Tang China. A Cosmopolitan Dynasty

This catalogue explores the famous Tang dynasty (618-907), a flourishing period in China's long history. The era was a profoundly multicultural one across Asia, given the backdrop of Arab conquests, the fall of the great Sassanid empire, the rise of the second Turkic khaganate on the steppes of Central and Eastern Asia, a newly unified Korea in the Great Silla period, and the early-Heian period in Japan.
Yet even in this fast-changing context, Tang China was a powerful presence, remarkable for its material, artistic and cultural riches, and for its unprecedented tolerance of foreign cultures and religions. The Tang capital Chang'an (meaning "Long Peace") stood at the crossing of the various Silk Roads, making the city a prosperous trading centre. Its layout was designed to heighten the glory of its emperors.
Changan was a vast city for its time, and the high density of its population exceeded that even of Baghdad and Constantinople. Its flourishing cultural scene inspired artists, calligraphers and poets. Nor has its influence waned : Chang'an has been, and remains, the inspiration for modern-day books, films and television drama series. In short, the history of Chang'an encapsulates the essence of the Tang dynasty.