Intro to Medieval China

The medieval era was a pivotal time for Chinese culture. Under the Tang it saw poetry, painting and calligraphy; under the Song and Yuan Chinese fiction and drama made their appearance. The period also saw accumulating achievements in those literary branches pioneered in ancient times, history and geography. The medieval period saw Chinese trade build on the foundations laid in ancient times. Under the T’ang dynasty, China’s cities grew bigger, and taxes and trade were better organized.In 960 AD, the Song Dynasty took over ruling China. They had a lot of trouble fighting off invaders from Central Asia. Traders began to sail south to India, instead of using the Silk Road. By 1279 AD the Mongols invaded from Central Asia and conquered China.