1. Post-classical: tang & Song dynasties of china
Like Western Europe after the decline of the Roman Empire, China entered a long period of turmoil and unrest after the collapse of the Han Dynasty in A.D. 220.
As in the west, the advance of the Huns helped plunge China into disunity.
Several warring kingdoms arose, and science, art and culture declined; however, during this same time Buddhism spread through much of China.
It took several hundred years before China re-emerged as one of the world’s leading civilizations under the Tang Dynasty.

2. Tang Dynasty (A.D. 618 – 907): Golden Age of China
Emperor Tang Taizong: second emperor
Military buildup/expansion to Tibet, Vietnam, Manchuria; frontier Turkish forces
Empress Wu Zhao 688: Conquest of Korea
Tang era is the first time gun powder is used as a weapon
Significant engineering achievements: bridges, canals, irrigation
Economic Developments:
First use of paper money/banks; flying money: credit vouchers
Foreign trade on Silk Road grew, tea from SE Asia
Attempt to help the free peasants with redistribution of land
Revival of a strong bureaucracy/Confucianism - Civil Service Examination system expanded
Buddhism flourishes under early Tang leaders like Empress Wu (wants to establish Buddhism as a state religion)
Achievements play a greater role than in the Han dynasty, in shaping China today.
First use of block printing to make copies of Confucian texts to study for the civil service exams

3. FOOTBINDING – role of women under Tang and Song declines due to traditional beliefs of Confucianism that a woman must obey her father; the practice of footbinding began under the Song Dynasty and shows the desire to limit female mobility – this gave wealthy women small feet which was considered attractive

4. To invaders from the North
•Political Developments
Rule limited to southern China after Tang losses in Central Asia and Manchuria
Economic Developments
Introduction of a fast-growing rice from Vietnam that led to faster growing population
Moveable type spread to Japan and Korea
Paper money contributed to a large-scale economy
Advances in sailing technology, such as the magnetic compass, led to the growth of ocean trade
Cultural Developments
Reached new heights in Chinese art with natural landscapes and objects drawn with black ink
China’s population was at 100 million with ten cities having at least 1 million people
SONG DYNASTY
(A. D. 960 – 12 76)
Song Dynasty will fall
To invaders from the North