During the Tang and Song periods, China made many advances in technology. The Chinese invented the use of movable type, allowing them to print books. They also invented gunpowder for use in fireworks and weapons. The Chinese grew more food, based on advances in farming and an improved variety of fast-growing rice.
The Song Empire arose about 54 years after the large Tang Empire fell in 906. Overall, over the course of 300 years, the empire was prosperous, the population doubled in the 10th and 11th centuries, and science and technology advanced.
Tip! As with art, literature, and philosophy, the Tang dynasty (618-906) nurtured a Golden Age of development and innovation in science and technology that culminated in the Song dynasty (960-1279).
The expansive exchange of foreign goods and information during the Tang, together with the high value placed upon close observation and analysis that characterized the Song, set the stage for vigorous scientific innovations. Important advances were made in astronomy, agriculture, industry, medicine, and military technologies. To learn more about this visit Education.asianart.org.