Emperor Xuanzong

  • The Fall of the Jin: An Alliance of Convenience and a Cycle of Vengeance

    Introduction: This article records the fall of the Jin Dynasty. Besieged by Mongol armies, the Jin made a fatal mistake by attacking the Southern Song. The Song allied with the Mongols out of hatred, jointly destroying the Jin in 1234. This short‑sighted partnership removed the Jin buffer, soon exposing the Song to Mongol conquest.

  • The Golden Armor and the Fallen Capital: The Huang Chao Rebellion [Sui & Tang]

    Brief: This article narrates the Huang Chao Rebellion, which shook the late Tang Dynasty. Starting from the decline of Tang after Emperor Xuanzong, it tells how salt smugglers Wang Xianzhi and Huang Chao rose up against heavy taxes and tyranny. Huang Chao captured Chang’an, founded the Great Qi, but later lost support and was…

  • The Twin Peaks of Tang Poetry: Li Bai and Du Fu [Sui & Tang]

    Brief: This article profiles Li Bai and Du Fu, the two greatest poets of Tang Dynasty. It covers their contrasting styles – Li Bai as the free-spirited “Poet Immortal” and Du Fu as the compassionate “Poet Sage” – their lives through the An-Shi Rebellion, their brief friendship, and their tragic later years. Their works…

  • The Tragedy at Mawei and the Fracture of the Tang [Sui & Tang]

    Brief: This article narrates the tragic Mawei Incident during the An-Shi Rebellion. After the Tang defeat at Tong Pass, Emperor Xuanzong fled Chang’an with Yang Guifei. Enraged imperial guards mutinied, killing Yang Guozhong and forcing the emperor to order Yang Guifei’s death. The imperial family split; the crown prince declared himself Emperor Suzong. Though…

  • The Cataclysm of An and Shi: The Fall of the Golden Age [Sui & Tang]

    Brief: This article explores the outbreak of the An-Shi Rebellion, which ended the Tang Dynasty’s golden age. It traces the rise of the corrupt Yang clan under Yang Guifei, the ambition of the powerful general An Lushan, and his bitter conflict with Yang Guozhong. The rebellion erupted in 755, and a fatal order at…

  • The Rise and Fall of the Kaiyuan-Tianbao Era [Sui & Tang]

    Brief: This article traces the rise and fall of the Kaiyuan‑Tianbao era under Emperor Xuanzong. Backed by virtuous chancellors Yao Chong and Song Jing, the Tang achieved unprecedented prosperity. Later, Xuanzong neglected governance, allowing the treacherous Li Linfu and Yang Guozhong to seize power. This decline paved the way for chaos and the end…

  • An Lushan Rebellion

    The rebellion,An Lushan-Shi Siming Rebellion, launched by An Lushan and Shi Siming during the Tang dynasty, also known as the Tianbao Rebellion. 

  • The Bamboo Hut [Tang Poems]

    –Wang Wei Alone I sit among the quiet bamboos, Carefreely I play on lute and croon. Deep in the woods, no human soul doth know my stay, Only the bright moon comes to shed its gentle ray.

  • Seek herbs, Buddhahood and Dao in the mountains

    Chan Master Sikong Benjing, a renowned Tang Dynasty monk and direct heir of Huineng, presided over Erzu Temple on Sikong Mountain since 713 CE. In 744, Emperor Xuanzong dispatched envoy Yang Guangting to gather herbs in the mountains, where he encountered the master.