A Study Of Riding Sedan In Song Dynasty

Riding sedan chair is a new social phenomenon in Song Dynasty.Although the title of "Jiao Zi" appeared in Song Dynasty,its development has a long history.The Song Dynasty is the key period for the change of travel mode in China,from riding to riding in sedan chair.The investigation of the sedan activities in Song Dynasty can deepen the understanding of Song society.The development of sedan activities in Song Dynasty can be divided into three stages.In the first stage,from the early Northern Song Dynasty to the reign of emperor Shenzong of the Song Dynasty,the government of the Song Dynasty banned the activities of taking sedan chair,and the activities of taking sedan chair were mainly given special sedan chair.In the second stage,from Shenzong to the end of the Northern Song Dynasty,the policy of taking sedan chair became loose.The way of special sedan still exists.However,the folk sedan activities have developed to a certain extent,and the sedan groups and regions have expanded.The third stage is the whole Southern Song Dynasty,the official sedan chair appeared institutionalized trend.The Song court’s attitude towards the prohibition of sedan chair riding developed from relaxation to relaxation.Compared with the Tang Dynasty,the number of people who took sedan chair in Song Dynasty increased.In the Tang Dynasty,it was the power of a few special people to ride on eaves,while in the Song Dynasty,officials and even ordinary people took sedan chair.In Song Dynasty,the way of official taking sedan chair gradually changed from special giving to private taking,and the activities of taking sedan chair were more diverse.In addition,the official sedan activities in Song Dynasty had been institutionalized.The activity of riding a sedan chair cannot be separated from the group of raising a sedan chair.In Song Dynasty,the sedan chair groups were diversified.In addition to the Royal sedan chair groups,the folk sedan chair groups also appeared.Different from the strict organization of the Royal sedan group,the folk sedan group has the nature of economic contract.The development of towns in Song Dynasty not only expanded the demand for sedan cars,but also brought about a higher level of social division of labor.Folk sedan groups emerged as the times require,and gradually formed a sedan service industry.In the Southern Song Dynasty,the service mode of sedan chair was further diversified,and the service level of sedan chair was improved.The reasons for the rise of sedan activities in Song Dynasty are complex,including both natural factors and socio-economic factors.Natural factors include geography and climate.Compared with chariots and horses,riding a sedan can break through the limitation of geographical conditions.Especially in the Southern Song Dynasty,the mountainous geographical conditions in the South were more suitable for car riding activities.The cold weather in the late Northern Song Dynasty provided a new opportunity for the development of sedan activities at that time.Social and economic factors include the development of commodity economy,the promotion of human legal status,the change of social atmosphere and the construction of road administration.The two factors jointly promoted the development of sedan activities in Song Dynasty.