Tang Dynasty

Hello, I am Liu and I am a merchant in Northen Vietnam. I will be telling you about the Tang Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty, 618-907 A.D., was a dynasty that was characterized by strength and brillance. The Tang Dynasty was vast, with its control raging from Korea, southern Mancuria, and northern Vietnam. It was founded by the Li family who, seized power during the decline and collaspe of the Sui Empire. The dynasty was interrupted briefly by the Second Zhou Dynasty  when Empress Wu Zetian seized the throne,  becoming the first and only Chinese empress regnant, ruling in her own right. The Tang Dynasty is considered the high point in Chinese civilization. Its territory, acquired through the military campaigns of its early rulers, was greater than that of the Han period, and it rivalled that of the later Yuan Dynasty and Qing Dynasty. With its large population base, the dynasty was able to raise professional and conscripted armies of hundreds of thousands of troops to contend with nomadic powers in dominating Inner Asia and the trade routes along the silk road. The Tang Dynasty was largely a period of progress and stability, except during the An Shi Rebellion  and the decline of central authority in the latter half of the dynasty. The Tang Dynasty maintained a civil service system by drafting officials through standardized examinations and recommedations to the office. Chinese culture flourished and further matured during the Tang era.