Thurs. 1/7 - Urbanization in Medieval China

But first, what is urbanization?

Let's look at the root word - urban

Urban relates to a large town or city. Towns and cities have a larger population than rural areas, which are located in the country.

Urbanization increased during the Song dynasties as cities sprouted up all over china. Chinese cities became the largest in the world. The city of Hangzhou had perhaps 2 million people within its walls. It's no wonder that Marco Polo was impressed with the cities he visited. European cities at this time had no more than 50,00 residents.

Why did the growth of cities increase under the Song dynasty?

One answer is that the growth of commerce encouraged people to move to cities and towns. There, people could make a living as merchants, traders, peddlers, and shopkeepers. In addition, landowners left their farms because they preferred the shops and social life of the cities. More people brought still more opportunities for business, and cities grew even larger.

China's cities at this time were crowded, exciting places.

When Marco Polo arrived in Hangzhou, he wrote...

"Anyone seeing such a multitude would believe it impossible that food could be found to feed them all and yet on every market day all the market squares are filled with people, and with merchants who bring food on carts and boats."

How did the growth of cities influence the lifestyles and livelihoods of people in China?

The growth of cities changed the way many ordinary Chinese lived. Cities were vibrant centers of activity, from buying and selling to hobbies and board games. Public works projects provided employment for many city dwellers. Urbanization also stimulated culture, giving artists an audience of wealthy, leisured people. Paintings produced during the Song period are considered some of the finest in the world.