From a Boundless Realm to a Bounded Domain: The Transformation of Geographical Cognition and the Reconstruction of the *Tianxia* Worldview in the Song Dynasty

Abstract

The Tang and Song dynasties marked a pivotal period of transformation in China's historical geography cognition and its concept of the "Tianxia" (the world). This paper focuses on the Song dynasty, examining how its geographical perspective evolved from the Han–Tang notion of an "unbounded world" to one of a "bounded realm," and explores how scholar-officials achieved a cultural reconstruction of the Tianxia concept through various means—such as reshaping the cultural and political significance of mountains and rivers, rebuilding the sacrificial system for the Five Great Mountains and Four Major Rivers, redefining the "Central Land" theory, and elevating the cultural status of the Yangtze River. This transformation was not only driven by the unique political and military context of the Song dynasty but also reflected the scholarly class's efforts to employ cultural strategies to address real-world challenges and sustain the legitimacy of the regime. The establishment of the Song dynasty's Tianxia concept represented a significant turning point in the evolution of China's statehood—from the governance based on geographical entities to one grounded in cultural identity integration—and exerted a profound influence on the governance and cultural identity of later multiethnic states.

Keywords

• Song Dynasty
• geographical cognition
• worldview of the world

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