The Tang Dynasty
Luna Zhang
Politics
Emperor Li Yuan defeated other rivals to become first official emperor of the Tang Dynasty. He ruled well, and the land prospered. After his reign was over, his son, Emperor Tai Zong inherited the throne. He secured peace within the country. And after his reign was over, one of his nine sons, Xuan Zong, became emperor. Some years after Xuan Zong's rule was over, another emperor, Li Shimin, defeated Turkish enemies and expanded the empire westward to the Caspian Sea. Because of that, China became a great world power. But, as the saying goes, a flame that burned brightly is not meant to last. The government began feuding and there were political plots and scandals. The Dynasty split into ten separate kingdoms, and collapsing continued. The final blow for the Tang Dynasty was the Northern invaders who came in and destroyed.
Li Yuan
This is Emperor Li Yuan of Tang.
Tai Zong
This is Emperor Tai Zong, Li Yuan's son.
Xuan Zong
This is Xuan Zong, one of the nine sons of Tai Zong
Economics
The Tang Dynasty is known for establishing their trade route: The Silk Road. Merchants from China, Europe, Mongolia, Tibet, Persia, and even Africa came to trade. The Tang traded Jade statues, and silk, as both of them were on high demand. But the Tang Dynasty didn't just trade, they had many other jobs as well. The farmers farmed their own food, and the merchants went around selling goods. Artisans and craftsmen were the supporting structure for a good economy. They made lavish decorations and pottery.
This is a Tang Dynasty statue.
Inventions, Technology, Science & Architecture
The Tang, as aforementioned, had silk from silk worms that they raised. This was no doubt their finest discovery. Rome loved it, as rich ladies wore dresses made of Chinese silks. It also happened that they discovered gunpowder. They put it to use and created fireworks. Before woodblock printing, all books were copied by hand: it was a long and tedious process. But after printing, it was much quicker. The Tang Dynasty was a time of great scientific improvement as well. They made medicines out of minerals, metals, plants, herbs, vegetables, and fruits. The Dynasty took time to pay their respects for their leaders, building mausoleums, One example is the Qianling Mausoleum for Emperor Gao Zong and his Empress, Wu Zetian. It was a big architectural achievement and was very grand. Another big accomplishment is the Daming Palace, the main royal palace for the Tang Dynasty.
Silk
This is a Tang Dynasty silk tapestry.
Woodblock Printing
This is an invention of the Tang: block printing.
Gunpowder
This is a bowl of gunpowder, commonly used for fireworks.
Religion, Culture, & Social Life
Boys went to school: it was free and strongly encouraged. Girls on the other hand, didn't go to school, but were taught at home. When girls got married, they moved out and left to live with her husband. As most ancient cultures were, girls didn't always have the same freedoms of the boys. The daily life of the Tang went something like this: men enjoyed hunting, fishing, and polo, while the women stayed at home or went shopping in the busy marketplaces. Farmers planted rice in the fields, and people from everywhere listened to "bird concerts" in the early morning: a chorus of birds chirping. Another popular activity was shows. They were free & everyone could attend.
The Tang worshiped Buddha, and almost all the Emperors favored Buddhism. They made statues and sculptures of Lord Buddha. Even Empress Zetian used Buddhism to supposedly weaken her opponents. Another religion, although it was more a philosophy, was Confucianism. It taught rulers to be kind and honorable. To further "color" their Dynasty, the Tang had ceramics painted with glazes of three colors, called San Cai. Poets like Li Bai were honored, as poetry was a very important aspect of Tang life.
The Tang worshiped Buddha, and almost all the Emperors favored Buddhism. They made statues and sculptures of Lord Buddha. Even Empress Zetian used Buddhism to supposedly weaken her opponents. Another religion, although it was more a philosophy, was Confucianism. It taught rulers to be kind and honorable. To further "color" their Dynasty, the Tang had ceramics painted with glazes of three colors, called San Cai. Poets like Li Bai were honored, as poetry was a very important aspect of Tang life.
This is a Tang Dynasty poem and painting.
This is a Tang Dynasty Buddha statue.