The Song dynasty was divided into two distinct periods, Northern and Southern. During the Northern Song (960–1127), the Song capital was in the northern city of Bianjing (now Kaifeng), and the dynasty controlled most of what is now Eastern China. The Song Dynasty cities boasted a lively street life, with markets, shops, restaurants, and houses right on the street. Some of these buildings were multi-story. Kaifeng did have an external wall, but its population spilled beyond it.
The Tang Dynasty mainly stretched from the Korean Peninsula to the Tarim Basin and from the Mongolian steppe south to modern Vietnam. The vast territory of the Tang Dynasty included the capital city of Chang'an, which is modern-day Xian. Tang China attracted an international reputation that spilled out of its cities and, through the practice of Buddhism, spread its culture across much of Asia.
