Chapter 12 The Civilizations of East Asia Section 1: China under the Sui, Tang, and Sung Dynasties

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Chapter 12 - The Civilizations of East
AsiaSection 1 China under the Sui, Tang, and
Sung Dynasties
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• The Story Continues
• The fall of the Han dynasty in the 200s led
• to a long era of instability and decline in
• China. Hordes of invaders swept in and
• destroyed Han cities. An observer
• described visiting one such city in the
• 300s. At this time in the city . . . There
• were not more than 100 families, he
• wrote. Weeds and thorns grew thickly as
• if in a forest.

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I. The Sui and Tang Dynasties

• Late 500s - invaders reunited China and
• established the Sui dynasty

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I. The Sui and Tang Dynasties

• Sui emperors built the Grand Canal, linking
• northern and southern China for the first time

The Grand Canal is still an important waterway
today, as this photo indicates.
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I. The Sui and Tang Dynasties

• Failed attempts to conquer Manchuria and
• Korea weakened the Sui dynasty

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I. The Sui and Tang Dynasties

• 615 - The Sui were defeated by the Turks
• 618 - The Tang dynasty came into power

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I. The Sui and Tang Dynasties

• The Tang extended Chinas western frontier,
• established contact with India and the Islamic
• Empire, and influenced Korea and Japan

Standing at the crossing of the East, West,
South, and North avenues in the city proper, the
Bell Tower is a symbol of Xian.
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I. The Sui and Tang Dynasties

• Xian, the Tang capital, was the center of
• government and culture and an international
• city

Foreign trade caravan 
Chang'an market scene
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I. The Sui and Tang Dynasties

• The Tang dynasty marked a high point in
• Chinese literature poets such as Li Bo and Du
• Fu wrote nearly 49,000 known works

Li Bo
Du Fu
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I. The Sui and Tang Dynasties

• Buddhism reached its peak under Empress
• Wu different forms, such as Zen, appeared

Wu Zetian, 625 - 705
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I. The Sui and Tang Dynasties

• Later, government officials persecuted
• Buddhists and restored Confucianism as the
• main religion

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II. China under the Sung Dynasty

• 907 - Tang dynasty ended
• 960 - Sung dynasty established by Zhao
• Kangyin

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II. China under the Sung Dynasty

• Foreign trade expanded and civilization
• flourished

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II. China under the Sung Dynasty

• The Sung perfected porcelain, improved the
• civil service system, and invented printing

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II. China under the Sung Dynasty

• Two major changes for peasants during the
• Tang and Sung dynasties improved farming
• methods and increased taxes

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II. China under the Sung Dynasty

• Higher taxes meant many peasants had to sell
• their land and become tenant farmers

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II. China under the Sung Dynasty

• During the Sung dynasty, more Chinese than
• ever before lived in cities and towns

This image is taken from a Chinese scroll of the
1100s. Entitled Spring Festival on the River,
the image portrays a prosperous and orderly
society.
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II. China under the Sung Dynasty

• The status of women changed and the custom
• of footbinding spread among the wealthy

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II. China under the Sung Dynasty

• Mid-900s - Qidan Mongols invaded and forced
• a treaty with the Sung
• 1100s The Juchen established the Jin
• dynasty in the north