Why We Love the Song Dynasty
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Why We Love the Song Dynasty
Exploring the history and charm of one of China’s most fascinating dynasties. Meeting its rulers, artists, poets and people in the streets. Discovering its artistic, social and scientific treasures that have shaped the way we all live today.
Neueste Episoden
27 Episoden
Introducing Why We Love the Tang Dynasty
If you loved the Song Dynasty podcast, then you’ll also enjoy ‘Why We Love the Tang Dynasty.’
Available from October.

Ep25 The legacy of the Song Dynasty
Why the Song Dynasty is so important to our lives today.

Ep24 The gardens of the Song
Why the great outdoors was so important to the people of the Song Dynasty.

Ep23 The Literati - the Song 'party animals'
Discovering the social lives of the Song Dynasty Literati.

Ep22 Song Ci from the heart
How Song Ci gives us an insight into the loves and lives of the people of the Song Dynasty.

Ep21 The Songs that made the Song people sing
Introducing the Song Ci - the popular sung poetry of the Song Dynasty.

Ep20 The Famous Five
The great kilns of the Song Dynasty and how their products were used.

Ep19 The zen of porcelain
How porcelain became an essential part of the lives of the Song Dynasty.


Ep17 Flowers, vases, tables and poems
Discovering what flowers can tell us about the sights and sounds of the Song Dynasty.

Ep16 Song Dynasty Flower Power
How flowers played an important role in the lives of the people of the Song Dynasty.

Ep15 Song art enters the multi-media age
How the Song sought to show the meaning of life in their art.

Ep14 Putting the people at the heart of their art
How Song Dynasty artists, calligraphers and poets put the people at the heart of their art.

Ep13 The pursuit of vulgar elegance
The importance of interconnectedness. How calligraphy, paintings and poetry were all united in the Song Dynasty.

Ep12 Old skills, new rules, dangerous times
How calligraphy during the Song Dynasty was seen as a powerful tool in state craft.

Ep11 A flick of the wrist
Exploring why calligraphy in the Song Dynasty became the highest treasured of all the arts.

Ep10 The rise and fall of the imperial obsession with tea
How the Song imperial love of tea changed thought, deeds and landscape from top to toe.

Ep9 Tea – The Song’s gift of tranquility
How the Song love of tea drinking exemplified the dynasty's world view.

Ep8 A Song Dynasty Foam Party
Discovering how the Song Dynasty turned tea drinking into showmanship.

Ep7 Confucianism gets ready to go global
Discovering why the Song Dynasty of Confucianism has become so appealing the world over.

Ep6 The Song masters of Confucianism
Meet the Song Dynasty thinkers who shaped Confucianism, and made it fit for the future.

Ep5 Confucianism 2.0
How the Song Dynasty embraced and adapted Confucianism to create a strong foundation for their own growth and ours.

Ep4 A spot of sightseeing along the river during Qingming
Discovering the symbolism, covert messages, social commentary, secrets and even insults contained within a Song artistic masterpiece.

Ep3 Unlocking the secrets of the Song Dynasty masterpiece
A closer look at the Song dynasty masterpiece, 'Along the River During the Qingming Festival,' to see what the scroll painting tells us about the succ...

Ep1 Meet the Song Dynasty
Introducing the Song Dynasty. Learning how it came into being, and the foundations laid that allowed it to become one of China's most iconic dynasties...

Ep2 The secrets of the scroll
Showcasing a Song dynasty scroll painting, 'Along the River During the Qingming Festival' and what it tells us about the life and times of the people...

Introducing Why We Love the Song Dynasty
How much do you really know about China’s Song Dynasty?