The above picture is a map of the Tang Dynasty in 668 AD, when the empire was the most extensive.
Whether the country is good or not depends on leadership. During the hundred years from Zhenguan to Kaiyuan, under the rule of Emperor Taizong, Wu Zetian and Tang Xuanzong, the national situation was booming, and two prosperous times were created successively, namely Zhenguan rule and Kaiyuan prosperity.
The picture above shows the painter Yan's Walking on the Map. In the picture, Emperor Taizong accepted the envoy's pilgrimage and showed the demeanor of a king.
The first meaning of prosperity is the prosperity of the country. Du Fu has a poem to prove it: "Recalling the heyday of Kaiyuan, there were still thousands of small towns. Rice is fat and white, and public and private warehouses are rich. " The richness of materials can be seen.
The above picture shows the plan of Chang 'an, Tang Dou, which is a huge city. There are many merchants, houses and shops, and the trade is extremely prosperous.
The Tang Dynasty was rich in financial resources, vigorously developed its military, and was able to deliver long-distance goods in East Asia, Central Asia and Mobei. Under the command of a large number of outstanding generals, Tang Jun has won many battles, and truly has the ability to "punish those who committed crimes against me in the Tang Dynasty, even though they are far away".
The picture above shows the marching map of Zhang Yichao's unified army, showing the neatness of Tang Jun's military capacity and the majesty of the general when he sent troops.
The prosperity of the Tang Dynasty is not only reflected in its strong financial resources and military strength, but also in its culture. Tang poetry, ancient prose, legends and other themes are constantly being introduced. Literary giants such as Li Bai, Du Fu, Bai Juyi, Han Yu and Li Shangyin have made great achievements in the field of poetry. This is really a brilliant cultural prosperity.
The picture above shows the Eight Immortals drinking, including the great poet Li Bai.
The Tang Dynasty, with its vast territory, showed its domineering as a world superpower and the master of East Asia and Central Asia, especially in palace architecture.
The picture above shows the restoration of Daming Palace, the center of imperial power. Its scale is four times that of the Forbidden City, three times that of Versailles, 12 times that of the Kremlin, 13 times that of the Louvre and 15 times that of Buckingham Palace, which is equivalent to 500 football fields!
If the length of a woman's skirt is a barometer of economic development, then the length of her neckline moving down is an indicator of whether the society is open or not. The national strength of the Tang Dynasty was strong, and the atmosphere of the whole society was also very open. The most obvious manifestation is the prevalence of women's "topless clothes" and the aesthetic view of "taking fat as beauty", which was unimaginable before and after the Tang Dynasty.
The above picture shows the Palace Music Road painted by the Tang people.
In the Tang Dynasty, women could not only wear "topless clothes" publicly, but also participate in men's sports. In the works and paintings of the Tang Dynasty, women sometimes took part in horseback riding, ball playing, fencing and poetry parties. The outdated concept of "men and women are not close" has no market in the Tang Dynasty!
The picture shows Guo's wife You Chun painted by Zhang Xuan in Tang Dynasty.
Of course, the case that can better prove the improvement of women's status in the Tang Dynasty must be that it produced the only female emperor in China history-Wu Zetian.
The picture shows the stills of the TV series Wu Zetian.
With its strong national strength and open society, the Tang Dynasty naturally became the object of admiration and exchange among neighboring countries. Even though people from other countries are far away from Wan Li, they all come to China for pilgrimage with eager desire. It can be said that "all nations come to Korea."
The picture shows Yan's Official Tribute Map, which shows the grand occasion of foreign envoys coming to the Tang Dynasty in an endless stream.
Chang 'an, Tang Dou, as the largest international city in the world at that time, had a population of over one million at its peak, and a large number of foreigners settled here for business. They associate with China people, influence each other and have a harmonious relationship, so that many Hu people are proficient in Chinese and Tang poetry, and many China people also like Hu people's clothes and diet, reaching the point of "you have me and I have you".
The picture shows the Tang Dynasty painting a guest map.
One of these people living in China is special. They are black people trafficked from the west of Kunlun (now Southeast Asia, Malaysia, Indonesia and other places) and are called "Kunlun slaves". There are a large number of Kunlun slaves in China, most of whom act as slaves and bodyguards in aristocratic families. Because of their courage, strength, loyalty and practicality, they are very popular with their owners.
The picture shows the Kunlun slaves painted by the Tang people.
Many of these foreigners living in the Tang Dynasty became senior officials. For example, Heiyachangzhi and Gao Xianzhi, the generals with outstanding military exploits, are all Koreans, while Ma Lu, the Japanese Abe, is the secretary supervisor and Wei, equivalent to the curator and ordnance minister of the national map and the Duke of Rong Da. Abe brought a man named Chao Heng from China, who was very friendly with great poets such as Li Bai and Wang Wei.
The picture shows the portrait of Ma Lu in Abe.
At this time, Japan's attitude towards the Tang Dynasty can be said to be extremely respected. Sent 19 batches of "envoys in Tang Dynasty" before and after, and adopted a comprehensive "takenism" policy towards Tang Wenhua, including ideology, laws, regulations, official system, laws, writing, clothing, diet, architecture, etc. Anything you can imagine and see is used to learn and transform Japan.
Today, Japan still retains a strong tang style. The picture shows the Japanese envoy to the Tang Dynasty.
From the Tang Dynasty to the Meiji Restoration, Japanese nobles were fascinated by Tang Wenhua for more than 1000 years. They are all proud of being able to speak Chinese, write calligraphy and write Tang poems. They are all familiar with the historical facts of China.
We look at the earliest and most famous Japanese classical novel Tale of Genji, which uses a lot of China allusions and poems, showing the deep influence of Tang Wenhua on Japan.
Even Pingcheng Well, the capital of Nara era in Japan, was built according to Chang 'an. Even today, a large number of ancient buildings preserved in Japan reveal a strong Tang Dynasty style. ...
Although the glory of the Tang Dynasty has long passed away, it is still unforgettable after more than a thousand years, which makes people yearn for it.