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The '''Tang dynasty''' ruled for nearly 300 years, from A.D. 618 to 907. This is known as the golden age of art and poetry in [[China]]. New territories were acquired, including Manchuria, Tibet, and northern Vietnam. This territory drew wealth from surrounding states through a ritualistic ''kowtow'', such that diplomats from surrounding states were expected to pay homage to the emperor by touching their forehead repeatedly to the ground beneath the emperor. The Tang dynasty accumulated vast wealth for China during this period, although it must be mentioned that the Tang royal family was not actually of Han Chinese origin - they were instead Turkic steppe nomads, and they likely descended from the Tabgach nomads who had ruled the Northern Wei dynasty earlier on.  The family took the name Li, 李，now a very common Chinese surname, which common folk tales have attributed as the name of the [[Lao Zi]], a semi-mythical Daoist philosopher from the [[Warring States period]].  This was to try to affirm the family's connection to Chinese history even in the classical era.

The '''Tang dynasty''' ruled for nearly 300 years, from A.D. 618 to 907. This is known as the golden age of art and poetry in [[China]]. New territories were acquired, including Manchuria, Tibet, and northern Vietnam. This territory drew wealth from surrounding states through a ritualistic ''kowtow'', such that diplomats from surrounding states were expected to pay homage to the emperor by touching their forehead repeatedly to the ground beneath the emperor. The Tang dynasty accumulated vast wealth for China during this period.

Many roads were built at that time, along with inns, post offices and stables for the horses of travelers. The roads were used for trade and communication in a manner similar to the [[Persian Royal Road]] and the roads of the [[Roman empire]], and trade in the Tang was quite a large part of life - it is estimated that over 1/3 of all inhabitants of Chang'an, the Tang capital, now Xi'an, were non-Han merchants, and mosques and even [[Nestorian]] churches were built in the city.  Foreign music, religion (Buddhism, primarily), clothes and even languages became popular in China at this time.  Importantly, everything in the big cities of China at this time was somewhat state-controlled; curfews were imposed on the citizens, trade was conducted in government approved situations, using government-approved measures and weights.

Many roads were built at that time, along with inns, post offices and stables for the horses of travelers. The roads were used for trade and communication in a manner similar to the [[Persian Royal Road]] and the roads of the [[Roman empire]], and trade in the Tang was quite a large part of life - it is estimated that over 1/3 of all inhabitants of Chang'an, the Tang capital, now Xi'an, were non-Han merchants, and mosques and even [[Nestorian]] churches were built in the city.  Foreign music, religion (Buddhism, primarily), clothes and even languages became popular in China at this time.  Importantly, everything in the big cities of China at this time was somewhat state-controlled; curfews were imposed on the citizens, trade was conducted in government approved situations, using government-approved measures and weights.

==References==

==References==

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[[Category:Chinese History]]

[[Category:Chinese History]]

[[Category:Chinese dynasties]]

[[Category:Chinese dynasties]]