Sui dynasty and Related Topics

The empire during the reign of Wu Zetian, circa 700

Tang dynasty

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Imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an interregnum between 690 and 705.

Portrait painting of Emperor Gaozu (born Li Yuan, 566–635), the first Tang Emperor.

Empress Wu (Wu Zetian), the sole officially recognized empress regnant of China in more than two millennia. She first ruled through her husband and sons for almost three decades, then became emperor herself and ruled in her own right for another fifteen years.

The Leshan Giant Buddha, 71 m high; begun in 713, completed in 803

Nanchan Temple (Wutai), built during the late 8th century

A late Tang mural commemorating the victory of General Zhang Yichao over the Tibetans in 848 AD, 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, with a tall hat, wide-sleeved belted outer garment, and rectangular "kerchief" in front. A white inner gown hangs over his square shoes. He holds a tablet to his chest, a report to his superiors.

Civil service exam candidates gather around the wall where results had been posted. Artwork by Qiu Ying.

Emperor Xuanzong of Tang giving audience to Zhang Guo, by Ren Renfa (1254–1327)

Emperor Taizong (r. 626–649) receives Gar Tongtsen Yülsung, ambassador of the Tibetan Empire, at his court; later copy of an original painted in 641 by Yan Liben (600–673)

The Chinese Tang dynasty during its greatest extension, controlling large parts of Central Asia.

Chinese officer of the Guard of Honour. Tomb of Princess Chang-le (长乐公主墓), Zhao Mausoleum, Shaanxi province. Tang Zhenguan year 17, i.e. 644 CE

A 10th-century mural painting in the Mogao Caves at Dunhuang showing monastic architecture from Mount Wutai, Tang dynasty; Japanese architecture of this period was influenced by Tang Chinese architecture

Tomb figure of mounted warrior similar to the one unearthed from the tomb of Crown Prince Li Chongrun

Tomb guardian (wushi yong), early 8th century

A bas relief of a soldier and the emperor's horse, Autumn Dew, with elaborate saddle and stirrups, designed by Yan Liben, from the tomb of Emperor Taizong c. 650

Illustration of Byzantine embassy to Tang Taizong 643 CE

Tang dynasty Kai Yuan Tong Bao (開元通寳) coin, first minted in 621 in Chang'an, a model for the Japanese 8th-century Wadōkaichin

Tomb figure of a horse with a carefully sculpted saddle, decorated with leather straps and ornamental fastenings featuring eight-petalled flowers and apricot leaves.

A contract from the Tang dynasty that records the purchase of a 15-year-old slave for six bolts of plain silk and five Chinese coins. Found in the Astana Cemetery in Turfan.

Tomb Figure of a Sogdian merchant, 7th-century

A mural depicting a corner tower, most likely one of Chang'an, from the tomb of Prince Yide (d. 701) at the Qianling Mausoleum, dated 706

The bronze Jingyun Bell cast 711, height 247 cm high, weight 6,500 kg, now in the Xi'an Bell Tower

A Tang dynasty era copy of the preface to the Lantingji Xu poems composed at the Orchid Pavilion Gathering, originally attributed to Wang Xizhi (303–361 AD) of the Jin dynasty

A poem by Li Bai (701–762 AD), the only surviving example of Li Bai's calligraphy, housed in the Palace Museum in Beijing.

Calligraphy of Emperor Taizong on a Tang stele

A Tang dynasty sculpture of a Bodhisattva

An 8th-century silk wall scroll from Dunhuang, showing the paradise of Amitabha

A timber hall built in 857, located at the Buddhist Foguang Temple of Mount Wutai, Shanxi

A Tang sancai-glazed carved relief showing horseback riders playing polo

A late Tang or early Five Dynasties era silk painting on a banner depicting Guanyin and a female attendant in silk robes, from the Dunhuang caves, now in the British Museum

Palace ladies in a garden from a mural of Prince Li Xian's tomb in the Qianling Mausoleum, where Wu Zetian was also buried in 706

Tang era gilt-gold bowl with lotus and animal motifs

A Tang sancai-glazed lobed dish with incised decorations, 8th century

Tomb figure of a lady attendant, 7th- to 8th-century; during the Tang era, female hosts prepared feasts, tea parties, and played drinking games with their guests.

A rounded "offering plate" with design in "three colors" (sancai) glaze, 8th-century

A square bronze mirror with a phoenix motif of gold and silver inlaid with lacquer, 8th-century

The Diamond Sutra, printed in 868, is the world's first widely printed book to include a specific date of printing.

The Dunhuang map, a star map showing the North Polar region. c. 700. The whole set of star maps contains over 1,300 stars.

"Great Tang" (Dà Táng) in seal characters.

A Tang Dynasty sancai statuette of Sogdian musicians riding on a Bactrian camel, 723 AD, Xi'an.

It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.

Tang dynasty portrait of Emperor Yang by Yan Liben

Emperor Yang of Sui (隋煬帝, 569 – 11 April 618), personal name Yang Guang (楊廣), alternative name Ying (英), Xianbei name Amo (阿摩), also known as Emperor Ming of Sui (隋明帝) during the brief reign of his grandson Yang Tong, was the second emperor of the Sui dynasty of China.

Tang dynasty portrait of Emperor Wen by Yan Liben

Emperor Wen of Sui

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The Emperor Wen of Sui (隋文帝; 21 July 541 – 13 August 604), personal name Yang Jian (楊堅), Xianbei name Puliuru Jian (普六茹堅), alias Narayana deriving from Buddhist terms, was the founder and the first emperor of the Chinese Sui dynasty.

The Grand Canal, under Sui and Tang dynasties.

Grand Canal (China)

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Longest canal or artificial river in the world.

The invention of the water-level-adjusting pound lock in the 10th century CE was done in response to the necessity of greater safety for the travel of barge ships along the rougher waters of the Grand Canal.

The Chinese invention of the pound lock system allows for water levels to be raised or lowered to improve travel in the canal.

The Yongle Emperor (r. 1402–1424) restored the Grand Canal in the Ming era.

Grand Canal. Drawing by William Alexander, draughtsman of the Macartney Embassy to China in 1793.

The Qianlong Emperor's Southern Inspection Tour, Scroll Six: Entering Suzhou along the Grand Canal dated 1770.

Barges on the modern Grand Canal ("Li Canal" section) near Yangzhou

The junction of the Lu Canal and South Canal

The Grand Canal at its northern terminus at Houhai in Beijing.

The South–North Water Transfer Project central route starting point in Nanyang. Looking "upstream", toward the Danjiangkou Reservoir, from which the water is coming.

The oldest parts of the canal date back to the 5th century BC, but the various sections were first connected during the Sui dynasty (581–618 AD).

A depiction of Yu, the initiator of dynastic rule in China, by the Southern Song court painter Ma Lin.

Dynasties in Chinese history

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Dynasties in Chinese history, or Chinese dynasties, were hereditary monarchical regimes that ruled over China during much of its history.

An illustration of the Battle of Shanhai Pass, a decisive battle fought during the Ming–Qing transition. The victorious Qing dynasty extended its rule into China proper thereafter.

A photograph of the Xuantong Emperor, widely considered to be the last legitimate monarch of China, taken in AD 1922.

Imperial seal of the Qing dynasty with "Dà Qīng Dìguó zhī xǐ" (大清帝國之璽; "Seal of the Great Qing Empire") rendered in seal script. Seals were a symbol of political authority and legitimacy.

A German map of the Chinese Empire during the height of the Qing dynasty. The Qing dynasty is considered to be a "Central Plain dynasty", a "unified dynasty", and a "conquest dynasty".

Approximate territories controlled by the various dynasties and states throughout Chinese history, juxtaposed with the modern Chinese border.

Similarly, during the earlier Sui–Tang transition, numerous regimes established by rebel forces vied for control and legitimacy as the power of the ruling Sui dynasty weakened.

The Tianning Pagoda, built around 1120 during the Liao dynasty.

Beijing

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Capital of the People's Republic of China.

One of the corner towers of the Forbidden City, built by the Yongle Emperor during the early Ming dynasty

Overlapping layout of Beijing during the Liao, Jin, Yuan and Ming dynasties

Summer Palace is one of the several palatial gardens built by Qing emperors in the northwest suburb area.

Chongwenmen, a gate to the inner walled city, c. 1906

A large portrait of Chiang Kai-shek was displayed above Tiananmen after WWII.

Mao Zedong proclaiming the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949

A scene from the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games.

Landsat 7 Satellite image of Beijing Municipality with the surrounding mountains in dark brown

1940s Nationalist Beijing with predominantly traditional architecture

The sign of Doujiao Hutong, one of the many traditional alleyways in the inner city

Beijing average annual temperatures from 1970 to 2019 during summer (June, July, and August) and winter (December, January, and February). Weather station data from ftp.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/noaa/. For comparison the Global Surface Temperature Anomaly rose by approximately one degree over the same time period.

Heavy air pollution has resulted in widespread smog. These photographs, taken in August 2005, show the variations in Beijing's air quality.

Houhai Lake and Drum Tower at Shichahai, in the Xicheng District

Xidan is one of the oldest and busiest shopping areas in Beijing.

The Taikoo Li Sanlitun shopping arcade is a destination for locals and visitors.

Zhongguancun is a technology hub in Haidian District

Qianmen Avenue, a traditional commercial street outside Qianmen Gate along the southern Central Axis

Beijing Acrobatic Performance (10553642935)

Church of the Saviour, also known as the Xishiku Church, built in 1703

The China Central Television Headquarters building in CBD

Fireworks above Olympic venues during the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics

Tai chi (Taijiquan) practitioners at the Fragrant Hills Park

Beijing Workers' Stadium at night as viewed from Sanlitun

Beijing railway station, one of several rail stations in the city

Badaling Expressway overpass near the Great Wall

Typical Beijing traffic signage found at intersections

Terminal 3 of the Beijing Capital International Airport

Two Line 1 trains on the Beijing Subway, which is among the longest and busiest rapid transit systems in the world

Bicyclists during rush hour at the Chang'an Avenue, 2009

KJ-2000 and J-10s started the flypast formation on the 70th anniversary of the People's Republic of China.

After China was reunified during the Sui dynasty, Jicheng, also known as Zhuojun, became the northern terminus of the Grand Canal.

Northern Zhou Daoist stele made of limestone

Northern and Southern dynasties

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Period of political division in the history of China that lasted from 420 to 589, following the tumultuous era of the Sixteen Kingdoms and the Eastern Jin dynasty.

Polychrome sandstone statue of Guanyin, 575

Northern Wei Buddha Maitreya gilt-bronze figurine, 443

The stone tomb gate and couch of An Jia, Northern Zhou period Sogdian nobleman, excavated from Xi'an. Anjia held the title of Sar-pav of Tongzhou prefecture and was in charge of commercial affairs of foreign merchants from Middle Asia, who made businesses in China. Two lions flank the stone gate, and the horizontal tablet is carved with sacrificial scene of Zoroastrianism.

A scene of two horseback riders from a wall painting in the tomb of Lou Rui at Taiyuan, Shanxi, Northern Qi dynasty (550–577 AD)

Northern Wei wall murals and painted figurines from the Yungang Grottoes

Northern and Southern Dynasties circa 460: Northern Wei and Liu Song

Northern and Southern Dynasties circa 497: Northern Wei and Southern Qi

Northern and Southern Dynasties circa 541: Eastern Wei, Western Wei and Liang

Northern and Southern Dynasties circa 562: Northern Qi, Northern Zhou, Liang and Chen

Army of Northern Wei terracotta soldiers in Xianbei uniform, tomb of Sima Jinlong, 484 CE.

Northern Wei officer. Tomb statuette, Luoyang Museum.

The eastern qilin of the Chuning Tomb, Liu Song dynasty.

Brick relief from the Dengxian tomb, Dengxian, Henan. Southern Dynasties, circa 500 CE.

The period came to an end with the unification of all of China proper by Emperor Wen of the Sui dynasty.

Remains of carriages and horses in Fenghao during the Western Zhou (11th–8th cent.BC)

Xi'an

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Capital of Shaanxi Province.

Map including Xi'an (labeled as HSI-AN (SIAN) (walled)) (AMS, 1955)

A pavilion of the City God Temple of Xi'an.

Xi'an Hi-Tech Industries Development Zone

Known as Chang'an in much of its history, Xi'an is one of the Chinese Four Great Ancient Capitals, having held the position under several of the most important dynasties in Chinese history, including Western Zhou, Western Han, Sui, Northern Zhou and Tang.

Chang'an

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is the traditional name of Xi'an.

A terracotta horse head from the Han dynasty.

Map showing the history of city walls of Xi'an from Zhou dynasty to Qing dynasty.

Brief map of Han Chang'an painted in Qing dynasty

The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, built in 652 AD, located in the southeast sector of Chang'an.

The Small Wild Goose Pagoda, built in 709 AD, damaged by an earthquake in 1556 but still standing, in the central sector of Chang'an.

A Tang era gilt hexagonal silver plate with a Fei Lian beast pattern, found from a 1970 excavation in Xi'an.

A Tang era gilt-silver ear cup with flower design, found from a 1970 excavation in Xi'an.

A gilt-silver jar with a pattern of dancing horses, found from a 1970 excavation in Xi'an.

The bronze jingyun bell cast in the year 711 AD, measuring 247 cm high and weighing 6,500 kg, now located at the Bell Tower of Xi'an

The reconstructed Danfeng Gate, housing and conserving the on-site ruins of the original gate, of the Daming Palace

The ruin of Huanyuan Hall in Daming Palace

A theme park of Tang Chang'an in Xi'an today

Thus, Tang Chang'an was 8 times the size of the Ming Xi'an, which was reconstructed upon the site of the former imperial quarters of the Sui and Tang city.