Tang 唐
Táng · Capital: Chang'an
The peak. Tang Chang'an was the largest, most cosmopolitan city on Earth — nearly a million people, including Sogdian, Persian and Arab merchant communities. The Silk Road's eastern terminus, the center of East Asian Buddhism, and the court that produced Li Bai, Du Fu and Wang Wei. Almost every Tang site you visit today — from the Big Wild Goose Pagoda to the Grand Tang Ever-Bright City — traces back to these 289 years.
Key figures
The model emperor — his Zhenguan reign is the golden standard
Peak Tang culture — and the An Lushan rebellion that ended it
Brought Buddhist scriptures back from India; built the Big Wild Goose Pagoda
The deep dive
Read the full Tang storySee it today
Big Wild Goose Pagoda
A Tang brick pagoda raised in 652 AD for a monk's 17-year journey to India — still Xi'an's defining landmark.
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Daming Palace National Heritage Park
The Tang ruled an empire from here starting in 634 AD — a palace 4.5 times the Forbidden City, now foundations in a very large park.
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Grand Tang Ever-Bright City
Two kilometers of free, floodlit Tang dynasty spectacle — the golden age, rebooted nightly.
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Shaanxi History Museum
Every layer of Xi'an's time stack under one roof — Zhou bronzes, Han gold and Tang treasure.
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13 dynasties · scroll to explore