Yang Jian overthrew the Northern Zhou Regime and established the Sui dynasty (581-618) in 581 with the capital as Chang'an (present Xi'an), terminating the political fragmentations that had lasted for over 300 years since the Western Jin dynasty (265-317), and it was another unified dynasty following the Qin and the Han dynasties, so Yang Jian claimed himself Emperor Suiwendi.
As one of the greatest dynasties in Chinese history, a number of far-reaching reforms were successively taken during the Sui dynasty, including the equal-field system (the farmland system) and taxation system of payment in kind and labor adopted in economy, the system of the civil-service examination and the system of three provinces and six ministries adopted in politics and the system of prefectural military commands adopted in military.
Yang Guang (the later Emperor Suiyangdi) ascended the throne after the death of Emperor Suiwendi, who ordered to build the world-famous Jing-Hang Cannel (from Beijing to Hangzhou) to enhance his dominance over the Southeast China during his reign, greatly promoting the economic and cultural communication between North China and South China. Emperor Suiyangdi was always weltering in luxury and pleasure and levied heavy taxation from the laboring people later, which directed led to a series of uprisings across the nation, ending with the demise of the Sui dynasty.
As one of the most prosperous dynasties in ancient Chinese history, the Tang Dynasty (618-907) was founded by Li Yuan with Chang'an as capital (the present Xi'an) in 618, preceded by the Sui Dynasty (581-618), which was very prosperous during the reign of Emperor Li Shimin, and it was called "Zhenguan Period" (a golden times in the history of China) by the later generations. The most advanced civilization in the world was created during the Tang dynasty, when Chang'an was the biggest city in the world. The first and the only Empress regnant Wu Zetian (the concubine of Emperor Gaozong) moved capital from Chang'an to Luoyang in 690, with "Zhou" as state title, taking Buddhism as the National Religion, and she ordered to build Buddhist temples and Longmen Grottoes during her reign. Emperor Zhongzong resumed "Tang" as state title in 705 and relocated Chang'an as capital. The Tang dynasty was at its peak time during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong and started to decline after the 8-year Anshi Rebellion, ending with demise in 907.
The system of the civil-service examination established in the Sui dynasty was a fair and scientific method to select the talents and it was inherited by the Tang dynasty. A number of neighboring countries had established friendly diplomatic relations with the Tang Empire, and Princess Wencheng married to the Sontzen Gampo (the governor) of Tubo (ancient name for Tibet) under imperial order and brought numerous silk fabrics and handicrafts with her, greatly promoting the economic and cultural development in Tubo. A number of international students and the diplomats were sent by foreign governments to Chang'an to learn Chinese culture, which substantially promoted economic and cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world.
Great progress was made in culture during the Tang dynasty, especially in the field of poetry, when a number of remarkable poets, such as Li Bai, Du Fu, Bai Juyi and Du Mu, appeared. Xuan Zang was sent to go on a pilgrimage to India for Buddhist scriptures under imperial order, and the Big Goose Pagoda in Chang'an was built for preserving Buddhist scriptures after his returning. The Tang rulers eschew religious intolerance, and the Buddhism, Taoism, Manicheism and Islamism found their wide acceptance in the Tang dynasty, resulting in a visage unprecedented prosperity in Chinese history.
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