Bianjing Spectacle: Soundscapes of Bianjing and Identities in Song Dynasty Literature

Abstract

By closely examining the literary works of the Song Dynasty, such as prose, poetry, rhyme-prose, lyrics, notes, and miscellaneous theses, this paper combines historical and literary evidence to rediscover the 13 types of soundscapes and their corresponding spaces in the Bianjing City, the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty, and it reveals the causes and historical-cultural significance of these soundscapes. Focusing on the key issues of soundscapes, this paper analyzes the sound spaces, identities, discourses, and literary achievements depicted in the writings about Bianjing. It argues that the “Bianjing Spectacle” of vendors’ cries described by the Southern Song people can be used as a summary of the soundscape characteristics of Bianjing. Furthermore, it interprets the special silence, crying, and the absence of the sounds of production from an aesthetic perspective. By rediscovering, analyzing, and interpreting the soundscapes of Bianjing, this paper reveals significant differences between the Tang and Song dynasties at the sound level and differentiates various “auditory communities.” It thereby demonstrates the portrayal of Bianjing in Song literature, addresses theoretical hot topics in literature and geography, and builds on Marx’s arguments to propose that a thorough understanding of history, the world, and ourselves requires an in depth study of the soundscapes in literature.

Keywords

Song literature, Bianjing in the Northern Song Dynasty, soundscapes, identities, transformation during the Tang and Song dynasties

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