Great Tang Spirit (A Chinese story from 518 to 763 AD)

Author: Liu Shanling, Guo Jian, Hao Lingsheng
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-01-01
Features: China is a vast nation with a glorious history spanning five millennia, brimming with vitality and dynamism. The Chinese nation has long stood tall in the East, passing down its legacy through generations. This volume of "Talking About China" narrates the stories of the Sui to Tang dynasties, as aptly indicated by its title "The Grand Atmosphere of the Tang Dynasty." It was a magnificent era that lifted the spirits of every Chinese person. During those more than one and a half centuries, three golden eras emerged: the Kaihuang Era, the Zhenguan Era, and the Kaiyuan Era. In my view, the Kaihuang Era lasted from the 17th year of Emperor Kaihuang to the 7th year of the Daye era (597–611), the Zhenguan Era from the 8th year of Zhenguan to the 23rd year (634–649), and the Kaiyuan Era generally refers to the early to late Kaiyuan period (713–741). In reality, starting from 690 when Wu Zetian declared herself emperor, except for the gradually declining political persecution, all aspects—economy, politics, military, culture, national strength, territory, relations with neighboring states, and foreign relations—fully displayed the grandeur of a golden age. Although there were subsequent political upheavals led by empresses like Empress Wei and Princess Taiping, this prosperous and flourishing period lasted until the 11th year of the Tianbao era (752). Therefore, the globally renowned Tang Dynasty (including the Wu Zhou period) can essentially be counted from the first year of Tianshou to the 11th year of Tianbao (690–752). Out of the 175 years from the early Sui to the Tianbao era of the Tang, 91 years, or 52%, were in a state of peace and prosperity. In contrast, throughout the thousands of years of Chinese history, only a dozen or so golden eras accounted for about 5% of the years. Thus, the density and brilliance of the golden eras during the 7th and 8th centuries were unprecedented in Chinese history.