Search

This article discusses the interactions between people and their travel accommodations in the Song Dynasty, how travelers’ impressions of space were generated, and the implications of space. First, I discuss several accommodation choices available to people in the Song Dynasty based on the Yijian zhi. Then I look into narrations about accommodations during the Song, which suggest interpretations of the meanings of space in terms of popular mentality. Finally, I analyze discourses on how elites planned and regulated travel accommodations. By comparing the views presented in different kinds of sources, I have reached the following conclusion: narration about travel accommodations during the Song mainly focused on encounters among people, and reveals an ambiance of distrust and anxiety. The reasons for this ambiance may include the increasing convenience and prevalence of travel, increasing interactions among individuals; social changes that challenged the traditional centrality of kinship and neighborhood, and the rise of interpersonal relationships not based on kinship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]