Grass City - Soushi

Japanese: 草市 - そうし

A commercial and trading place established outside the prefecture and county towns during the Tang and Song dynasties in China. The name dates back to the Northern and Southern Dynasties, but it was only after the Tang dynasty that it became meaningful in economic history. Originally, a certain area within the prefecture and county towns was designated as a "market" (commercial and trading place) to which special regulations applied. Famous examples include the East Market and West Market in Chang'an and the South Market and North Market in Luoyang, but these had restrictions such as limiting business hours to noon to sunset. In 707, the Tang dynasty issued an edict that prohibited "markets" from being established outside the prefecture and county towns, and all "markets" established outside of these areas came to be called "grass markets." "Grass" means "grass material" and "poor," and originally it was "linseed market," but as grass markets spread, it came to mean a poor, unofficial market rather than a city within a city. In the Song dynasty, the city system of the Tang dynasty completely collapsed, and commerce and trade became free from time and place restrictions. "Chinese markets" were established at key points of land and water transportation and in front of temple gates, which contributed greatly to the development of the commodity economy in the Song dynasty. Many of them developed into small local commercial towns, which were called "towns" or "cities," and some were promoted to prefecture administrative offices.

Source : Heibonsha Encyclopedia About MyPedia Information

Japanese:

中国，唐・宋時代に州県の城外に設けられた商業・交易の場。この名称は既に南北朝時代にさかのぼるが，経済史上で意味を持つようになるのは唐以後である。本来，州県城内の一定区域が特別の法規を適用する〈市〉（商業・交易場）とされており，長安の東市・西市，洛陽の南市・北市などが有名であるが，ここでは営業時間を正午から日没までに限るなどの規制があった。唐では707年，州県城内以外に〈市〉をおいてはならないとの詔がだされ，これ以外の場所におかれた〈市〉はすべて〈草市〉と呼ばれることになった。〈草〉には〈草料（まぐさ）〉と〈粗末な〉という意味があり，もとは〈まぐさ市〉であったものが，草市が広がるにつれて，城内の市ではなく粗末な在野の市という意味に用いられた。宋代にはいると唐の市制は完全に崩壊して，商業・交易は時間や場所の制約をうけずに自由に行われるようになり，水陸交通の要所や寺院の門前などに〈草市〉が設けられ，宋代の商品経済の発展に大きく寄与した。なかには発展して地方の小商業都市になるものも多く，それらは〈鎮〉〈市〉と呼ばれ，県の治所に昇格するものもあった。

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