Tang and Sung Dynasties

• China's history includes ruling families called dynasties.
• The Tang and Sung Dynasties were major periods of development in China.
• The Tang Dynasty lasted from 618 to 907 after warlords competed for control.
• The Sung Dynasty lasted from 960-1279 after a long war period with ten rulers.
• Both dynasties prospered due to policies promoting international trade.
• The influx of ideas, people, and goods significantly impacted Chinese civilization.

Tang China

• Chinese farmers cultivated garlic, soybeans, and peaches through international trade.
• Tea became the essence of sophisticated society during the Tang Dynasty.
• Tea was popular in southern China as early as the 5th century.
• Everyone drank tea, leading to a tea-obsessed Chinese culture.
• Lu Yu, a Chinese author and philosopher, wrote 'The Classic of Tea' in the 8th century.
  • The book covered proper cultivation, making, and drinking of tea.
  • It also discussed flavor appreciation, tea-related socializing, and tea's harmony with the universe.

Tang Technology

• Tang technology focused on mechanization with intricate, moving parts like clocks.
• Woodblock printing was a notable technology involving carved wood blocks covered in ink.
• This allowed for creating copies of important texts without rewriting.
• Wood-block printing was linked to the role of Chinese Buddhism during the Tang Dynasty.
• Most wood-block printing was dedicated to copying Buddhist texts for wide circulation.
• In approximately 868, the first full-length printed book, the 'Diamond Sutra,' was released.

Tang International Trade

• The Tang Dynasty government supported international trade.
• People, ideas, and goods moved freely in and out of China.
• The Silk Roads, overland trade routes, were prosperous.
• The Tang conquered main points on the Silk Road and reopened it for trade after 800 years of closure.
• The Silk Roads connected China to merchants as far as Persia.
• Commerce thrived due to traffic on the Silk Roads.

Sung China

• Chinese culture continued after the Tang Dynasty following a 50-year war period.
• The warring period mixed people and created regional identities.
• Chinese restaurants began specializing in regional cuisine.
• People from the south could find southern-food restaurants in the north, and vice versa, thanks to new technology for preserving and transporting food.

Sung Technology

• Sung technology built upon Tang Dynasty developments.
• Bi Sheng invented movable type printing in the early 11th century.
• Individual character pieces could be rearranged to form sentences.
• Books could be mass-produced, fostering a culture that read frequently.
• Weaponized gunpowder was a new technology.
• The Chinese had known gunpowder was flammable since the 5th century, but the Sung used it for weapons.
• They developed early versions of firearms, cannons, grenades, land mines, and flamethrowers.
• A standardized recipe for gunpowder was created.
• Fireworks were also invented and used to scare away evil spirits.

Sung Commerce

• Sung commerce relied on foreign markets, similar to the Tang Dynasty.
• Sung ships traded spices, information, technologies, and people around Asia and India.
• China developed a strong Islamic community due to West Asian merchants operating import/export businesses.
• Joint-stock companies emerged where individuals bought shares in large companies.
• Shipping companies allowed for the development of this complex economy, and business thrived.

The Tang and Sung Dynasties were major periods of development in China. Both dynasties prospered due to policies promoting international trade. The influx of ideas, people, and goods significantly impacted Chinese civilization.