After the fall of Tang, China went through 53 years of disorder. The Tanguts ruled the northwest while in Manchuria and on the steppes, the Khitans held control. In AD 960, a general managed to win control and became the founder of the Song dynasty. He was Song Taizu(background picture).
 
            During Song Taizu's rule, the capital of China was at Kaifeng. One of Song taizu's achievements would be the fact that he managed to unify a large part of China. This task was later carried on by the second emperor of the Song dynasty.

            The split of the Song dynasty into Northen and Southern parts was due to the attack of the Jurchen tribe from Northeastern Manchuria during the reign of the eighth emperor,Song Huizong. The Jurchen tribe took over Kaifeng and the northern part of China, ruling it under the dynastic name of Jin. However, Song Huizong's son Song Gaozong managed to escape to the south where he continued the Song dynasty under the name of Southern Song. The period of Song Dynasty before the fall of Kaifeng and northern China was known as Northern Song. The capital of Southern Song is at Lin-an(present-day Hangzhou).

            The Song Dynasty is well-known for great achievements in the fields of literature, painting and porcelain. Famous poets and writers during this period includes Wang Anshi and Su Dongpo. Sima Guang, a historian, also wrote a comprehensive book containing records of historical events from Zhou dynasty till before the founding of the Song dynasty. The standard of painting and porcelain during the Song period reached a very high standard. Landscape paintings were very popular with thepainters such as Ma Yuan and Xia Gui.
 
            Song porcelain is well-known for being delicate and elegant and was usually made in colours such as blue, creamy-white or green.They are highly sought after during the Sonq period and are still appreciated as antiques today.

            Trade flourished during the Song Dynasty.Chinese products such as paintings were greatly in demand both in and out of the country. Trade was extended to countries such as India, Korea, Japan and Southeast Asia. Money at that time were in the form of copper coins, silver ingots and gold dust. However, paper money was introduced later.

            Printing was invented during this period. Bi Sheng, a commoner, invented a method of printing called 'movable-type' printing.Each Chinese word was carved on a piece of clay, which was called a 'type'.Before printing, the 'types' would be arranged on an iron plate within a frame according to how the words should appear on the paper. the types were 'movable' and could be used again and again. this chinese invention happened a whole 4 centuries before Johann Gutenberg invented printing in Europe.