Tang dynasty

Tang dynasty
	"Tang dynasty" in Traditional Chinese characters
Chinese	唐朝
Transcriptions
Mandarin
- Hanyu Pinyin	Táng cháo
- Wade–Giles	T‘ang2 ch‘ao2
- IPA	[tʰǎŋ ʈʂʰǎu]
- Gwoyeu Romatzyh	Tarng chaur
Min
- Taiwanese; Romanization	Tông tiâu
Wu
- Romanization	Dáõn záu
Cantonese (Yue)
- Jyutping	Tong4 ciu4
- IPA	[tʰɔ̏ːŋ tsʰȉːu]
- Yale Romanization	Tong4 chiu4
Middle Chinese
- Middle Chinese	dang djew

Tang
唐code: zh is deprecated
Tang 唐
618–907; 690–705: Wu Zhou dynasty;
	Tang dynasty c. 669. Map of China during the Tang Dynasty.
Capital	Chang'an (618–684 and 705–904); Luoyang (684–705 and 904–907);
Common languages	Middle Chinese
Religion	Chinese Buddhism; Taoism; Chinese folk religion; Nestorianism; Manichaeism; Zoroastrianism;
Government	Monarchy
Emperor
• 618–626 (first)	Emperor Gaozu
• 626–649	Emperor Taizong
• 712–756	Emperor Xuanzong
• 904–907 (last)	Emperor Ai
History
•	June 18, 618
• Usurped; by Wu Zetian	690–705a
• An Lushan Rebellion, also called the An–Shi Rebellion Traditional Chinese: 安史之亂)	755–763b
•	June 1, 907
Area
715	5,400,000 km2 (2,100,000 sq mi)
Population
• 7th century	50 million
• 9th century	80 million
Currency	Chinese coin; Chinese cash;
Preceded by	Succeeded by
	Sui dynasty
	Eastern Turkic Khaganate
	Western Turkic Khaganate
	Goguryeo
Later Liang
Wu
Wuyue
Min
Former Shu
Khitans
	a October 8, 690 – March 3, 705.; b December 16, 755 – February 17, 763.

The Tang dynasty (Chinese: 唐朝; pinyin: Tángcháo) (June 18, 618 – June 4, 907) was an imperial dynasty of China.

History

The Tang Dynasty came after the Sui Dynasty (隋) and was followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period (Traditional Chinese: 五代十國). It was founded by the Li (李) family, who came to power during the fall of the Sui Dynasty. The dynasty was interrupted briefly by the Wu Zhou (Traditional Chinese: 武周) usurper regime,^[3] (October 16, 690 – March 3, 705) founded by Empress Wu Zetian (Traditional Chinese: 武則天) who managed to claim the throne, becoming the first and only Chinese Empress.

The Tang Dynasty, with its capital at Chang'an (Traditional Chinese: 長安) in present-day Xi'an (Traditional Chinese: 西安), was the biggest city in the world at the time. It is considered by historians as a high point in Chinese civilization – maybe even greater than the earlier Han Dynasty (Traditional Chinese: 漢朝) – as well as a golden age of cosmopolitan culture. Empress Wu, the first woman to ever rule in China, was also included in the Tang Dynasty. Her ruling methods were sometimes vicious, but she was very talented and intelligent.

Tang Dynasty Media

Portrait of Emperor Gaozu of Tang (566–635) dating to the Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
Wu Zetian, the sole recognised empress regnant in Chinese history
Mural depicting Tang architecture constructed in 707–710 – Mogao Grotto Cave 217
Construction of the Leshan Giant Buddha began in 713 and was completed in 803. The statue is 71 m (233 ft) high.
The Nanchan Temple built during the late 8th century
Xumi Pagoda, built in 636
A late Tang mural commemorating the victory of General Zhang Yichao over the Tibetan Empire in 848 – from Mogao cave 156
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang wearing the robes and hat of a scholar
Tang tomb figure of an official dressed in hanfu. He is depicted with a tall hat, wide-sleeved belted outer garment, and a rectangular "kerchief" in front. A white inner gown hangs over his square shoes, and he holds a tablet containing a report to his superiors to his chest.
A Ming-era painting by Qiu Ying depicting candidates for civil service gathered around the wall where examination results had been posted