The Song dynasty is notable for the…

The Song dynasty is notable for the development of cities not only for administrative purposes but also as centers of trade, industry, and maritime commerce.

The landed scholar-officials, sometimes collectively referred to as the gentry, live in the provincial centers alongside the shopkeepers, artisans, and merchants.

A new group of wealthy commoners—the mercantile class—arises as printing and education spreads, private trade grows, and a market economy begins to link the coastal provinces and the interior.

Landholding and government employment are no longer the only means of gaining wealth and prestige.