# Tang Dynasty
Confidence: high
Last verified: 2026-05-22
Generation: ai_assisted


## TL;DR

Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE) is considered China's golden age — political stability, economic prosperity, cultural flowering. Capital Chang'an (modern Xi'an) was the world's largest city (~1 million). Silk Road trade flourished. Poetry (Li Bai, Du Fu), Buddhism, and the imperial examination system reached their peaks.

## Core Explanation

Tang Taizong (626-649): one of China's greatest emperors. Wu Zetian: only female emperor (690-705). An Lushan Rebellion (755-763): devastating civil war, 13-36 million deaths — decline began. Culture: Tang poetry is China's literary peak, tea culture developed, woodblock printing invented. Japan and Korea modeled their cultures after Tang. Ended with Huang Chao Rebellion (874-884).

## Further Reading

- [China's Golden Age: Everyday Life in the Tang Dynasty (Charles Benn)](https://global.oup.com/academic/product/chinas-golden-age-9780195176650)