Exam 14: The World Beyond the West

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Under the rule of the Tang and Song emperors,China experienced a flowering of culture and technological innovation that was unmatched anywhere in the world.As the empire became solidified,the Tang emperors initiated a full census of the population that was repeated every three years.Tang bureaucrats,steeped in Confucian traditions and rigorously trained in the literary classics,were members of an intellectual elite that rose to service on the basis of merit.Their examinations for government service required a great degree of memorization and a thorough knowledge of the Chinese literary tradition,but originality was also important:candidates had to prove accomplishment in the writing of prose and poetry,as well as in the analysis of administrative policy.In addition to the highly refined governmental system,religion played a large part in Tang era society.Confucianism remained China's foremost moral philosophy,encouraging social harmony and respect for the ruling monarch,whom the Chinese called the "Son of Heaven." Confucian culture held firmly to a secular ethic that emphasized proper conduct (li)and the sanctity of human life on earth.Buddhism also thrived during the Tang era,with a focus on meditation to achieve self-control and selflessness.
During the Song era,great advancements in both culture and technology occurred as the population grew,agricultural productivity increased,and vigorous commercial trade brought economic wealth.Chinese cities were larger and more populous than those in the West,and city dwellers enjoyed conditions of safety that are enviable even today.Technological advancements included printing,paper money,water mill,wheelbarrow,magnetic compass,gunpowder,iron casting,among others.The Chinese used vaccination to prevent diseases and codified a deep understanding of human anatomy and the flow of the body's qi (life energy),which gave rise to acupuncture.