Golden Age---Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907)

Li Yuan drove the last Sui emperor of off the throne, and declared, " China will not fall back into Chaos!" In 618, he established the Tang dynasty, which marked a resplendent beginning of a strong, stable and prosperous China.

Li Yuan retired in 626 and Li Shimin, who also known as Tang Taizong, continued his father's success. Taizong opened trade with the outside world and liberalized governmental policies, which accelerated the growth of China's wealth. Tang dynasty's economic prosperity, social stability and brilliant culture were a beacon for the rest of the world.

After Taizong died in 649, his ninth son Li Zhi, also called Gaozong, was enthroned. But before long, the power fell into the hands of his ambitious wife, Empress Wu Zetian. Wu Zetian didn't begin as an empress but one of concubines of Gaozong, who was fascinated by her beauty and willing to oust his previous empress to install her instead. Once installed as empress, Wu Zetian moved quickly to eliminate all her rivals and opponents. After Gaozong suffered a stroke in 660, Empress Wu took full charge and became the only female monarch of China. Although Empress Wu was known as a ruthless ruler, she encouraged agricultural production and maintained Taizong's effective governmental policies. Empress Wu's remarkable administration continued Tang's prosperity and peace.

Tang's glory reached its peak during the reign of Xuanzong (712-756), Empress Wu's grandson. China's peace and prosperity allowed art and religion to flourish. Buddhist images spread all over the country. China's greatest poets, including Li Bai, Du Fu and Bai Juyi appeared during this period. The Tang poems are still greatly admired today in China.

Later in his life, Xuanzong was preoccupied with the arts, religion, extravagances and his favorite concubine, Yang Guifei (who was famous for her beauty in ancient China). Gradually he ignored his obligation to the country, and the affairs of the state were largely left to his high officials. One of his general, An Lushan, took this opportunity to amass 160,000 troops along the northern and northeastern frontiers. In 755, he rebelled and took the capital Chang'an (present Xi'an), forcing Xuanzong to strangle Yang Guifei and flee west. The fighting dragged on for nearly 10 years. Although Tang regained control of the empire, but it had been permanently damaged and no measures could help it to regain its former glory. After over a century of peasant rebellions and battles among warlords, the Tang dynasty fell in 907.