在討論宋朝與隋朝這兩個歷史時期時，史學界往往會刻意區分「國家整體實力的強弱」與「一般百姓實際生活感受」這兩個層面。前者關乎軍事、疆域與政權穩定，後者則更貼近人民是否能吃得飽、活得安穩、對未來抱持希望。雖然「幸福指數」本身是現代社會科學的概念，並不適用於古代的量化分析，但若從經濟活力、社會流動性、文化氛圍、政治壓力與技術進步等面向綜合觀察，宋朝（尤其北宋）與隋朝（尤其開皇之治時期）確實是中國古代歷史中，少數能讓多數人民感受到相對安居樂業的時代。

宋朝常被視為中國古代文明高度成熟的象徵。陳寅恪所說「華夏民族之文化，歷數千載之演進，造極於趙宋之世」，並非單純的文化讚語，而是指宋代在制度、思想與日常生活層面，已呈現出一種接近「前近代社會」的樣貌。對百姓而言，最直接的感受來自於物質生活的顯著提升。隨著坊市制度的正式瓦解，城市不再被時間與空間嚴格切割，夜市、酒樓、茶坊與瓦舍遍布街頭，娛樂、飲食與消費成為日常生活的一部分。《清明上河圖》所呈現的並非理想化的烏托邦，而是北宋都城真實而繁忙的城市景象，反映出大量平民已具備一定的消費能力。

除了物質層面，宋代社會流動性的高度開放，對「幸福感」的塑造尤其關鍵。科舉制度在宋代趨於完備，出身寒門者只要具備學識與毅力，便有機會進入官僚體系，取得社會地位與經濟保障。門第不再是唯一的通行證，使得整個社會充滿「努力可改變命運」的想像，這種心理層面的希望，本身就是一種極為重要的幸福來源。

政治環境相對溫和，亦是宋代百姓與士人能夠安心生活的重要原因。宋太祖所立下「不殺士大夫及上書言事者」的祖訓，雖非絕對執行，但確實塑造了一種較少血腥清洗的政治文化。言論空間相對寬鬆，士人敢於議政、平民較少動輒因牽連而遭大規模誅殺，這種「不必時時提防政治風暴」的社會氛圍，對生活安全感有著深遠影響。

在制度層面，宋代亦出現中國歷史上相當早熟的社會救助體系。養濟院、居養院、安濟坊等機構，對孤寡老人、貧病之人提供基本救濟，雖稱不上現代福利國家，但已反映出國家開始承擔一定的社會責任，讓弱勢群體不至於完全被拋棄。

相較之下，隋朝的「幸福感」來源更為集中且強烈，但也極其短暫。隋文帝楊堅在位時期的開皇之治，幾乎可說是戰亂後社會恢復力的極致展現。經歷魏晉南北朝將近三百年的分裂與動盪，百姓對「統一」本身就抱有極高期待，而隋朝的建立，迅速將這種期待轉化為現實紅利。

隋文帝推行均田制與輸籍定樣，重新清查戶籍、整頓賦稅制度，使土地得以相對公平地分配到農民手中。對長期流離失所或受豪強壓迫的農民而言，能夠穩定耕作、依法納稅，已是難得的幸福。賦稅負擔在初期明顯減輕，生產意願高漲，糧食產量快速累積，國家與民間同時走向富庶。

大型官倉體系的建立，更是隋朝繁榮的具體象徵。回洛倉、含嘉倉等糧倉所儲存的糧食數量，史書記載多到即使進入唐朝初年仍未耗盡，這代表在隋朝鼎盛時期，社會整體已基本脫離長期飢荒的陰影。對農業社會而言，「不挨餓」本身就是幸福感最直接、最深刻的來源。

此外，統一所帶來的安全感，也讓百姓心理狀態產生巨大轉變。道路暢通、法令一致、戰亂減少，使人們能重新規劃生活與未來，這種從動盪走向穩定的過程，往往會被後世記憶為「特別富足、特別美好」的年代。

然而，若將宋朝與隋朝並置比較，便能清楚看出兩者幸福感的性質差異。宋代的幸福更多來自於商業繁榮、文化活躍與精神生活的豐富，尤其在城市中產階級與知識分子之間感受最為明顯；隋朝則是以糧食充裕、賦稅減輕與社會安定為核心，讓早期農民階層獲得前所未有的生活改善。相對地，宋朝長期承受來自遼、金、西夏等外患的軍事壓力，安全感始終帶有陰影；隋朝則在後期因隋煬帝的大規模工程與對外戰爭，迅速耗盡民力，幸福感也隨之崩解。

一個耐人尋味的歷史細節在於，隋朝百姓曾經「太過富有」。正因國庫與糧倉極度充盈，給了隋煬帝揮霍與冒進的現實條件，無論是開鑿大運河，還是三征高句麗，最終都轉化為沉重的勞役與兵役負擔，使原本建立在富足與安定之上的幸福感，在極短時間內徹底崩潰。這也成為中國歷史上一個反覆出現的警示：真正能長久維繫人民幸福的，從來不是一時的富庶，而是制度能否節制權力、保護民力。

When examining the Song and Sui dynasties, historians usually distinguish between a state’s overall power and the actual quality of life experienced by ordinary people. The former concerns military strength, territorial control, and political stability, while the latter is more closely related to whether people could secure food, live in safety, and hold hope for the future. Although the concept of a “happiness index” is a modern one and cannot be directly applied to premodern societies, a comprehensive look at economic vitality, social mobility, cultural atmosphere, political pressure, and technological development suggests that the Song dynasty—especially the Northern Song—and the Sui dynasty during the era of the Kaihuang reforms did provide conditions in which large segments of the population could enjoy a relatively stable and contented life.

The Song dynasty is often regarded as a symbol of the high maturity of Chinese civilization. Chen Yinke’s famous remark that “the culture of the Chinese people, after thousands of years of development, reached its peak in the Zhao-Song era” is not merely a cultural compliment. It reflects the fact that, in terms of institutions, thought, and everyday life, Song society already displayed features approaching those of a proto-modern world. For ordinary people, the most immediate change was the clear improvement in material living standards. With the formal dismantling of the ward-based market system, cities were no longer strictly divided by time and space. Night markets, taverns, teahouses, and entertainment quarters flourished, turning consumption, leisure, and dining into integral parts of daily life. The bustling scenes depicted in Along the River During the Qingming Festival are not an idealized fantasy, but a realistic portrayal of urban life in the Northern Song, revealing that a large portion of the population possessed real purchasing power.

Beyond material abundance, the high degree of social mobility in the Song dynasty played a crucial role in shaping people’s sense of happiness. The civil service examination system reached a mature form, allowing men of humble origin to enter the bureaucracy through education and talent. Family background was no longer the sole gateway to status and security. This created a social environment filled with the belief that effort could change one’s fate. Such psychological hope, even more than material comfort, constituted an important foundation of well-being.

The relatively restrained political climate of the Song dynasty also contributed significantly to people’s sense of security. The founding emperor’s pledge not to execute scholar-officials or those who submitted remonstrations, though not without exceptions, helped establish a political culture with fewer bloody purges. Intellectuals could speak more freely, and commoners were less likely to be swept up in large-scale political persecutions. Living without constant fear of sudden political disaster provided an important sense of stability.

Institutionally, the Song dynasty also developed some of the earliest forms of social welfare in Chinese history. Organizations such as charitable relief homes and shelters for the poor offered basic assistance to the elderly, the sick, and the destitute. While far from a modern welfare state, these measures reflected an early awareness that the government bore responsibility for social care, ensuring that the most vulnerable were not entirely abandoned.

In contrast, the source of happiness in the Sui dynasty was more concentrated and intense, yet also far more fleeting. Under Emperor Wen during the Kaihuang era, the recovery of society after prolonged warfare reached an almost extreme level. After nearly three centuries of division and turmoil during the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties, the people longed deeply for unity. The establishment of the Sui dynasty rapidly transformed this longing into tangible benefits.

Through the equal-field system and the reorganization of household registration, Emperor Wen redistributed land more evenly and reduced tax burdens. For farmers who had long suffered displacement or exploitation by powerful clans, the opportunity to farm their own land and pay standardized taxes represented a rare form of security and contentment. With lighter taxes and renewed incentives to produce, agricultural output surged, leading both the state and society toward prosperity.

The construction of massive state granaries further symbolized the Sui dynasty’s abundance. Historical records describe granaries such as the Huiluo and Hanjia stores as being so full that their reserves remained unused well into the early Tang dynasty. This indicates that, at its peak, Sui society had largely escaped the persistent threat of famine. In an agrarian civilization, freedom from hunger was perhaps the most direct and profound source of happiness.

The psychological impact of reunification was equally significant. Unified laws, secure roads, and reduced warfare allowed people to plan their lives once again. The transition from chaos to stability left a deep impression on collective memory, causing later generations to remember the era as exceptionally prosperous and content.

When the Song and Sui dynasties are compared side by side, however, their differences become clear. Happiness in the Song dynasty was rooted in commercial prosperity, cultural vibrancy, and rich spiritual life, especially among urban middle classes and intellectuals. In the Sui dynasty, it was grounded in abundant food supplies, light taxation, and social stability, benefits felt most strongly by farmers in the early period. At the same time, the Song dynasty lived under constant pressure from external threats such as the Liao, Jin, and Western Xia, which cast a shadow over its sense of security. The Sui dynasty, meanwhile, collapsed rapidly after Emperor Yang exhausted the population through massive construction projects and costly military campaigns.

One revealing historical irony is that the Sui people were, for a time, “too prosperous.” The extreme fullness of state coffers and granaries gave Emperor Yang the means to pursue extravagant ambitions, from the construction of the Grand Canal to repeated invasions of Goguryeo. These endeavors ultimately translated into heavy corvée labor and military conscription, draining popular strength and causing the fragile happiness built on abundance and stability to collapse with remarkable speed. This episode serves as a recurring lesson in Chinese history: lasting happiness for the people is never sustained by short-term wealth alone, but by institutions capable of restraining power and protecting the productive capacity of society.