The Tang and Song dynasties saw periods of political unification and cultural and economic achievements in China, but also decline. The Tang expanded the Chinese empire through military campaigns and trade along the Silk Road but weakened due to internal corruption and external invasions. The Song modernized bureaucracy, developed new farming techniques, and pioneered printing paper money, but faced invasion from nomadic groups and the Mongols, culminating in the start of the Yuan dynasty in 1279. Neo-Confucianism became the new governing philosophy and footbinding emerged as a female tradition during this time period.

1. The Resurgence of Empire in China The Tang and Song

2. Sui Dynasty (581-618) United the Northern and Southern regions of China for the first time in centuries

12. Buddhist Carvings along the Silk Route by Tang Artists.

13. Chang’an restored China to the glory of the Han Dynasty Possibly the greatest city of the world of its time

14. Tang Dynasty: Chang’an

15. Territorially, the Tang Empire ranks among the largest in Chinese history

16. Because of the Grand Canal and other government projects for shipping grain and other goods, the Tang Dynasty had the strongest economy of the time period. Even in its decline, Tang exports far outnumbered imports from South Asia, West Asia, Europe and Africa combined.

19. The Golden Age Artistic, Technological and Industrial Developments Moveable Type Chinese junks Porcelain - Chinaware Gunpowder and Rockets Landscape art

21. Unit 4 History 7

24. An imperial Confucius Temple in modern Hangzhou The government began an expensive and massive project to restore Confucian temples around the empire – was the responsibility of local population.

31. Footbinding is a tradition that evolved in the concept of "ideal image" including beauty, marriage and sex. It was considered charming, showed a sense of class, and was the symbol of chastity in most Chinese cultures. It was believed to promote health and fertility, although in the reality the tradition was painful and virtually crippling. It was a way to keep women in seclusion, which made them more dependent on others and less useful around the house. Footbinding

32. The most popular and stylish type of foot binding shoes were known as "golden lotus“ or "lotus shoes". The term "golden lotus" emerged in the southern Tang dynasty around 920 AD where the emperor Li Yu ordered his favorite concubine, Fragrant Girl, to bind her feet with silk bands and dance on a golden lotus platform decorated with pearls and gems. Also this term is a synonym for bound feet. Most lotus shoes were beautifully embroidered and about three inches long ("lotus shoes"). The lotus shoes are known to be lovely and alluring to the male population in China. Footbinding

33. When asked about the purpose of footbinding the overwhelming majority of women responded very plainly that without bound feet it was impossible to find a husband. A normal footed woman was commonly viewed as a freak of nature, and with unbound feet her pain overflowed into not 1,000, but 5,000 buckets of tears. She was considered lewd and unrefined, often subject to mockery and the brunt of village ridicule. At times in certain areas such women were so rare and unbelievable they were thought to exist only in myth. Women of the upper classes could never have imagined finding a husband of equal status without binding their feet, and if a normal footed woman of a lower class could not find a suitable mate among her economic peers, she could hope for no more than to be sold into slavery or service to those who did bind. "If a girls’ feet are not bound, they go here and there with unfitting associates" stated a 17 th century writer. The women of the wealthy villages are more involved with footbinding than the poor. It began in the late Tang Dynasty (618-906) and gradually spread through the upper class during the Song Dynasty (960-1297). It lasted approximately one thousand years. Footbinding

34. North & Southern Song

36. The word "pagoda" derives from the Sanskrit word bhagavat (cf. the book Bhagavatgita) "holy".

37. Stupas in India

38. Very Old Stupa in Modern Pakistan

39. Pagoda in Burma

40. Chinese Pagoda

45. An imperial Confucius Temple in modern Hangzhou The government began an expensive and massive project to restore Confucian temples around the empire – was responsibility of local population.

46. North & Southern Song