OP/ED Article

Gunpowder is now being used as a form of entertainment, in the year of 800. Gunpowder should not be used as a form of entertainment for many reasons. One reason is because although it is fun and entertaining, it is also extremely dangerous. One example of why gunpowder is dangerous, is because, when it is stuffed in hollow bamboo sticks, and lit up, there's no way of acceratly predicting when the gunpowder will explode. After the gunpowder is lit, it is thrown up in the air, but if it is not thrown high enough, anything could happen, including the bamboo stick flying into someones face, which could scar them, or even perminetly blind them. Another example of why gunpowder should not be used as entertainment is because it is extremely explosive and extremely strong. Almost like I said before, there is no way of actually accurately knowing how explosive gunpowder could be. If there is too much, it could be massivly explosive, and if there's too little, you would be lucky not to get hurt. That is why gunpowder should not be used as entertainment.

Interview

Q- Hello emperor how are you?

A- Very good thanks!

Q- Shall we get started?

A- Indeed.

Q-  Emperor Taizong, what do you think were some popular entertainments during your ruling?
      
A-  Well, that is a very good question, there are many types of entertainment such as ceramics, but one very popular one was poetry.  There were light- hearted poetry contests at festivals, banquets and dinner parties, and they grew to be extremely popular.

Q- How did it feel when only you as emperor, and your sons were allowed to wear yellow robes?

A-  When I became emperor in 618, it felt good to wear a yellow robe because the robe spoke for me.  It showed people that I am in charge, and it shows my state of class.  It also shows that I should be respected, and honored.

Q- What different major food groups were there in your emperor?  How were the different foods categorized?

A- Well, although we had many different kinds of food, we only had a couple of categories.  Many people ate dates, sugared ginger,sea horses, melons, and dried oysters.  Wine was served at dinners in large quantities.  It was all divided into 2 different categories- grains and vegetables.  Grains were basically rice in the south or noodles and dumplings made from wheat in the north.  Vegetables were anything that wasn't grain, fish, fowl, and meat, except oxen because they are considered our valuable work animals.

Q- How important is the city Chang'an?

A- Chang'an was a very popular and major city.  In fact, there was a temple that was built for the worship of Confucius at Chang'an, the site where Loazi was supposedly born.

Q- Emperor Taizong, why didn't you switched to Buddhism, earlier during your rule as emperor?

A- Another good question.  Well, earlier during my rule, I did not support the Buddhist religion, our religion at the time was Daoism, but I did end up supporting Buddhism and switching my religious beliefs, before I died.

      Thankyou very much for your time emperor!

Gunpowder, Clothing, and Daoism-Buddhism

The Invention of Gunpowder

Gun Powder

Man loading gunpowder filled bamboo

          Gunpowder was invented around 800, when some Daoist scientists were trying to find a way of making gold, by mixing some metals.  Gunpowder has a great effect on world history.  This is because when the formula was discovered, it was because the chemists  mixed together charcoal, sulfur, and saltpeter, when they ignited this substance, it exploded.  Gunpowder may have been explosive, but it was also exciting for many people.  Gunpowder was exciting because it was used for festivals for a long time.  It was stuffed into a hollow log of bamboo, then it was ignited and thrown up in the air.  While in the air, the stuffed bamboo stick would explode and make a loud noise, filling people with engaging excitement!  Later on, color was added to the formula, to make it look colorful.

Clothing

Ancient Chinese Clothing

          Clothing was important in many ways, one way is that it helped people clarify their class.  The upper class generally wore bright colors, the common people were forbidden to wear bright colors, and the peasants wore long shirt like garments over some trousers that ended at the mid calf.  For men, the clothing they wore were robes that were so wide they were often weighed down so they wouldn't wouldn't flap while they were hanging men also wore elaborated head gear, that reflected their position, and status, hats made from lacquered cloth or even sometimes leather.  A noble women wore a long skirt and jacket, topped by a short sleeved, upper garment.  Her shoes were made of silk brocade.  Her long hair was gathered and arranged in a topknot, held in place by delicately carved hairpins and combs, they would also put on thick make-up-layers of face powder rouge.  Courtiers and their wives wore flowing silk garments that fell to their feet.

Daoism- Buddhism

Buddha

          Religion had switched during the Tang Dynasty, it went from Daoism to Buddhism. Emperor Goazu was not a Buddhist, because he did not support the religion. He issued an official educate defining Daoism and Confucianism as the 2 pillars of Chinese culture. Although Gaozu did not support Buddhism, doesn't mean that Taizong didn't afterwards. Taizong had a little interest in Buddhism, he did hold an important audience with a Buddhist monk, just the year before he died. Near his death, Taizong switched the religion from Daoism to Buddhism.

News Article

Wu Zhuo

       After Taizong died in 649, his 20-year-old son Li Zhi took the place of emperor.  He ruled as Gaozong.  The poor man suffered from dizzy attacks, which made it extremely hard for him to function normally.  On top of his bad health he was easily taken advantage of by other people and was often manipulated, and he also had a quiet week personality, he most certainly was not qualified to be an emperor.  Out of all of the other sons that would qualify to be an emperor, Gaozong was strangely picked.

       Gaozong enraged the government officials because he replaced his wife with one of his concubines.  That was when Wu Zhuo came in.  Wu was one of Gaozong's concubines.  Wu was known as "an incredibly ambitious women, and the emperor was like putty in her hands."  Wu was also known as crazy, Wu's new born daughter, was suffocated, by no other than Wu herself, but she pointed all blame at the emperors wife, Wang.  Wang was found guilty.  "According to some records Wu Zhuo had Wangs arms and legs, as well as the emperors favorite concubine, Xiao, amputated.  Then what was remained of them was throne into a wine vat."  After that Wu set her sight as being emperor and taking over the empire.  She had her son declared heir, for her first step, then slowly worked her way up to the throne.  "When Gaozong was left half blind and paralyzed by a stroke in 660 his wife became the effective ruler of China... She eliminated anyone who stood in her way"  Wu Zhao was a well known ruler because of this, and will never be forgotten, but not for a good reason.

Map of Tang Dynasty

         The yellow areas in the map above show the Tang Dynasty.  This map also shows that my dynasty lasted from 618-906, a considerably long reign during the time period.  The region stretches from North Western China all the way to the mid- east to the east coast of China.  China hasn't stretched or shrunk since the Tang Dynasty. The city Chang'an was where/near the current city Xi'an.  This map also shows a trade route that goes through the center of the dynasty, and branches out towards the west.