Later Tang: Map & History
The cosmopolitan Golden Age of medieval Chinese civilization, celebrated for poetic genius, woodblock printing, Buddhist pilgrimages, and the Pax Sinica.
Wikipedia Encyclopedic Compendium
Historiographical synthesis & structured realm registry
Tang, known in historiography as the Later Tang, was a short-lived imperial dynasty of China and the second of the Five Dynasties during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period in Chinese history.
Modern Countries Once Part of Later Tang
At its mapped extent, Later Tang covered territory in 1 present-day country. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Later Tang's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Later Tang: Key Facts
| Capital | Daming County |
|---|---|
| Official language | Chinese |
| Form of government | monarchy |
| Founded | 923 CE |
| Dissolved | 936 CE |
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Facts from Wikidata Q1143126 (CC0).
Imperial History & Territorial Expansion
Founded by Emperor Gaozu (Li Yuan) and his son Emperor Taizong (Li Shimin), the Tang Dynasty represented the height of cosmopolitan Asian civilization. Its imperial capital, Chang'an, was the largest planned city on Earth with over one million inhabitants, welcoming merchants, monks, and diplomats from Persia, Sogdiana, Japan, and the Byzantine Empire. The reign of Empress Wu Zetian—China’s only female sovereign—further reformed the civil exams, while poets Li Bai and Du Fu composed masterpieces that define Chinese literary culture.
Later Tang Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Li Yuan proclaims the Tang following the collapse of the Sui.
Taizong receives the title "Tian Kehan" (Heavenly Khagan) from nomadic steppes.
Tang borders reach Lake Balkhash in Central Asia and the Korean Peninsula.
Empress Wu proclaims the Zhou Dynasty as sovereign emperor.
Clash with the Abbasid Caliphate introduces Chinese papermaking to the Islamic world.
Key Monarchs, Architects & Strategists
Enduring Planetary Legacy
- ✓Golden Age of classical Chinese poetry with immortals Li Bai, Du Fu, and Wang Wei
- ✓Invention and spread of woodblock printing, including the 868 CE Diamond Sutra
- ✓Monk Xuanzang’s 16-year journey to Nalanda, India, inspiring the epic "Journey to the West"
- ✓Establishment of the Three Departments and Six Ministries administrative blueprint across East Asia
Later Tang: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Later Tang exist?
Later Tang is dated to 618 CE – 907 CE (Golden Age Zenith: 669 CE), in the Early Middle Ages era.
What was the capital of Later Tang?
The capital of Later Tang was Chang'an (Xi'an), Luoyang (Eastern Capital).
How large was Later Tang at its peak?
At its peak in 669 AD Later Tang covered about 1,556,443 km².
Geographic Lifelines
Other Sovereign Realms
Early Middle Ages • Capital: Constantinople
Classical Antiquity • Capital: Pataliputra, Ujjain
High & Late Middle Ages • Capital: Thanjavur, Gangaikonda Cholapuram
Early Middle Ages • Capital: Chang'an