Refers to a Chinese dynastic style and period dating to 1127 to 1279. The dynasty was established by Gaozong (reigned 1127-1162), son of the last emperor of the Northern Song. The dynasty had its capital at Nanjing and later at Lin'an and it ruled the area south of the Huai River. Foreign influence was avoided and archaic traditions were often drawn on. ——艺术与建筑索引典

The Song dynasty is typically divided into the period before 1127, known as the Northern Song, when the northern part of the dynasty's territory was lost to the newly founded Jin dynasty, and the subsequent period, known as the Southern Song, during which the dynasty continued to flourish until it finally fell to the Mongols in 1279, leading to the establishment of the Yuan dynasty in China. Both the Northern and Southern Song were marked by the flowering of culture and technological advances.——Oxford English Dictionary  @en