From Walled Compounds to Open Streets: The Tang Dynasty’s Controlled Cities

The vibrant urban landscapes we take for granted today—bustling street markets, 24-hour eateries, rich nightlife, public parks, and entertainment districts—were unimaginable before China’s Song Dynasty (960-1279). This transformation was so profound that scholars like G. William Skinner termed it an “urban revolution.” To appreciate this shift, we must first examine the rigid urban planning of the preceding Tang Dynasty (618-907).

Tang cities like Chang’an (modern Xi’an) resembled giant chessboards. The 8th-century capital stretched over 30 square miles with mathematically precise grid patterns. Residential wards (坊 fang) and commercial markets (市 shi) were strictly segregated behind high walls. Government-appointed market supervisors controlled prices and operating hours—markets opened at noon with 300 drumbeats and closed at sunset with 300 bell strikes.

Nighttime brought curfews enforced by patrols. At dusk, 400 drumbeats signaled ward gates closing; 600 more prohibited street movement until dawn’s 500-beat reveille. Violators faced 20 cane strikes, with exceptions only for medical emergencies. Only during the Lantern Festival’s three nights did this “night prohibition” (夜禁 yejin) lift temporarily.

The Cracks in the System: Late Tang to Five Dynasties

By the 9th century, this system showed strains. Privileged residents began converting ward homes into shops, prompting Emperor Daizong’s 767 edict demanding demolition of illegal structures. However, the Tang collapse (907) and subsequent Five Dynasties chaos (907-960) weakened enforcement. Ward walls crumbled as governments lost control—a pivotal precondition for the Song transformation.

The Song Metamorphosis: A Commercial Explosion

When the Song unified China in 960, its capital Kaifeng displayed a radically new urban morphology. Unlike Chang’an’s rigid grid, Kaifeng’s walls followed natural topography. The famous Along the River During Qingming Festival painting reveals:

– Vanished ward walls
– Ground-floor shops lining streets
– Vibrant advertising (e.g., “Liu Family Premium Sandalwood Incense”)
– Mixed-use districts combining residences, hotels like “Wang Official’s Residence,” and specialty stores

Critical to this openness was the 11th-century abandonment of the street drum system. By 1050, Kaifeng’s drum towers stood unused—so thoroughly forgotten that Southern Song poet Lu You (1125-1210) found Tang poems referencing them incomprehensible.

Nightlife Reborn: The Curfew Retreats

While Tang curfews ran from ~7 PM to 4 AM, Song rulers progressively relaxed restrictions:
– 965: Emperor Taizu limited curfews to 11 PM–3 AM
– 11th century: Markets operated “from third watch’s end until fifth watch begins” (11 PM–3 AM)
– By the 12th century, Hangzhou’s noodle shops did “business all night until dawn”

This birthed spectacular nightlife. Kaifeng’s Horse Street夜市 became so brightly lit that mosquitoes avoided its oil-lamp glare. Emperor Renzong once lamented his palace’s quietness compared to the laughter from public taverns—a stark contrast to Tang emperors who banned夜市 outright in 840.

The Infrastructure of Night

New public lighting emerged to support nocturnal activities:
– Street lamps illuminating markets
– Bridge lights like those in Yangzhou, described by poet Liu Zijian
– Riverbank illumination for night boating, per Su Shi’s verses

Though paintings like Yan Wengui’s Qixi Night Market are lost, the surviving Begging for Skills scroll captures the era’s festive nighttime energy.

Why It Mattered: The Global Context

This shift preceded similar European developments by centuries. While Paris lifted its last couvre-feu (curfew) in 1380, and London’s medieval wards persisted until the Great Fire (1666), Song China’s urban model offered:

1. Economic Vitality: Specialized industries (perfumers, pawnshops) flourished without spatial constraints
2. Social Mobility: Commoners accessed entertainment once reserved for elites
3. Cultural Innovation: Nighttime enabled extended opera performances and literary gatherings

The Reactionary Backlash

Later dynasties reversed this openness. Yuan (1271-1368) rulers reinstated curfews, while Ming-Qing cities installed neighborhood gates—functional equivalents of Tang ward walls. This regression underscores how exceptional the Song’s urban liberalism was in premodern history.

The Song urban revolution thus represents a pivotal moment when medieval constraints gave way to protomodern vibrancy—a testament to what happens when governments prioritize civic vitality over control. As Emperor Renzong wisely observed: “Because we [rulers] endure this quietness, the people gain their liveliness.” This philosophy, more than any technological advance, made Song cities the world’s first truly modern urban spaces.