Visual analysis of geographical distribution of poets in Song China based on Complete Song Poetry

TL;DR

This study maps the geographical distribution of Song Dynasty poets using a large poetry collection, revealing regional patterns and changes over time.

Contribution

The paper introduces a visualization strategy to analyze and present the spatial distribution of poets in Song China.

Findings

Most poets come from Zhejiang, Henan, and Sichuan provinces.

The density of poets increased in the south while decreasing in the north over time.

Guangdong province had over a hundred poets despite being geographically remote.

Abstract

This article analyzes the geographical distribution of poets in Song China based on Complete Song Poetry (Quansongshi全宋詩), which includes poems from over 9000 poets, with 6056 of them having clear native place. Visualization strategy is used to present the geographical distribution of these 6056 poets, and its formation factors are also analyzed. The results reveal that majority of the poets come from Zhejiang, Henan and Sichuan provinces, with Guangdong province also exceeding a hundred poets despite its remote location. In the central area of Ningbo, Luoyang and Meishan, there are also large distribution of the poets. Over time, the density of poets in the south increases while it decreases in the north, and this pattern becomes more pronounced as time progresses. By employing visualization strategy, we aim to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the geographical distribution of poets of Complete Song Poetry in Song Dynasty to reflect the cultural, economic, and political development of Song China.

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