Following the collapse of the Tang Dynasty, five short-lived dynasties ruled in the north, succeeding each other in quick succession, while ten regional kingdoms emerged in the south, each vying for supremacy. A military leader, Zhao Kuangyin (927-976), eventually won the day and founded the Song Dynasty. The dynasty consists of two distinct periods, the Northern Song (960-1127) and the Southern Song (1127–1279). During both periods, the Song often came into conflict with the Khitan Empire, the Tangut Empire and the Jin dynasty to its north. Though the country was not always in a stable condition, there were brilliant achievement the realm of art. The Song dynasty is an extremely important and pivotal era in the history of Chinese art.

In art

During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, three distinctive artistic centres were developed in Sichuan (the Shu kingdom) - the western sanctuary where many court artists of the Tang dynasty fled to, the prosperous and culturally rich Jiangnan ( the Southern Tang), and the Central Plain where previous capitals located.

During the early Northern Song Dynasty,  the court took a genius interest in art and was the biggest patron of arts, the art of painting flourished unprecedentedly.

- The reign of Emperor Huizong Zhao Ji to Emperor Gaozong and Emperor Xiaozong of the Southern Song Dynasty (1101 - 1189) was the most active period for court painting in the Song Dynasty. There were numerous painters with a focus on precision and expression. Portraits, as well as paintings depicting stories and customs, were particularly popular. These works not only reached a high level of artistic quality but also held significant historical value.

- There was remarkable achievement in landscape painting, and a large number of renowned artists emerged with innovative styles, such as Li Cheng, Fan Kuan, and Guo Xi, forming the 'Li-Guo School'. They focused on portraying realistic and diverse elements of nature, which marked significant progress in the path of realism in art.   

- During this time, there were also some literati scholars who emphasized the fusion of poetry and painting. Figures like Su Shi (Su Dongpo), Mi Fu, and others believed in the concept of 'poetry in painting, painting in poetry'. They excelled in painting ink bamboo, rocks, and scenes of clouds and mountains, laying the groundwork for later 'literati painting'.

In the Southern Song Dynasty, figure paintings were often related to the contemporary political situation, while landscape paintings moved away from panoramic landscapes to focus on peripheral scenes. Composition became more concise, with distinct subjects and complete lyrical expressions. Representatives of this era included the 'Four Masters of the Southern Song', namely Li Tang, Liu Songnian, Ma Yuan, and Xia Gui.