Late Tang economy: although defeated, it is still glorious

When such a vibrant empire inevitably comes to an end, it will inevitably make people sigh. The rulers in the later period failed to save the declining fate of the Tang emperor, and were replaced by countless small countries. The historical process has come, so far the court has changed, and politics has begun a new round of reincarnation. However, only those former palaces, temples, terraces and markets have witnessed the prosperity and glory of the past. & gt There were frequent wars and political chaos in the later period. However, the economic development in the middle Tang Dynasty did not end there. On the contrary, the economic development in the south is still very prosperous. This is mainly manifested in the following aspects: First, the registered permanent residence in South China continues to grow, especially in Suzhou and Hangzhou, where the registered permanent residence has doubled. In addition, water conservancy in the southern region is developed and agricultural production is developing rapidly. In the late Tang Dynasty, tea trees were widely planted in southern China. The development of tea has promoted the development of commodity economy in this area. In the late Tang Dynasty, tea became an important commodity in the domestic market and in trade with ethnic minorities and foreign countries. During the Dezong period, Lu Yu, a famous tea fairy in ancient China, wrote the Centennial Tea Classic, which is the first book about tea in China and the world. At the same time, with the expansion of tea planting, tax inspection in Dezong period has been regarded as an important source of national fiscal revenue. Handicraft production. Textile industry is the most developed handicraft industry in southern China. The soil and climate conditions in the south are suitable for mulberry planting and sericulture, and the textile industry is rich in raw materials. The labor arrangement of male ploughing and female weaving in Jiangnan has made the silk weaving industry in Jiangnan develop very rapidly. Among them, the brocade of Yuezhou has a long-standing reputation, the red carpet of Xuanzhou and the Shu brocade of Chengdu are also excellent products. After the silk weaving industry is woven locally, it sells well all over the country and even overseas. In addition, the paper industry is also an important category of handicrafts in South China. According to legend, in the early years of Xian Zongyuan, Xue Tao, a famous prostitute, lived in Baihuatan, Chengdu, and liked to write small poems, but she found it unsightly to write with traditional notes in Shu. So Xue Tao designed it himself, changed Shu stationery into a small and narrow poem stationery with only eight lines, added a specific color, and then dyed it with the well water of Huanhuaxi Yunu Spring to make pink stationery. Later, once it spread to the society, it immediately caused a sensation and was appreciated by many talented people and beautiful women at that time. Over time, this colorful stationery quickly became a wonderful flower in the paper stationery industry, and later people called it Xuetao stationery. In addition, Anhui Xuan paper, which has been circulated in Four Treasures of the Study for thousands of years, was already very famous at that time, with white paper color, long handwriting, soft texture and easy writing. At that time, scholars used it as calligraphy and painting paper. & gt shipbuilding has also made remarkable progress in the south. Many rivers, lakes and waterways in the south became the main channels of commercial transportation at that time because of their low cost and convenience in the south. In addition, due to the hot weather in the south, inland lakes with beautiful scenery have also become the favorite objects of dignitaries and gentry. Therefore, the south is full of benefits. During the Dezong period, Gao Li, the Chinese ambassador to Jiangnan, also invented the pedal steam boat. It can be seen that many tourist attractions have a long history of boating, as early as the Tang Dynasty in China. When the Cultural Management Institute of Dingzhou City, Hebei Province conducted archaeological exploration at a construction site, it found a group of ancient tombs in the Tang Dynasty and seven boat-shaped brick tombs. It can be seen that the shipbuilding industry at that time was also quite developed in the north. The development of agriculture and handicrafts has promoted the prosperity of urban commodity economy. Although China has always had the tradition of "attaching importance to agriculture and restraining business", with the development of economy, more and more people have started to engage in business operations and gained a lot of benefits from it. The "two tax laws" implemented by Yang Yan in the late Tang Dynasty not only greatly reduced the burden on farmers, but also freed many farmers from the traditional tax-paying agriculture and started commercial production and operation according to local conditions. The implementation of the two tax laws has freed many farmers from the bondage of land, and many of them have become the main bodies of business and trade activities. At that time, although the dispute between "origin and end" still existed, it seemed to be less sensitive than before. Many businessmen often improve their social influence and status by donating money to yamen or public welfare undertakings. Wang Jiuhu, a wealthy businessman who lived in Chang 'an for a long time in the late Tang Dynasty, once invested 300,000 yuan alone to help repair Zhuquemen. Later, Nozong raised funds to build Ankukuji. In order to raise money, it is stipulated that if he donates 1000 dollars, he will ring the bell. At that time, Wang Jiuhu got drunk and boarded the bell tower, hitting it a hundred times. This time, he donated 654.38+10,000 yuan to the country and received special courtesy from the emperor. He can eat and fast in the same temple as Xuanzong. It can be seen that the businessmen at that time were very rich and their status had changed to some extent. Businessmen are no longer despised by society as "the last of the four people". In addition, the phenomenon of buying officials had already appeared at that time. At that time, Guo, a wealthy businessman in Jiangling, spent millions of dollars to buy a local secretariat office. Since then, he has become a member of a veritable government-business group. In addition, China's economic prosperity at that time was also reflected in a group of red-haired foreigners who lived in China for a long time. At that time, China's foreign trade was very prosperous. Businessmen from * * *, Persia, Western Regions, Korea and other countries lived in Guangzhou, Quanzhou, Mingzhou, Yangzhou, Chang 'an, Luoyang and other places in China for a long time, which became a huge population in China in the Tang Dynasty. The prosperity of urban economy has also broken the original boundary between the square and the city, and many businessmen in the square have also opened shops and shops to sell goods. Night markets have also appeared in many big cities, and there is a poem saying that the grand occasion at that time was: "Night markets are full of lights and blue clouds, and there are many people drinking tea in high buildings." The prosperity at that time can be seen. & gt The development of commerce has promoted the rise of a large number of cities. Yangzhou is the transshipment hub of the Yangtze River and the Canal, where ships from south to north transit. The developed traffic makes Yangzhou rapidly grow into an important commercial city in China, and further prosper with the increasing importance of Jianghuai area. Chengdu is an important town in the southwest, with land and water intersection, outstanding people and developed economy, and it is another important town in the Tang Dynasty. In addition, as important foreign trade centers at that time, Mingzhou and Guangzhou became famous international metropolises. & gt With the prosperity of urban economy, the financial industry began to develop in the Tang Dynasty. At that time, with the expansion of commodity circulation, currency exchange services such as counters and flying money appeared, which facilitated the trading procedures of businessmen and in turn promoted the further development of commodity economy. From the above, it can be seen that there was a relatively developed commercial and trade system in the Tang Dynasty, and the integration of production, supply and marketing began to take shape. And because of the enlightened ruling policy of the rulers of the Tang Dynasty, it not only promoted the development of domestic commodity trade, but also greatly expanded trade exchanges with foreign countries and made great contributions to economic development. The world-famous Tang Dynasty is famous for a long time, not only because of its unprecedented expansion in economy and territory, but more importantly, it represents a confident attitude and firm determination to make progress at that time. Its greatness is a powerful practice after a thorough understanding of China's traditional culture and national spirit, and such an attempt is undoubtedly successful.