Interview

Maya: Hello, If you don't mind I have a couple of questions.

Empress Wu Zetian: Sure.

Maya: How long did you rule?

Empress Wu Zetian: I ruled for over half a century.

Maya: How and when did you become close with Emperor Taizong?

Empress Wu Zetian: When I was 14 years old I beacme his concubine and when he found out that I knew how literature, and history I was noticed right away by the Emperor Taizong and I was told to work in the imperial study. At the imperial stusy I saw alot of official documents.

Maya: What happened when Emeperor Taizong die?

Empress Wu Zetian: EMperor Taizong died in 649, when I was 26 years old. After this his son Gaozong became the new emperor. The old emperor's concubines were sent to a nunnery. Emperor Gaozong was amazed by my talent and beauty and usually came to visit me. After three years i was called to the palace and became the concubine of the Emperor Gaozong.

Maya: What did you do to win the competetion between you and Empress Wang?

Empress Wu Zetian: After I gave birth to two sons, I began to fight with Empress Wang for the love of the emperor. To win I killed the other favorite concubines of Emperor Gaozong and to get rid of the empress I killed her baby daughter and blamed it on Empress Wang. And the emperor knew nothing about this.

Maya: In your political career how did you help the dynasty?

Empress Wu Zetian: Then Wu Zetian began her political career in earnest for her goal was to become the first female-emperor of China.I uhad ability and inteligence. I was admired by my husband. I gave and accepted new ideas about agriculture, tax reduction, social reforms and effective labor saving practices.

Maya: When dod yoiu take over the administration of the court?

Empress Wu Zetian: When my husband suffered a stroke in 660 I took over the administration of the court. I Showing no mercy toward anyone who failed to follow my wishes,I had them thrown into prison or executed. My harshness extended to members of my family too.

Maya: Thanks for your time.

Empress Wu Zetian: Your welcome.

Opinion

Buddhism VS. Confucianism

During the Tang Dynasty there was a big fight between whether the religion should be Buddhism or Confucianism.The better religion is Buddhism. Buddhism is better because Confucianism is just about doing family rituals which doesn't really matter, because you can do a family ritual and then go and do something bad but Buddhism is about being compassionate and seeking inner peace which is very good because if your seeking inner peace your not going to do anything bad and if your being compassionate your probably not going to harm anyone.

Clothing/Fashion

Clothing/Fashion

In the Tang Dynasty men wore silk garments that fell to their feet and the sleeves of the robes were very wide. They also wore hats to reflect their position. Some hats were made of cloth and some were made of leather. Women wore long skirts and jackets topped with a short sleeve upper garment. They had shoes of silk and gathered their hair together in a top knit.

Invention

Invention

The Tang Dynasty invented gun powder. The formula was discovered by accident around 800. When a Daoist alchemists was looking for a way to convert metals into gold. He mixed charcoal, sulfur, and saltpeter. When it was ignited it exploded. Later on it was used for festivals as firecrackers, and fireworks.
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Religion

Religion

During the early years of the Tang Dynasty, there were three religions being taught. They were Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism. Confucianism was about family rituals, Daoism was about practices for good, and Buddhism was about being compassionate and seeking inner peace. Many people, especially Emperor Gaozu, didn’t want the religion to be Buddhism but it grew. Later on Confucianism was the new religion.
(Top: Buddhism and Bottom: Confucianism)

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Map of the Tang Dynasty

                      Map of the Tang Dynasty

This is a map of the Tang Dynasty in 618 to 907 AD. On the map the cities Luoyang, Dangsiange, and Hangzhou are north, west, and east of the Dynasty. The river Chang Jiumpi is in the southern part of the dynasty. The river Hangzhou is now named the Yangtze, and Dangsiange has become Tibet.

Front Page News Story

      Yang Guifei, a beautiful concubine of the emperor was hanged by her Emperor Xuanzong. Emperor Xuanzong used to give his concubine everything she wanted. Including sending her, her favorite nuts which were brought from 1,000 miles away. Yang abused her powers over the emperor by getting her friends and relatives in high government places. She even got her cousin Yang Guozhong to become chief minister. "I think Yang Guozhong is unfit to be chief minister," a local merchant says. "I know that Yang Guifei is planning something," a passing women says. Later on Yang Guifei fell in love with fat, powerful soldier, An Lushan. An Lushan started taking over most of the cities in China which got Yang Guozhong very jealous. When An Lushan began taking over Chang'an, Emperor Xuanzong knew they were in trouble and fled the city taking with him Yang Guifei and Yang Guozhong. He found that the road was blocked by Tibetian soldiers and then all of a sudden Emperor Xuanzong's soldiers turned against them. They blamed everything on Yang Guifei and Yang Guozhong. They then shot Yang Guozhong right on the spot then they forced the crying emperor to order the killing of Yang Guifei and she was strangled by a silk cord in a village called Pagoda.