Inthenineoriginalessayscollectedinthisvolume,culturalhistorians,literaryscholars,anarthistorian,andahistoricalmusicologistsetouttorecoverthesights,sounds,andsmellsoftheSouthernSongEmpire(1127–1279)andofitscapitalatHangzhou(thencalledLin’an).TheyremindthereaderoftheimportanceofdanceinthelivesofSongliterati,ofthesenseofdangerinthetwelfth-centurymetropolis,oftheblendofbirdcalls,templebells,andhumansonginthestreetsandinthecountryside.Ratherthantracinggeneraltrendsinurbanstructureorcommercialdevelopment,theleadingscholarsinthisvolumeconcentrateononetext,ononeauthor,orononegenreinordertorestorespecific,historicalconnectionsbetweenthetextandthecity,betweenwritingandurbanexperience.SensesoftheCityproposesnewapproachestothestudyofChinesecitiesandcontributestoageneralhistoryofthesenses
