Tang Dynasty Research Articles

Emotions Conveyed by Objects — The Colourful Sculptures of Nanzen Temple as an Example

Various kinds of objects fill our lives, and in different contexts, they carry more meanings than just their own use. Nanchan Temple is the earliest wooden mortise-and-tenon structure building of the Tang Dynasty, and the coloured sculptures enshrined in it are also rare coloured sculptures in the world, which have profound research value. This paper takes Nanchan Temple-coloured sculptures as the object of study and explores the historical information and deeper meanings contained in material historical objects through the five aspects of craft, making, biography, affect, and enchantment.

Image Restoration Technology of Tang Dynasty Tomb Murals Using Adversarial Edge Learning

The city of Xi’an, China houses a vast collection of valuable Tang dynasty (618 AD-907 AD) tomb murals that have experienced various degrees of damage over time due to weathering. This research proposes an adversarial edge learning-based mural restoration technique that provides a fast and accurate automatic repair of the murals. The method uses generative adversarial networks to learn how to repair the edge contour of a damaged mural and restore the missing content. The contour restoration network and mural restoration networks are trained and updated simultaneously to enhance the feature extraction and restoration coordination performance of the network. The experiments were conducted on a self-built Tang dynasty tomb mural painting restoration dataset and compared to several existing algorithms. The proposed algorithm showed a 1.3 increase in peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) and a 1.43% increase in structural similarity (SSIM) value, providing a precise restoration of the structure and contour of the mural content. The algorithm successfully repaired damaged murals with fractures and small missing parts. The suggested method can be useful for both the technical repair and conservation of significant national visual cultural property and the digital restoration of historic murals.

The Administration of the Chinwangbu System during the Korean Empire and Imperial Prince Yŏng’s Productions of Calligraphy and Painting

This paper examines how the newly introduced Imperial Prince System (ch'inwangje 親王制) and the management of the Imperial Prince’s Bureau (ch'inwangbu 親王府) in the Korean Empire shaped the early education of calligraphy and painting and artistic activities of imperial prince Yŏng 英親王 (1897~1970). The ch'inwangje system during the Korean Empire was modeled after the Tang dynasty’s royal title system and governmental structures, illustrating Emperor Kojong’s strong interest in the education and cultivation of the prince’s qualities. Imperial prince Yŏng, who developed a notable interest in calligraphy and painting, appears to have received a systemized education from an early age with the guidance of several teachers. While the previous scholarship dealt mostly with Kim Kyu-jin 金圭鎭 (1868~1933) as a primary role in the prince’s education, this study sheds new light on the contributions of An T'aek-chung 安宅重 (1858~1929), who served as a teaching official at the Suhagwŏn Royal Academy and as a tutor to the Crown Prince. Imperial prince Yŏng’s extant work can be categorized into two distinct phases: those produced before the age of ten, which are mostly limited to calligraphy, and works from his later years that demonstrate modern education, as seen in Imperial prince Yŏng’s Childhood Calligraphy and Paintings 英親王幼年時書畵. Considering that Imperial prince Yŏng was trained in both traditional and modern styles of calligraphy and painting, An’s artistic endeavors during his time in the prince’s household offer valuable insights into the nature of court art during the Korean Empire era. Furthermore, they contribute to a broader understanding of the impact of modern art education in Korea across different social strata during this period.

A study of diverse cosmetics from the Tang dynasty

A study of diverse cosmetics from the Tang dynasty

Degradation of a Sauce-Glazed Ware from the Song Dynasty Salvaged Out of Water at the Dalian Island Wharf: Part II—The Effect of Surface-Attached Marine Organism Remains

Dalian Island, located in the northwest of Pingtan County, Fujian Province, China, has been an important junction on the Maritime Silk Road since the Tang dynasty. This study focuses on sauce-glazed ceramic ware from the Song dynasty salvaged from the waters near Dalian Island Wharf. The composition, phase attributes, and microstructures of the marine organism remains attached to the ceramic ware were analyzed using an optical microscope, scanning electron microscope, and micro-Raman spectrometer to investigate the influence of marine organisms on the degradation of the ceramic ware. Long-term abrasion by sea wave-borne debris led to the increased surface roughness and wettability of the ceramic ware, facilitating the attachment of marine organisms. Differences in surface roughness between the inner and outer walls led to varying levels of biomass. Coralline algae secreted inducers to attract the larvae of macrofoulers. The attachment of different types of marine organisms had varying effects on the degradation of the ceramic ware. Firmly attached unitary organisms could alleviate the scouring of sea wave-borne debris and hinder the intrusion of foreign pollutants, thereby playing a ‘bio-protective’ role. In contrast, the group skeletons of modular organisms could reinforce the mechanically damaged surface but failed to block the intrusion of iron rust and other pollutants, resulting in chemical alterations of the glaze. Therefore, the specific species of the attached marine organisms should be considered in subsequent conservation efforts.

The Inheritance and Development of “Intangible Cultural Heritage ” : A Case Study of Zhejiang Taizhou Embroidery

From the needle boneless lanterns in Xianju during the Tang Dynasty to the unearthed artifacts of Huangyan Lingshi Temple in the Northern Song Dynasty, to the carved embroidery of Haimen in the late Qing Dynasty, the history of embroidery in Taizhou has a long and profound history. After several generations of inheritance, development, and historical and cultural accumulation, Taizhou Embroidery has now become one of the artistic treasures of Taizhou culture and even Chinese culture. This paper then is to discuss how to promote Taizhou Embroidery from Zhejiang by using “big data” under the background of the “national trend craze”, and through research on the awareness of Taizhou Embroidery at home and abroad, it reflects the reasons for the necessity of promotion, the challenges faced by promotion, and the corresponding strategies for promotion.

Investigation on the Construction of Yinshan Buddhist Temple in Beijing

Yinshan Tallin is located in Xihu Village, Xingshou Town, Changping District, Beijing. During the reign of Tang Zhenguan, Yinshan temple was built, and the famous monks and Zen masters of all dynasties came to practice here one after another. Through a detailed review of the construction of Yinshan Buddhist Temple and the development of Buddhism from the Tang Dynasty to the Ming and Qing Dynasties, that is, from the 7th century to the 20th century, this paper conducted investigation on such a temple with a long history and unique geographical location, which can help people better understand its value and influence, and provide references for protection and inheritance.

Bidirectional Transmission Mapping of Architectural Styles of Tibetan Buddhist Temples in China from the 7th to the 18th Century

Architecture is the stone book of history, and the evolution of architectural styles showcases a non-verbal history constructed through images. As an important part of China’s historical and cultural heritage, the architectural forms and styles of Tibetan Buddhist temples were initially modeled on Tang dynasty temple architecture and gradually evolved into the most significant architectural types in regions such as Tibet and Qinghai in China. Religious architecture has also played a significant role in shaping regional cultural landscapes. Existing research on Tibetan Buddhist temples is primarily focused on qualitative studies of individual temple buildings. This research takes the spatiotemporal evolution of architectural styles of Tibetan Buddhist temples as an entry point and, for the first time, employs ArcGIS technology to visualize the spatial and geographical distribution of Tibetan Buddhist temples from the 7th to the 18th century, establishing a comprehensive academic vision that encompasses both historical stratification and cross-regional spatial correlations. By analyzing the cultural symbolic features embodied in the construction styles of Tibetan Buddhist temples and the visual characteristics reflected in their decorative arts, we propose two spatiotemporal dimensions for the formation and transmission of Tibetan Buddhist temple architectural styles: “Westward Transmission” and “Eastward Diffusion”. Firstly, from the 7th to the 9th centuries, the architectural style and construction techniques of Tang dynasty Buddhist temples were transmitted westward along the Tang–Tibet ancient road, integrating with local Tibetan elements to form the Tubo architectural style, which was further refined into the “Sino–Tibetan Combined Style” with strong visual characteristics around the 13th century. Subsequently, along with the spread of Tibetan Buddhism, this temple architectural style underwent an eastward diffusion from the 13th to the 18th century, reaching regions, such as Sichuan, Qinghai, Gansu, Inner Mongolia, Hebei, and Beijing, presenting a spatial gradient from west to east in the geographical dimension. On this basis, in this research, we construct a historical evolution mapping of Tibetan Buddhist temple architectural styles based on bidirectional transmission, attempting to elucidate that the intrinsic driving forces are religious and the cultural identity that guided the bidirectional transmission mechanism of these architectural styles under the historical context of the formation and dissemination of Tibetan Buddhism from the 7th to the 18th century.

Construction of Cultural Heritage Knowledge Graph Based on Graph Attention Neural Network

To address the challenges posed by the vast and complex knowledge information in cultural heritage design, such as low knowledge retrieval efficiency and limited visualization, this study proposes a method for knowledge extraction and knowledge graph construction based on graph attention neural networks (GAT). Using Tang Dynasty gold and silver artifacts as samples, we establish a joint knowledge extraction model based on GAT. The model employs the BERT pretraining model to encode collected textual knowledge data, conducts sentence dependency analysis, and utilizes GAT to allocate weights among entities, thereby enhancing the identification of target entities and their relationships. Comparative experiments on public datasets demonstrate that this model significantly outperforms baseline models in extraction effectiveness. Finally, the proposed method is applied to the construction of a knowledge graph for Tang Dynasty gold and silver artifacts. Taking the Gilded Musician Pattern Silver Cup as an example, this method provides designers with a visualized and interconnected knowledge collection structure.

The Characteristics, Difficulties, and Countermeasures of Translating Tang Dynasty Cultural Relics into English

This article examines the characteristics, difficulties, and solutions for translating Tang Dynasty cultural relics into English. It highlights the unique translation process, the importance of communicative principles, the need for understanding cultural backgrounds, and challenges from complex craftsmanship and cultural differences. Suggestions for improving translation quality include collective efforts, multichannel information retrieval, and enhancing translators skills.

We are the Same Mind! A Study of Zongmi’s Idea of the True Mind

Guifeng Zongmi 圭峯宗密 (780-841) was a prominent Chinese Buddhist scholar who lived during the Tang Dynasty. He is considered to be one of the most important figures in the development of Chinese Buddhism, particularly the Huayan (Flower Garland) and the Chan school. Within his own philosophical framework, Zongmi introduced the concept of the “True Mind of original enlightenment” (benjue zhenxin本覺真心). This paper presents a fresh interpretation of True Mind theories in Buddhism, drawing inspiration from Zongmi’s teachings. The proposed interpretation holds the following: (1) We are the same mind as the cosmic True Mind; (2) The essence of the True Mind is reflexive awareness devoid of content, whereas its conditioned function is reflexive awareness with content. To support this perspective, I characterize awareness as a dynamic activity within the threefold structure of inner time-consciousness. By applying this framework, I argue that the True Mind can be regarded as unchanging because reflexive awareness without content is without the experience of the flow of time. This proposal aims to reconcile the tension between the concept of the permanent True Mind as our True Self and the Buddhist doctrines of universal emptiness and no-self.

Intangible heritage restoration of damaged tomb murals through augmented reality technology: A case study of Zhao Yigong Tomb murals in Tang Dynasty of China

Tomb murals are a precious amalgamation of tangible and intangible heritage, encapsulating profound historical significance and aesthetic value. While tangible heritage often gains more attention than intangible heritage in cultural protection, it is still imperative to acknowledge that intangible heritage complements and substantiates the historical, cultural and artistic context. Tomb murals contain intangible heritage elements such as religious practices, customs and artistic techniques. Tomb murals from the Tang Dynasty of China showcase the cultural richness of both tangible and intangible heritage. Nevertheless, there are many challenges to the protection of Tang Dynasty tomb murals. In light of these challenges, the current study aims to protect the intangible heritage embodied in Tang Dynasty tomb murals through augmented reality technology. A Tang Dynasty tomb, the Zhao Yigong Tomb, has been selected as the research object. Seven murals from this tomb were restored using a process involving two-dimensional and three-dimensional modelling combined with augmented reality (AR) technology. Throughout the restoration process, the current study explores the impact of religious customs associated with the Zhao Yigong Tomb on mural contents and artistic techniques. The scenes depicted in these seven murals were integrated into an on-cloud AR platform to establish an effective process for protecting intangible heritage in tomb murals and stimulate further research, design and development. This study identifies the target audience as researchers, educators and college students interested in history, art and culture. To evaluate the current study, researchers and educators with relevant working backgrounds and college student participants with different backgrounds and interests were invited to test the AR application in the field, followed by one-to-one interviews for a usability assessment. The usability assessment shows that the AR application is widely accepted. In addition to adding information interactively, it helps the audience to improve their understanding of Tang Dynasty art and culture.

한유(韓愈) 배불론의 재해석

Han Yu(韓愈) is a writer who caused the ancient writing movement as one of the eight writer of Tangsong. He tried to revive Confucianism by giving a presentation the way on the sentence in the days when Buddhism and Taoism were prevalent. So he was evaluated as a person who revived Neo-Confucianism and suggested the direction in which study abroad should proceed. In his time, Buddhism and Taoism had a golden age, but social problems also appeared. In particular, economic problems have affected national finances, temples have become more splendid than palaces, and the state has been unable to secure labor and finances. Han Yu explains the importance of Confucianism in the form of a sentence and explains the legitimacy of Confucianism. In fact, there was also a situation of the times that Buddhism's damage should be eliminated at the national level. The Tang Dynasty was already experiencing turbulence both inside and outside the country. However, there is a limit to his theory of Buddhism, and his criticism of Buddhism is an extension of the problem raised by the introduction of Buddhism. His criticism of Buddhism has been refuted in politics, economy, society, culture, ethics, and history, but his criticism of Buddhism and revival of Confucianism have a strong declarative meaning and show limitations in approaching social problems. The Tang Dynasty was already experiencing turbulence both inside and outside the country. Han Yu was a person who lived between An Lushan’s Rebellion and Huangchao’s rebellion, and the problems that appeared at that time cannot be limited to Buddhism.

唐宋史料筆記에 보이는 ⾼句麗 관련 기록 연구

Historical texts are classified into public and private sources. Public sources, represented by the Chinese canonical histories officially compiled by the respective dynasties, have played an important role in overcoming data limitations in the study of Korean ancient history. However, relatively little attention has been paid to private sources, including historical notes. Historical notes written by intellectuals contain a great deal of historical information. In recognition of their historical value, China has long categorized and published such materials under the name of “Historical Notes”. Among them, the “Historical Notes of the Tang and Song Dynasties” published by the China Book Bureau is highly authoritative. Focusing on this book, this study identified 42 articles related to Goguryeo from a total of 60 texts. The identified Goguryeo-related articles have some overlap with the existing materials of the public sources represented by the canonical histories. However, considering that many of them were compiled before the “Old Book of Tang” and the “New Book of Tang”, their historical value is not insignificant. Moreover, even if they are the same, most of them have slight differences in words and phrases. The historical notes contain a wide range of information, including data on the wars between Goguryeo and Tang, the lives of the Goguryeo people who migrated to Tang after the fall of Goguryeo, and the views of the Tang and Song dynasties on the Goguryeo people. In particular, this study has identified several new materials in “Chaoye Jinzai,” “Minghuangzalu,” and several others that have never been found in the canonical histories. Examples include Goguryeo’s espionage activities in China’s interior before the fall of Goguryeo and a belt worn by the king of Goguryeo that was taken from Goguryeo during the fall of Goguryeo. The materials found in the historical notes are expected to contribute to further research on the history of Goguryeo.

前近代中国(1733-1840)省级大书院的繁荣、 困境与突破 - 以⻄方大学为参照

Since its commencement in the Tang Dynasty, Seowon of China had made popular advancement outcome in the Qing Dynasty after going though unyielding development in history of Song Dynasty, Won Dynasty and Ming Dynasty. King Sejong in the 51st year of Qing Dynasty’s Ongjeong (17 33) decreed to establish Seonghoe Seowon in each province in a way of supporting the development with financial resources. In the reigns of Geonryung (1736-1796), the Qing Dynasty established the multi-level Seowon systems officially in province, Do, Bu, Ju, Hyeon and Hyangchon as well as the clans. Among them, those provincial-level was the highest position and these Seowons was modified as the Daehakdang (grand academic facility) at the end of the Qing Dynasty as the previous universities established in modern China. As such, those provincial-level Seowon of China had conspicuous advancement from the previous modern era, but due to a number of factors, it could not advance into the modernized higher education organization. Compared to the western universities, the provincial level Seowon of the early modern China had sufficient financial and monetary funds, but did not secure sufficient and appropriate self-autonomous authorities. Because of this attribute, they could not make independent work decisions based on the objective demand for educational and academic advancement. Furthermore, the scholars invited to Seowon could not establish the academic community in administrative level, and most of them just followed the administrative measures manually devised from government authorities. As such, the government authorities at the time exercised the absolute control over the provincial-level Seowon, for example, they established the education regulations of Seowon with the past national examination system as the major point of implication, and at the same time, they involved in the evaluation programs of the applicable Seowon. Furthermore, it had the restrictions in the academic competence level for the head of Seowon. Therefore, in the event of those provincial Seowon that had secured substantial scale of funds, they continuously recruit the students to expand the scale while it continuously implemented the education on the past national examination. However, following the expansion of the recruitment scale of students, the expenses of Seowon tightened more and it caused the situation more difficult to invite scholars for even more specialized education. Therefore, regarding Seowon in the Qing Dynasty, the development concept of the measures implemented thereto promoted the dispersion of education, but at the same time, it could be deemed to interfere with the enhancement to the one-notch higher level for the education system. In between the time of Gagyeong (1796-1820) and Dogwang (1821-1850), Wanwon established Gogyeongjeongsa and Hakhaedang to develop a development model of another provincial-level Seowon. In particular, for the case of Hakhaedang, it did not have the ‘head’ but had 8 deans to take in charge of Seowon education while structured to manage the office affairs as well. Furthermore, the right to appoint the dean was not in the government authority but made through the nomination from the internal group of deans that it had the feature of academic community in its structural level. Because of this attribute, Hakhaedang could be considered to have the relative independence. The development model of Gogyeongjeongsa and Hakhaedang presented one of the directions with respect to the reform of Seowon in China at the end of the Qing Dynasty (1840-1911). However, under the influence of various shocking events inflicted from overseas, these institutions could not attain the opportunity to develop into ‘modernized’ or Chinese-style ‘university’ thereafter.

Comparative study of the pure black-glazed porcelain and plain-body porcelain with black-drawings from the Yaozhou kiln in the Tang Dynasty

The Yaozhou kiln was located in Tongchuan City, Shaanxi Province, China. It was speculated that the black glazes of pure black-glazed porcelain and plain-body porcelain with black-drawings produced here were the same. In this study, the similarities and differences of their raw materials and firing processes were analyzed by OM, XRF, XRD, Raman, and SEM. The results indicated that plain-body porcelain with black-drawings decreased loess-doll, increased sandstone, and raised the firing temperature to 1250–1300 ℃ from below 1250 ℃, the firing temperature of pure black-glazed porcelain, resulting in their microstructures were different. The blue opalescence was a phase-separated structure mainly caused by unmelted quartz and the composition characteristic of high P2O5 and low Al2O3 in pure black-glazed porcelain. Besides, some ε-Fe2O3 were found in plain-body porcelains with black-drawings, due to more suitable firing temperature and reducing atmosphere for crystal formation, which was the earliest discovery in the Yaozhou kiln.

An Exploration of Gary Snyders English Translation of Han Shans Poems from the Perspective of Manipulation Theory

This essay delves into Gary Snyders English translation of Han Shans poems from lens of the manipulation theory. The manipulation theory, originated in the field of translation studies, argues that translations are not mere reproductions of the original texts but are shaped by various ideological, cultural and historical factors. From the perspective of Lefeveres manipulation theory, translators and their translation activities are inevitably manipulated by three elements: ideology, poetics and patronage. Han Shan, a Tang Dynasty poet renowned for his Zen Buddhist-influenced works, has gained significant attention from translators including Snyder, a leading figure in the American Beat Generation and a profound student of Zen Buddhism. In examining Snyders translation, the essay explores the embodiment and influence of ideology, poetics and patronage. By employing Manipulation of Translation, this essay aims to provide a nuanced understanding of Snyders translation and sheds new light on how translators, like Snyder, can serve as cultural mediators, shaping our understanding and appreciation of foreign literary works.

Botany, Traditional Use, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology and Quality Control of Taraxaci herba: Comprehensive Review.

Taraxaci herba, as a traditional Chinese medicine, is the name of the Taraxacum genus in the Asteraceae family. Documented in the Tang Herbal Medicine (Tang Dynasty, AD 657-659), its medicinal properties cover a wide range of applications such as acute mastitis, lung abscess, conjunctival congestion, sore throat, damp-heat jaundice, and vision improvement. In the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (Edition 2020), more than 40 kinds of China-patented drugs containing Taraxaci herba were recorded. This review explores the evolving scientific understanding of Taraxaci herba, covering facets of ethnopharmacology, botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, artificial cultivation, and quality control. In particular, the chemical constituents and pharmacological research are reviewed. Taraxaci herba has been certified as a traditional medicine plant, and its flavonoids, phenolic acids, and terpenoids have been identified and separated, which include Chicoric acid, taraxasterol, Taraxasteryl acetate, Chlorogenic acid, isorhamnetin, and luteolin; they are responsible for anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-tumor, and anti-cancer activities. These findings validate the traditional uses of Taraxaci herba and lay the groundwork for further scientific exploration. The sources used in this study include Web of Science, Pubmed, the CNKI site, classic monographs, the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, the Chinese Medicine Dictionary, and doctoral and master's theses.

Characteristics of moxibustion in Dragon Gate Stone Inscription prescriptions

The Dragon Gate Stone Inscription prescriptions are the earliest surviving stone inscriptions of medical formulas in China, covering various departments such as internal medicine, surgery, gynecology, pediatrics and ophthalmology. By reviewing 28 moxibustion prescriptions recorded in the Dragon Gate Stone Inscriptions, the following application characteristics are summarized: moxibustion mainly treats acute diseases such as mania, deficiency-cold syndrome, and jaundice; in terms of point selection, specific points such as the thirteen ghost points, eight influential points, and front-mu points are used, emphasizing the extraordinary meridians such as governor vessel and conception vessel, as well as specific single acupoints with unique therapeutic effects; in clinical application, it follows the principle of treating according to syndrome differentiation, uses multiple acupoints simultaneously, employs food-medicine homology, and adjusts the moxibustion dosage according to individual conditions. The Dragon Gate Stone Inscription prescriptions reflect that the application of moxibustion therapy during the Northern Wei to Tang Dynasty period had already reached a relatively mature level, indicating a high level of proficiency in moxibustion techniques during that time.

Fang Yizhi’s Transformation of the Consciousness-Only Theory in Yaodi Pao Zhuang: A Comparison and Analysis Based on Literature

Yaodi Pao Zhuang (Monk Yaodi Distills the Essence of the Zhuangzi, 藥地炮莊), written by Ming dynasty scholar Fang Yizhi (1611–1671), was one of the greatest annotations of Zhuangzi 庄子 in the late Ming dynasty. However, the Buddhist thought in Yaodi Pao Zhuang has scarcely been examined. Drawing on the revival of the consciousness-only (vijñaptimātratā, 唯識) theory during the Ming dynasty, this study discussed how Fang Yizhi transformed the theory to annotate Zhuangzi in Yaodi Pao Zhuang through literature comparison and logical analysis. Meanwhile, from a speculative viewpoint drawing on Yi studies (studies of the Yi Jing, 易學), Fang Yizhi demonstrated that “storehouse consciousness” (alaya-vijnana, 阿賴耶識) could have contrasting properties of defilement (samklesa, 染) and purity (suddha, 淨). Moreover, he proposed “consciousness is wisdom” to replace the consciousness-only view of “transforming consciousness into wisdom” prevailing in the Tang dynasty, thus providing the conditions for the interpenetration of the consciousness-only doctrine into Zhuangzi. This study’s results highlight the positive implications of Fang Yizhi’s mutually supportive interaction model of Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism for addressing contemporary cultural conflicts.