China’s New Economy

What is an Economy?

• The way in which people make and spend money.

The Song and the Economy

• Economic surge in China led to economic growth in the eastern hemisphere
• Expansion
• Industry
• Trade
• Cosmopolitan cities
• Financial instruments

Lets Move South

• Farmers moved to fertile land in southern China (Yangtze River) to avoid invasions and war
• A new variety of rice was brought from southeast Asia and China will have a “RICE BOOM”

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New Agriculture

• Champa Rice – Brought to China from Vietnam
• Champa Rice matured in 2 months instead of 5 and was resistant to droughts
• Rice transplants - seeds grow in seedbeds then transplanted on land
• Small farms covered every bit of suitable land

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Hillside Farming

• Creation of terraces on hillsides to expand farming areas, contributing to increased production of rice.
• This maximized output
• Increased wealth of landowners

More Crops

• Additional crops such as:
• Tea
• Cotton
• Sugar
• Mulberry trees for silkworms

Advanced Irrigation system

• Dames, dikes, and gated channels moved water into the fields
• Chain Pump – moved water out of the fields
• Water buffaloes plowing land

Results - From the Agricultural Changes

• Increased food production made Chinas population quickly grow to more than 100 million people
• People developed other jobs such as weaving silk and cotton cloth
• Encouraged trade

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Trade and Urbanization

Government Policies Change

• Easing restrictions on merchants
• Active promotion of trade
• Expanded the silk road
• Trade routes to India, Arabia, and Europe

Reasons for Growth in Trade and Commerce

• Demand for Luxuries
• Wealthy landowners driving trade growth
• Increase in Chinese artisans producing luxury goods
• Key Products
• Rice, silk, tea, porcelain, and jade

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Trade

• Commerce: the buying and selling of goods
• Trade and commerce developed because of a series of trade networks along rivers and canals
• Traders and merchants supplied people with the goods people wanted to buy
• China developed a money economy, and currency helped businesses and cities grow

Universal Currency

What is Urbanization?

Urbanization is the movement of population into cities and away from rural areas.

The Urbanization of China

• Urbanization surged in the Song dynasty, witnessing the establishment of cities across China.
• Many people began to move to cities
• Dozens of Chinese cities numbered over 100,000 people
• Capital of Song dynasty = Hangzhou
• Had over 1 million people

Why Cities

• Commerce's Role:
• Growth of commerce attracting people to urban centers.
• Opportunities for merchants, traders, peddlers, and shopkeepers.
• Landowners' Shift:
• Landowners leaving farms for the allure of city life.
• Cities becoming hubs for business and employment.

Urbanization

• Trading posts were located along canal routes, connecting trading markets
• Cities and towns develop along trade routs.
• Merchants, peasants, and traders traded goods of all kinds
• Consequences: growth of a merchant class, increased prosperity, centers grew into cities

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Life in the Cities

• Crowded Street - Streets filled with landowners, merchants, traders, and entertainers.
• Market areas showcasing a variety of goods.
• Rich landowners, musicians, jugglers, acrobats, and puppeteers.
• Theaters, restaurants, and teahouses as social hubs.

Leisure Time

• Because cities developed, people had more time
• More time = more advancements
• Arts, culture, wealth, leisure time, paintings,

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