1. Aim: What was the greatest achievement of the Tang & Song?

2. Don’t Forget the Previous Chinese Dynasties!
Dynasty
Known For…
Shang Dynasty (1766 BCE – 1122 BCE)
First form of writing on oracle bones. Polytheistic.
Zhou Dynasty (1122 BCE – 221 BCE)
Iron weapons and tools. Confucianism spread.
Qin Dynasty (221 BCE – 206 BCE)
Harsh policy of Legalism. Great Wall of China began.
Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE)
Civil service exam based on Confucianism (the state philosophy). Acupuncture, invention of paper. Trade on the Silk Road.
Sui Dynasty (589 CE – 618 CE)
The Grand Canal was built to increase trade.

3. I Rise of the Tang! 618 – 907 CE
A) Invented gunpowder, a mixture of saltpeter, charcoal and sulfur. It was first used to make fireworks. It was first used for the military in 919 CE.
A Tang dynasty book (850 CE) included a warning about mixing gunpowder: "Some have heated together sulfur, and saltpeter with honey; smoke and flames result, so that their hands and faces have been burnt, and even the whole house where they were working burnt down.”

4. Achievements of the Tang Dynasty continued…
B) Block Printing & Movable Type: Pre-cut characters that were combined to form a page. C) Invented the process of making porcelain. Porcelain is a type of pottery made from clay, that is glazed and “baked” at extremely high temperatures. Chinese porcelain was traded along the Silk Road. It became so popular in Europe that the finest porcelain became known as “China”!

5. II Rise of the Song Dynasty 960 - 1279
A) Large merchant ships were sent to India, Arabia and other regions to trade in Chinese silk, tea and other manufactured products.

6. Achievements of the Song Dynasty
B) Invented the world’s first paper currency (money). Paper currency was a by-product of Chinese block-printing. It helped business as it is easier to carry.
Under the Song Dynasty, block printed playing cards became popular!

7. Achievements of the Song Dynasty
C) Invented the mechanical clock: used wheels, shafts & pins, turning at a steady rate to tell exact time.

8. Achievements of the Song Dynasty continued…
D) Invented a vaccine for smallpox.
Smallpox is an airborne, contagious disease, caused by the variola virus.
Symptoms appear 12–14 days after infection, and include fever, headache, back pain, abdominal pain and vomiting. After 2–3 days, the body temperature falls and a rash appears.
Following a global WHO-led immunization campaign, smallpox was declared eradicated in
– World Health Organization
Which other civilization invented a smallpox vaccination?

9. Hangzhou, a Song Dynasty City

10. III Foot Binding
A) Foot binding was a cultural practice that began during the Tang Dynasty. B) Wealthy girls would have their feet bound to make a small, lily shaped foot. It was a status symbol. Women with bound feet were disfigured & could not work in the fields. C) Confucianism was the dominant philosophy in the Tang and Song Dynasties; women were supposed to be subservient to their husbands.

11. Summary Questions
Which achievement of the Tang Dynasty do you believe was the most important? Why?
Which achievement of the Song Dynasty do you believe was the most important? Why?
Why did some girls in China have their feet bound? What does this tell you about Chinese society and women at this time?

12. Key Vocabulary Foot binding Mechanical Clock Porcelain Song Dynasty
Smallpox Vaccine
Tang Dynasty