Now that you’ve had a chance to explore the evidence, write a short essay (four to five paragraphs) on the following topic:

Choose one of the four images included in this activity. Write a detailed description of the image, giving particular attention to aspects of the image that shed light on the Song economy. How does your chosen image illustrate the major economic trends of the Song era?

You may find it helpful to review the sections “The Medieval Chinese Economic Revolution, 800–1100” and “China During the Song and Yuan Dynasties, 960–1368” in Chapter 13 of your textbook before you begin.