1. Paintings
I appreciate art and enjoy art even if if i'm not artistic myself. Many artists, in the Tang dynasty, painted nature which is known as Shanshui. This means mountain water. The painter's goal was to convey an emotion or atmosphere from the place. The beauty and intricacy of these painting successfully portray the "spirit" of the place they are illustrating.
To continue reading about the art of the Tang dynasty, follow the link below.
http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/china/art/tang.htm
2. Acrobatics
Tang acrobats were highly skilled at pole tricks, pole climbing, and balancing poles on their head. The officials and noble lords of the Tang Dynasty on trips were often preceded by ceremonial processions consisting of singers, dancers, acrobats and artists performing pole tricks. Officials and noble lords used ceremonial processions to show their power and wealth and also to express their willingness to share the performances with common people. Acrobatics is complex and beautiful to witness.
To continue reading about acrobatics in the Tang dynasty, follow the link below.
http://www.chinaculture.org/library/2008-01/23/content_37719.htm
3. Dancing
There were two types of dances in the Tang dynasty; civil which was gentle and martial,which was vigorous. After watching some of the civil dances on youtube, I've realized these are some of the most beautiful dances i've seen. The women are so graceful and poised. Being a dancer myself, I'm inspired by their emotion and attitude that they give off when they perform.
To read about dancing in the Tang dynasty, follow the link below.
http://www.china.org.cn/english/travel/53069.htm
4. Fashion
Personally, I think the chinese fashion is so interesting. The color, design, and especially cut is so intriguing probably because it's so different from western society. The colors of their dress represented what social class they were in. The cut of women's garments were broad and loose and the width of sleeve was always more than 1.3 meters.
To read more about the fashion of the Tang dynasty, follow the link below.
http://www.chinaculture.org/gb/en_chinaway/2003-09/24/content_28399.htm
5. Musical Instruments
Being a flute player myself, I find chinese music can be very relaxing because its so beautiful. In the Tang dynasty, two of the coolest instruments were the lute (pipa) and flute. The lute was first invented in the Qin Dynasty. By the the Tang Dynasty , the pipa had reached its summit. It was loved by everyone--from the royal court to the common folk--and it occupied the most of the orchestra. Many well known writers and poets created poems and mentioned it in their works. Even thought the flute was made 7,000 years earlier, the people of the Tang dynasty improved on it's structure and design making it available for all people to play.
To read more about the musical instruments of the Tang dynasty, follow the link below
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/arts/chinese-music.htm
Acrobatics
