The Daming Palace ("Palace of Great Brilliance") was the imperial palace complex of the Tang Dynasty (618-907AD), located in its capital Chang'an. It served as the royal residence of the Tang emperors for more than 220 years. Today, it is designated as a national heritage site of China. The area is located northeast of present-day Xi'an, Shaanxi Province. The Tang dynasty (618-907AD) was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. It was founded by the "Li" family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire. The Tang dynasty maintained a civil service system by recruiting officials through standardized examinations and recommendations to office. The Tang government also gave great reputations and respect to outstanding foreign officals and scholars who work or study in empire and Tang also got lots of respect from other countries. The Tang empire took a heavy toll from the An Lushan Rebellion and then became weak until the ending date of 907. The golden age of Tang dynasty were open, colourful, hardworking, confident, peaceful and stable. In two censuses of the 7th and 8th centuries, the Tang records estimated the population by number of registered households at about 50 million people. The capital Chang'an (present-day Xi'an), which at the time was the richest international city in the world with maximum of 1,000,000 people, is generally regarded as a high point in Chinese civilization - a golden age of cosmopolitan culture. There were the biggest prosperous market which attracted foreign businessmen from the Silk Road. People from different region lived together in respect, peace and harmony. Learning with each other modestly without conflicts of race, culture and religion. The women in Tang Dynasty got unbelievable social freedoms. The Wu Zetian was the only female emperor in Chinese history. Through use of the land trade along the Silk Road and maritime trade by sail at sea, the Tang were able to gain many new technologies, cultural practices, rare luxury, and contemporary items. From the Middle East, India, Persia, and Central Asia the Tang were able to acquire new ideas in fashion, new types of ceramics, and improved silver-smithing. To the Middle East, the Islamic world coveted and purchased in bulk Chinese goods such as silks, lacquerwares, and porcelain wares. Songs, dances, and musical instruments from foreign regions became popular in China during the Tang dynasty. Chinese culture flourished and further matured during the Tang era; it is considered the greatest age for Chinese poetry. Two of China's most famous poets, Li Bai and Du Fu, belonged to this age, as did many famous painters such as Han Gan, Zhang Xuan, and Zhou Fang. There was a rich variety of historical literature compiled by scholars, as well as encyclopedias and geographical works. Tang also exerted a powerful cultural influence over neighboring states such as those in Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. There were many notable innovations during the Tang, including the development of woodblock printing, Chinese medicine and gunpowder.

• published: 02 Apr 2014
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