Tang Dynasty regional structure and operational space

Author: Li Xiaocong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-08-01
Features: This "series" is a major research outcome of the "Tang Dynasty Project," a key project under Peking University's "Project 985." Each sub-project was determined after thorough deliberation. Following the interdisciplinary academic development trend, the selection of topics and the composition of personnel were carefully studied, and finally five volumes of six monographs were selected. The research findings in this series represent the current direction and high level of Tang Dynasty studies, with many papers being forward-looking. It is believed that the publication of this "series" will have a significant impact and become a new contribution to Tang Dynasty studies in the early 21st century. The Tang Dynasty was an unprecedentedly prosperous, glorious, and magnificent era in Chinese history. Why did the Tang Dynasty flourish? In what aspects did the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty manifest? What were the social, economic, cultural, foreign relations, and people's lives like during the Tang Dynasty? What profound impact did the Tang Dynasty's brilliance have on later generations? These and other questions await further in-depth exploration.
Peking University has achieved outstanding accomplishments in Tang Dynasty studies, with scholars such as Xiang Da, Wang Jin, Deng Guangming, Zhou Yiliang, Wang Yongxing, Zhang Guangda, and Wu Zongguo all making pioneering contributions. Currently, a group of young and middle-aged scholars are conducting research on Tang Dynasty politics, law, geography, economy, literature, art, thought, and religion from the perspectives of history, historical geography, archaeology, and sociology. Under the support of Peking University's "Plan for Building a World-Class University" and the fund of the Key Research Base in Humanities and Social Sciences of the Ministry of Education, we have invited scholars from both within and outside the university, as well as from home and abroad, who have made significant achievements in Tang Dynasty studies, to jointly participate in the implementation of the "Tang Dynasty Research Project" and explore this great era, presenting its true image to the world. We aim to further deepen research on the politics, economy, society, intellectual culture, ethnicity, and foreign relations of this era, and hope that while making academic progress, we can also draw lessons from the Tang Dynasty's experiences and insights to provide guidance and inspiration for us today.
After three years of relentless effort, the first batch of achievements from the "Tang Dynasty Research Project," including Professor Wu Zongguo's edited Studies on Tang Dynasty Political Institutions, Professor Li Xiaocong's edited Regional Structure and Operational Space of the Tang Dynasty, Professor Wang Xiaofu's edited The Tang Dynasty and Northeast Asian Politics, Professor Deng Xiaonan's edited Tang and Song Women and Society (Volumes 1 and 2), and Professor Rong Xinjiang's edited Religious Beliefs and Society in the Tang Dynasty, totaling five volumes and six books, are being officially launched as the Peking University Tang Dynasty Research Series by Shanghai. This collective research provides a comprehensive exploration of the integration of political institutions, coordination of international relations, efficiency of state operations, and the rich diversity of social life, offering strong explanations for why the Tang Dynasty flourished. It also conducts comprehensive research and summaries in areas where domestic studies are relatively weak, such as women and society, religious beliefs and society, and regions and space. We hope to use this as a starting point to continue compiling and publishing the Peking University Tang Dynasty Research Series.
From the launch of this research project to the publication of its first batch of achievements, it has received support and assistance from multiple parties. On behalf of all the editors of this series, I would like to express my gratitude to the scholars who contributed their works. Without their active participation and academic contributions, this collective research would not have been realized. We are particularly grateful to the leadership of Peking University and the Center for Ancient Chinese History and the Department of History for their guidance and strong support in both spirit and funding. Without their care and support for this research project, we would not have been able to accomplish this endeavor. We also extend our thanks to the graduate students of the Ancient Chinese History program at the Department of History of Peking University, who tirelessly provided unpaid labor both academically and in administrative tasks. Their contributions not only earned praise for the international academic conferences we organized from scholars both at home and abroad but also ensured the high quality of our series editing work.
Finally, we express our heartfelt gratitude to Li Weiguo, President of Shanghai, and the editorial team of the Historical Geography Section—Xu Zhongyi, Yu Lan, Zhang Min, Wang Shengliang, and Xie Yongjian—for their unwavering commitment to promoting academic research and upholding Chinese culture. It is their diligent efforts that have ultimately presented this series to the readers.
The 10 papers included in this collection observe Tang Dynasty politics, economy, culture, and society from the unique and comprehensive perspective of geography, also providing insights for understanding today's development. These articles represent the latest research findings of the authors in recent years, using the lens of geographical space to present vivid scenes of the Tang Dynasty's regional structure, regional development, population, economy, cities, culture, and literature, painting a grand picture of the Tang Dynasty's regional structure and operational space.