The shaping of cityscape and imagination: Song Dynasty urban pavilions along the streets

Abstract

In response to the presence of numerous wine pavilions in the Song dynasty capital, this article reconsiders the role of architecture as urban space. Within the historical context of urban development, there were shifts in Song Dynasty official control and management of pavilion construction. Song Dynasty urban texts and images indicate that wine pavilions gradually became indispensable structures in cities, deeply integrated as spatial coordinates within the urban fabric. The wine pavilions also functioned as representational spaces, connecting individuals to the city through associated imagery. They served not only as containers of urban life and carriers of urban stories but also as a manifestation of spatial practice. Between mechanisms of power and daily life, wine pavilions shaped a distinctive cityscape of the Song Dynasty, blending reality with imagination.

Keywords

• song dynasty
• pavilion
• marketplace
• cityscape
• urban space