June 18: Emperor Gaozu Establishes the Tang Dynasty (618)
Prayer Idea
Pray that government leaders would recognize that true power comes from service rather than domination.
History Note
Li Yuan was an official working for the Sui dynasty of China (581-618). He took advantage of turmoil to take control of the empire. On June 18, 618, Li Yuan became Emperor Gaozu, establishing the Tang dynasty.
Gaozu’s son, Li Shimin, killed his brothers and forced Gaozu to abdicate in 626. Li Shimin became known as the Taizong emperor and ruled from 626 to 649. Wu Zetian of the Tang dynasty was China’s only female ruler from 683 to 704.
The arts flourished during the Tang period. Orchestras and dancing were popular among the upper classes, and men on the numerous trading vessels that arrived from Arabia and Persia brought many songs from other cultures. Two thousand poets wrote 50,000 poems during this era. Painting and sculpture were encouraged and admired.
Chinese artisans began creating new forms of pottery, including white, celadon (jade-green) glazed, and three-color, as well as black glazed stoneware. Bronze mirrors and jewelry and other objects fashioned from silver were common. The royal and noble classes used silver and gold drinking vessels.
China experienced rebellions in many places during the last decades of the Tang dynasty. The Tang government collapsed in 907. For the next fifty years, small, scattered kingdoms resisted being brought together under one ruler.
This Chinese funerary sculpture of a Bactrian camel dates to the 8th century. Image courtesy the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (www.lacma.org).
Learn More
Watch this video about a rare wooden temple from the Tang dynasty period.
Find other resources at Homeschool History.
