The Tang Dynasty (618-907) is the second great dynasty (called Da-Tang 大唐 "Great Tang") of Chinese history that was able to unify a vast territory, to spread its culture and to absorb the cultures of surrounding states and peoples. A great part of the Tang aristocracy even was of Non-Chinese (esp. Turkic) origin, and merchants from Inner Asia dwelled the quarters of the capital Chang'an 長安 (modern Xi'an 西安/Shaanxi). Trade stretched to the South East Asian archipelago, and the religion of Buddhism spread to Korea and Japan. But at the same time, Confucianism again rose as a semi-religious instrument of state administration and won over Buddhism as a state doctrine. The cultural glory of the Tang Dynasty was not appropriately reflected by her political performance. After the uprise of a military commander named An Lushan 安祿山 and a following "civil war" the central government lost its grip on the local administration and gave way to warlordism in 907 when China was again divided into north and south and many small shortlived dynasties (Five Dynasties, Ten States).

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