect. Under normal conditions, the reduction process is carried out when the kiln cools down after neutral firing. However, a different perspective was tried to be provided by developing an alternative firing method to the traditional Chinese red glazes obtained by reduction. In order to contribute to the language of discourse in art ceramics, a new proposal is presented with the interpretation of Chinese red glazes.

『大觀茶論』 ‘序’에 나타난 徽宗의 茶文化觀

『DaeGwan Tea Theory』 consists of one chapter of the ‘Introduction’ and 20 chapters of the ‘Main Text’, and is a representative tea book of the Northern Song Dynasty that shows comprehensive tea affairs on Huizong’s intuitive and practical ‘DaeGwan Tea Theory’. Huizong’s tea ceremony was both useful and popular, and “During the Song Dynasty, tea ceremony was popular from the court to the common people, and with the popular response.” Huizong’s unexpected ascension to the throne was certainly a special event for the Song court and Huizong Zhaoji. A young, multi-talented royal family member recorded all the tea ceremony of the tea ceremony with his ignorance of governance and his genius and artistic talent as a literati. His tea ceremony was specific and detailed, and he fully revealed his political intentions toward the people in the preface of the 『DaeGwan Tea Theory』. In this paper, we understand the political background of the late Northern Song Dynasty and the life of Emperor Huizong, and study the social bonds that the multiculturalism of the Northern Song Dynasty has had on the globalization of tea ceremony in the present era

조선 후기 <해도(蟹圖)> 연구 - 조선시대 게 그림

Crab paintings referred to as Haedo(蟹圖) were mainly drawn with auspicious meanings such as congratulations on passing the state examination. Its origins date back to the Five Dynasties and Northern Song periods in China, and Haedo became popular during the Ming Dynasty when Wu or Wumen School, including Shen Zhou and Xu Wei, started drawing them in the style of literary painting. Literary style Haedo refers to a crab painting with poetic sentiment produced by an ink-and- wash/boneless brush technique for the light-and-shade effect; it greatly influenced East Asian Haedo from the Qing Dynasty of China to modern times and even to Joseon. Exactly when Haedo was first introduced into Korea is unknown, but it is thought that crabs were drawn along with various fish icons at the latest during the Goryeo Dynasty. However, Haedo was drawn in earnest after the introduction of the literary style Haedo during the Ming Dynasty, and painters representing the late Joseon Dynasty, such as Kim In-gwan, Shim Sa-jeong, Choi Buk, and Kim Hong-do, enjoyed drawing them. In particular, Kim Hong-do left behind many works with strong pictorial qualities by adding original elements under the influence of Xu Wei, which greatly influenced the paintings of later painters. Popular throughout the late Joseon Dynasty, the literary style Haedo expanded as far as folk paintings, and the tradition was passed down from the late Joseon Dynasty to modern times. Meanwhile, apart from how the literary style Haedo was developed, a new style of realistically depicting the subject with fine brushes, intertwined with various social and cultural backgrounds, was attempted by Jang Han-jong, a painter at the Dohwaseo (court painting institution), in the 19th century. Jang Han-jong accurately captured the appearance and ecology of each fish species with a hyper-realistic painting style based on detailed sketches that were even reminiscent of a collection of illustrations, and he also created fish and crab paintings in the form of folding screens, which inspired later painters.

The Inheritance and Development of “Intangible Cultural Heritage ” : A Case Study of Zhejiang Taizhou Embroidery

From the needle boneless lanterns in Xianju during the Tang Dynasty to the unearthed artifacts of Huangyan Lingshi Temple in the Northern Song Dynasty, to the carved embroidery of Haimen in the late Qing Dynasty, the history of embroidery in Taizhou has a long and profound history. After several generations of inheritance, development, and historical and cultural accumulation, Taizhou Embroidery has now become one of the artistic treasures of Taizhou culture and even Chinese culture. This paper then is to discuss how to promote Taizhou Embroidery from Zhejiang by using “big data” under the background of the “national trend craze”, and through research on the awareness of Taizhou Embroidery at home and abroad, it reflects the reasons for the necessity of promotion, the challenges faced by promotion, and the corresponding strategies for promotion.

Searching for Traces of the Shi in Tombs of the Jin Dynasty

Abstract Scholars of Jin history have noted a flourishing literati culture after the mid-Jin period, but excavated tombs suggest a more complicated picture. The shi, referring to literati without official titles, constituted a prominent group in Northern Song tombs, as evidenced by their epitaphs, but this group appears to have nearly vanished from the Jin tombs. To search for traces of the shi, this article comprehensively examines the social elites’ tombs with burial inscriptions and ink writings, where the shi would most likely be laid to rest. It shows that the text and paratext of epitaphs, as well as the tombs that yielded them, contain direct information about the shi and their interactions with other officials and non-official elites. Analysis of ink writings suggests that the shi played a role in the advanced literary expression in the tombs of some non-literati local elites. Examining these traces of the shi in tombs allows us to reintegrate them into broader society, investigate their interactions with other elites, and attain a more holistic understanding of Jin elite society and culture.

Manufacturing Techniques of the Mortar Excavated from the Tieguai Tomb of the Northern Song Dynasty in Nanling, Southern China

ABSTRACT Glutinous rice mortar is a traditional lime-based building material which was first used in China during the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279 CE) according to ancient Chinese documents. The Tieguai Tomb, dating back to the late Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127 CE) in Nanling, Southern China, was built by using mortar for its tomb chamber, making it the earliest mortar tomb found in China to date. In this study, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thin-section petrography, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and starch grain analyses were conducted to comprehensively investigate the manufacturing techniques of the mortar from the Tieguai tomb. The results show that the mortar is a type of organic–inorganic mixed material made of glutinous rice pulp, lime, clay, and fine sand. This finding indicates that glutinous rice mortar had already been used as a building material as early as the late Northern Song Dynasty, which is the earliest use record for this material in China. This study also provides direct scientific evidence for exploring the origin of glutinous rice mortar and is of great importance for reconstructing the history of Chinese traditional building materials and architectural techniques.

Season and History

Abstract Landscape painting flourished in the late Tang dynasty and reached its peak during the Song dynasty. It means that the artistry of landscapes no longer serves as decoration for portraits, nor is it merely a backdrop for unfolding stories. Instead, it is a simple pursuit of the aesthetic pleasure derived from landscapes themselves. In this pursuit, the landscape painting of the Song dynasty had a profound impact on the subsequent development of landscape art, both in terms of form and the spiritual content expressed. It is not an exaggeration to say that Song dynasty landscape painting laid the foundation for the tradition of literati landscape painting. Guo Xi, a master of landscape painting and a painter-theorist in the mid-Northern Song period, actively explored his artistic practice. He also reflected on and summarized his methods. From the overall conception of the meaning of landscapes to the self-pursuit of brushwork style, Guo Xi endeavored to narrow the gap between abstract ideas and concrete execution. His efforts resonated with the Daoist philosophy of Neo-Confucianism in the Northern Song, transcending the dimensions of transcendental “essence” and personal “effort” to establish a connected path of nature, body, and destiny. From a different perspective, this also represents the interplay of cosmology and ontology through generative time.

Maṇḍala or Sign? Re-Examining the Significance of the “Viśvavajra” in the Caisson Ceilings of Dunhuang Mogao Caves

This article delves into the exploration of a significant sign, the “viśvavajra”, found in the caisson ceilings of Buddhist esoteric art in Dunhuang’s Mogao Caves. These caissons, featuring the viśvavajra sign in the center, were prevalent from the mid-Tang period to the Western Xia dynasty (ninth to thirteenth centuries) and are recorded by The Overall Record of Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes under description as “Jiaochu Jingxin”. Similar caissons are also found in Western Buddhist Caves near Dunhuang, and Yulin Caves in Guazhou County, indicating a distinct regional character. Focusing on a well-preserved and intricately detailed example from Cave 361, this article aims to elucidate the specific tantric significance of the viśvavajra at the center of the caissons within the broader context of Buddhist art. Drawing from related tantras, the discussion explores how the sign and its surrounding compositions align with a particular homa (fire offering) maṇḍala, specifically the śāntika maṇḍala crucial to numerous Tantric Buddhist rituals. Furthermore, the article examines the evolution of caisson of this type of maṇḍala over time. By comparing the mid-Tang example from Cave 361 with the late Tang period’s Cave 14, a noticeable shift in format becomes apparent. The viśvavajra sign takes on new significance, embodying “the samaya of all Tathāgatas”. Ultimately, the article explores how the significance of the viśvavajra sign transforms into an allusion to Vairocana or Rocana under the Sino-Tibetan Esoteric Buddhist context in the Hexi Corridor during the early Northern Song and Western Xia dynasty.

晏殊의 祝壽詞 고찰

Yanshu(晏殊) was a prominent figure in the Northern Song Dynasty known for leading one of the two styles of Ci Poetry: Su Ci(俗詞) and Ya Ci(雅詞). Yanshu’s Birthday-Congratulation Ci(祝壽詞) has not been given much attention because it only highlighted his noble expression without any true content. However, as examined in the text, well contains the Scholar bureaucrat consciousness(士大夫意識) of the Northern Song Dynasty, making them actually quite significant in terms of the contemporary literary trends and factional classifications. Furthermore, Yanshu’s portrayal of the ‘flux of time’ not only demonstrates his profound grasp of life but also unveils the distinctive allure of Birthday-Congratulation Ci. Additionally, Yanshu’s Birthday-Congratulation Ci showcases a profound Daoist philosophy that underscores a harmonious coexistence with nature, adding yet another noteworthy dimension to his work.

The Niu–Li Factional Strife: The Origins of a Historiographical Fiction

Abstract The “Niu–Li Factional Strife,” named after Niu Sengru (779–847) and Li Deyu (787–850), is an enduring theme in Tang history. Based on accounts of personal animosity, a narrative evolved in which Niu and Li have become the ringleaders of two factions that drew in almost all high-profile literati of the ninth century. This article revises traditional and modern narratives of the Strife by first showing that the scattered and contradictory evidence in the earliest sources does not bear out the model of a decades-long struggle between two factions. Second, it demonstrates how “Niu and Li” first arose as an emblem of Tang weakness and a rallying cry for unity within the bureaucracy under the Northern Song two centuries later. Finally, it shows how modern historians picked up the loose ends and remoulded them into a struggle between different classes against the backdrop of factious politics in Republican China.

Artistic Exploration of Court Music During Emperor Huizong s Reign: Style, Genres, and Innovative Characteristics

Objective: This dissertation examines the many court music forms, genres, and inventions that emerged under the reign of Emperor Huizong in the Northern Song Dynasty. It analyses the distinctive characteristics of this music and the influence of Huizong. Methodology: The study explores composition, performance, and instruments, particularly the integration of Chinese and foreign instruments, via literature evaluations. It also examines the relationship of music with other arts and its function in education.. Research Findings: This text explores the many and innovative aspects of court music under the reign of Huizong. It focuses on the fusion of Chinese and foreign instruments, the creation of literati music, and the creative blending of different elements. It highlights Huizong s substantial impact on the advancement of music and education. Conclusion: The court music during Huizong s reign exemplifies the cultural renaissance of the Northern Song dynasty and his endeavors to advance the arts. It provides significant perspectives on the music and culture of ancient China. This remark suggests further exploration of the relationship between court music and the socio-political context, as well as its lasting impact on the progress of music and art.

The Influence of Song Dynasty Literati on Chinese Painting

During the Song Dynasty, the literati not only played a significant role politically but also wielded dual functions of inheritance and innovation in the cultural and artistic domains. This paper examines how, through their unique epochal context, cultural vision, and aesthetic preferences, the literati managed to effect a profound transformation in the value orientation of Chinese painting. It analyzes the new trends in the development of Chinese painting art during the Northern Song period through the change of patrons, the evolution of theme selection, and innovations in artistic expression. The pursuit of the "non-utilitarian" in painting by Song Dynasty literati not only enriched the connotations of Chinese painting, marking a transformation in spiritual pursuits but also laid a solid theoretical and practical foundation for the literati painting of later generations.

『임천고치(林泉高致)』에 드러난 산수화의 미적 인식과 방법 연구

This study has researched the aesthetic awareness and the expression method of the landscape painting that is described in 『Limjeongochi (林泉高致)』 of Kwakhi, based on the philosophical contemplation of Rihak (Neo-Confucianism) of the Northern Song Dynasty. Landscape paintings were flourished especially in the Song Age. The emergence of this background can result from several factors. Above all, this mirrors the epochal art tendency and view of aesthetics in contrast to those in the previous times, which has something close to do with the spirit of the age when literary paintings came to the fore and Rihak (Neo-Confucianism) of the Song Dynast was deeply embedded in society.
 The highly learned Kwakhi, a painter in painting art academy, made an exchange with many literary men, thus, being influenced by Rihak (Neo-Confucianism) in reflection of the sprit of the age that epochal intellectuals held. The aesthetic awareness of landscape in 『Limjeongochi (林泉高致)』, was described not as a realistic painting that recreates nature by the means of visual and sensory elements but as the best good (善) and the best providence (天理) interpreted as universal unity (天一合一) in harmony with reason and emotion. This reflects the aesthetic awareness that cognizes universalism (宇宙論) as the essence of human character, and ultimately the moral principle emphasizing investigation of things (格物致知) and discipline, thereby providing the momentum to highly appreciate the landscape painting.
 A characteristic of landscape painting is that this painting expresses the beauty of landscape in a vivid way, regarding transcendental contemplation or nature as the circulating organism that contains poetic implication. This pursues the method of understanding the power (power of mountain) and attribute (essence of mountain) by observing landscape, at close or far distance and looking into all over the three surfaces of the mountain (high, deep, and plain surfaces) for spatial expansion, in order to overcome the problem focusing on a single object, bring a dynamic change in an object so that it could move to and fro with full vigor, and to embody it into a living thing, as if it were actually described in landscape. It can be said that energy that figure paintings put weight on is included in landscape painting, also. In this regard, the fundamental principle of stroke and ink has played the inter-complementary role to vitalize literary paintings, and furthermore expand the natural beauty of vigor from landscape painting into flower bird paintings.

『임천고치(林泉高致)』에 드러난 산수화의 미적 인식과 방법 연구

This study has researched the aesthetic awareness and the expression method of the landscape painting that is described in 『Limjeongochi (林泉高致)』 of Kwakhi, based on the philosophical contemplation of Rihak (Neo-Confucianism) of the Northern Song Dynasty. Landscape paintings were flourished especially in the Song Age. The emergence of this background can result from several factors. Above all, this mirrors the epochal art tendency and view of aesthetics in contrast to those in the previous times, which has something close to do with the spirit of the age when literary paintings came to the fore and Rihak (Neo-Confucianism) of the Song Dynast was deeply embedded in society.
 The highly learned Kwakhi, a painter in painting art academy, made an exchange with many literary men, thus, being influenced by Rihak (Neo-Confucianism) in reflection of the sprit of the age that epochal intellectuals held. The aesthetic awareness of landscape in 『Limjeongochi (林泉高致)』, was described not as a realistic painting that recreates nature by the means of visual and sensory elements but as the best good (善) and the best providence (天理) interpreted as universal unity (天一合一) in harmony with reason and emotion. This reflects the aesthetic awareness that cognizes universalism (宇宙論) as the essence of human character, and ultimately the moral principle emphasizing investigation of things (格物致知) and discipline, thereby providing the momentum to highly appreciate the landscape painting.
 A characteristic of landscape painting is that this painting expresses the beauty of landscape in a vivid way, regarding transcendental contemplation or nature as the circulating organism that contains poetic implication. This pursues the method of understanding the power (power of mountain) and attribute (essence of mountain) by observing landscape, at close or far distance and looking into all over the three surfaces of the mountain (high, deep, and plain surfaces) for spatial expansion, in order to overcome the problem focusing on a single object, bring a dynamic change in an object so that it could move to and fro with full vigor, and to embody it into a living thing, as if it were actually described in landscape. It can be said that energy that figure paintings put weight on is included in landscape painting, also. In this regard, the fundamental principle of stroke and ink has played the inter-complementary role to vitalize literary paintings, and furthermore expand the natural beauty of vigor from landscape painting into flower bird paintings.

SILENT REVOLUTION IN NORTHERN SONG: THE POWER LOGIC BEHIND ZUNWANG RANGYI

This article examines the formation logic behind the principle of Zunwang Rangyi in early Northern Song dynasty (960－1127) of China. A common interpreting mode for the formation of the theory of Zunwang Rangyi is the externality approach that it’s the threat of military lords and “barbarian” invasion that promoted the formation of the institutional devices based on the principles of Zunwang Rangyi in the Song dynasty. I propose another internality approach by studying how Zunwang Rangyi theory has been transformed in early Northern Song by internally driven factors caused by the Shidafu crisis and how its core principles were mirrored in early Northern Song’s institutional design and state building. With a historical and documentation methodology with a focus on the work of several thinkers of early Northern Song, this research would enrich the current scholarship on the formation and evolution of institutional and state building of early Northern Song and its intellectual background.

Biancai (1011–1091) and his friends in the outside secular world: Longjing Monastery in the Northern Song (960–1127)

Longjing Monastery served as a prominent Buddhist center in Hangzhou during the Northern Song Dynasty. Similar to other esteemed Buddhist monasteries and mountains in China, the monastery’s initial prestige owed in part to its mystical associations with the Daoist recluse, Ge Hong. However, to secure sustained acclaim, adept leadership was crucial. Thus, this study delves into the monastery’s popularity during the Northern Song era, highlighting how the legendary abbot Biancai established both a robust personal reputation and monastic success by “making friends in the outside secular world.”