AP World unit 1

“The commercial area of the capital extends from the old Qing River market to the Southern Commons and to the city border on the north. . . . Some famous fabric stores sell exquisite brocade fabric and fine silk, which are unsurpassed elsewhere in the country. . . . Most other cities can only boast of one special product; what makes the capital unique is that it gathers goods from all places. Furthermore, because of the large population and the busy commercial traffic, there is a demand for everything.”

-Description of Hangzhou, capital of the southern Song dynasty, circa 1235 C.E.