Compare And Contrast Tang And Song Dynasties

The Han Dynasty and the Roman Empire had just fallen, and it created chaos and disorder for some but for others it was a new chance for a greater life. After the Han Dynasty had fallen, the short but powerful Sui Dynasty reunited China in the late 500s which laid the foundations for the Tang and Song Dynasties. Both dynasties brought great change to the Chinese culture and their ways of life. The Tang and Song Dynastic periods both contributed to the flowering of Chinese society, and both were successful in several different areas. Both Dynasties are considered Golden Ages of China for several reasons. The Tang Dynasty is a period in Chinese history, which followed the reunification of China. The Tang Dynasty lasted from approximately

The Thousand Golden Prescriptions, a famous medicinal book written by Sun Simiao, was one of the China’s precious treasures in the field of medicine.” (Total History) They made great achievements in medicine, which really helped the people who came after this Dynasty. With the studies of chemical substances they also came to the creation of gunpowder. “Another major invention of the time was gunpowder. Although it would continue to be perfected over hundreds of years, gunpowder was mostly used for fireworks during the Tang Dynasty. The people believed that fireworks could help to scare off evil spirits.”(Kids History) With the creation of the silk road it helped bring in new ideas not just about medicine and religion but fashion. “More ornate hairstyles featuring false hair and adornments became popular among Chinese royals and their courts. During the Tang Dynasty, the Empress liked to wear golden buyaos- a type of hair ornament- surrounded by flowers and birds, and then attached a ceremonial wig.” (Hairstyles in China) Women were influenced by interaction of people from the Silk Road but so was men’s fashion. “One image of a Chinese man

During this time many technological advancements were made following in the great footsteps of the Tang Dynasty. One invention that helped the people navigate through the seas, to help in trade through water. “The magnetic compass was part of many improvements in boating and navigation. The Song dynasty had the first standing navy in world history.”(Kids History) While inventing the compass they also invented ships to create the navy they did. “They built large ships over 300 feet long that had watertight compartments and onboard catapults that could toss huge rocks onto their enemies.”(Kids History) Having the first standing navy in the world helped them keep their Dynasty strong for almost three hundred years. The people of the Song Dynasty continued to enhance the creation made by the Tang Dynasty. “During this Dynasty the Chinese enhanced gunpowder, the cannon, and flamethrowers.” (Pkt. Pg.3) This helped the Dynasty stay strong and help the future of science by making advancements in important fields that are still studied today. They also furthered the invention of printing technologies helping increase different aspects of literature. “Expansion of the printing technologies increased supplies of printed materials, which lead to increased literacy.”(Pkt. Pg.3) With the production of more books people could read more and less people would be illiterate. To help make their cities