Brief introduction of customs and courts in Tang Dynasty

The Tang Dynasty (6 18 ~907) is one of the most important dynasties in the history of China, and it is also recognized as one of the most powerful times in China.

Territorial and political regions

In the heyday of the Tang Dynasty, the territory stretched to the Korean Peninsula in the east, the Aral Sea in Central Asia in the west, Hue in Vietnam in the south and Lake Baikal in the north. There were many foreign nationalities in the Tang Dynasty. In order to effectively manage Turkic, Uighur, Mohong, Tiele, Shiwei and Qidan, etc. Six capitals, Anxi, Anbei, Anton, Annan, Khan and Beiting, were established.

Keywords:: revival of female consciousness in Tang Dynasty

Female consciousness is actually a concept about women and a product of history. China's female consciousness in past dynasties is a product rooted in the historical soil of China, a product of China's patriarchal society, feudal autocracy and smallholder consciousness. It is embodied in the values that men are superior to women and the moral ethics that bind women. These ideas have been deeply imprinted on the minds of men and women in China from generation to generation, and they are used to it and deeply rooted. However, the Tang Dynasty was the heyday of social, economic and cultural development in the history of China, and it was also a rare "open" society in China. The high material civilization and spiritual civilization it created made it one of the most civilized and open countries in the world at that time, and the women in the Tang Dynasty attracted worldwide attention.

After enduring repeated conflicts between Hu and Han cultures in Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, multiculturalism was finally fully released in the Tang Dynasty. The change of women's consciousness in Tang Dynasty is closely related to the social, political and economic aspects of Tang Dynasty: Emperor Taizong remarried a widow, which broke through the shackles of orthodox women's chastity view, excavated the social value and significance of women in human reproduction and production development, and fully revived its authenticity. When Wu Zetian became emperor, it impacted the orthodoxy that men are superior to women, and women's nature and social skills were released unprecedentedly in the whole feudal society. The enterprising nature of women's own abilities in the Tang Dynasty is unprecedented, and women's consciousness has been greatly demonstrated. On the one hand, in order to consolidate the throne, stabilize social order and restrict women's participation in politics; On the other hand, women are given freedom in marriage and social life. This relatively open and free view of women shows the self-confidence, openness, pragmatism and enterprising character of the rulers in the prosperous Tang Dynasty. The openness of social politics, economy and culture in the Tang Dynasty made women in the Tang Dynasty feel a great sense of relaxation in their thoughts and concepts, and showed different behavioral characteristics from those of the previous generation in their daily lives.

First, the original nature

In matriarchal society, women not only live in a relatively free position, but also in a highly respected position. Women have amazing creativity. They are heroes who conquer nature, mothers who create everything, gods who create inventions and masters of social life. People not only worship women in reality, but also transfer this worship to the worship of natural objects, which in turn reflects the worship of women from the worship of nature. Women's rights in matriarchal society, such as the right to bear children and raise ethnic groups, and the right to organize clan life and production, are naturally endowed, and there is no artificial privilege in the legal sense. Only after fulfilling the inherent rights and obligations can women gain the respect of the whole society. This kind of female consciousness is actually ignorant and natural, and people, men and women are also naturally equal. Engels once said in the preface to the fourth edition of The Origin of Family, Private Ownership and State, "In the era of individual marriage when paternal identity was confirmed or at least recognized, the unique significance of this female lineage has been preserved for a long time." (1) Women's sense of freedom continued until the arrival of a patriarchal society, and the custom of intermarriage prevailed in the era of the Five Emperors. For example, the birth of the ancestral deed of Shang Dynasty was that his virgin giant butterfly swallowed the big egg of the bird of God, and the ancestor of Zhou Dynasty, Hou Ji, only had his mother, Jiang Yuan, and I don't know who his father was ... These are the mythological reappearance of the female-centered consciousness in matriarchal society.

The era of the Five Emperors is an important era of historical turning point in social life and gender relations. With the development of productive forces, the first social division of labor took place, and animal husbandry and agriculture were separated from hunting and gathering. The dominant position of women in traditional industries has gradually given way to men who are good at grazing and planting, and the role of men in clan organizations has also occupied a dominant position. Inheritance gradually shifted to paternal line, so patriarchy replaced matriarchal system. "The overthrow of the matriarchal system is the failure of women with world historical significance." (2) In the patriarchal society, men have replaced women as the core figures active in the social arena, and women's role has been devalued, losing their lofty social status, and people have also turned from worshipping nature and reproduction to worshiping "heaven" and "strength". The so-called "heaven" is the symbol of the male ruler-the "emperor", and the pan-natural gods related to women are all ruled by the "emperor". And "strength" is a symbol of power and a representative of strength. Han Feizi once said: "In ancient times, people struggled for strength." . Whoever is strong and brave can save himself and conquer other tribes, thus making his clan or tribe members respect. As a typical monogamous family has been formed, with the emergence of private ownership, the problem of paternal inheritance has become prominent. Engels said: "Monogamy is not based on natural conditions, but on economic conditions, that is, the formation of the first family based on the victory of private ownership over the original naturally growing public ownership. The husband is in a dominant position in the family, and should inherit his property when he gives birth to his own children-this is the only purpose of monogamous marriage system publicly announced by the Greeks. (3) Therefore, under the general situation of the development of this family and private ownership, the monogamous marriage system began, which turned a new page in the status of women in China. Women's consciousness was infinitely suppressed by men's consciousness, and the history of slavery began.

The Tang Dynasty was an era of unprecedented economic prosperity, unprecedented ideological activity and unprecedented women's liberation, but what we should see is that this unprecedented women's liberation is actually a manifestation of the primitiveness of women's consciousness. The Han nationality in Sui and Tang Dynasties is a new Han nationality with the Han nationality as the paternal line and Xianbei as the maternal line. Tang Wenhua embodies a fearless and unscrupulous inclusive style. All the factors, forms and styles can be found in the culture of the Tang Dynasty. Therefore, women living in this period naturally have many differences with women in other dynasties in China feudal society. The greatest manifestation of the integration of Hu and Han is that Hu culture, as a nomadic people, has injected a chivalrous spirit into the Han cultural system as a farming people. Tang people are not only "Hu Qi" in temperament, but also "Hu Feng" in legislation. Women in the Tang Dynasty were bold and vigorous in this "Hu Feng" cultural atmosphere and in the "Ren Hu" society with weak etiquette, which was definitely not like the shyness and gentleness of the Southern Dynasties and the gentleness and elegance of the Han Dynasty. For example, women in the Tang Dynasty had certain legal inheritance rights in family life, and women could be the heads of households alone, with relatively independent economic status and played a role in many aspects of social life. Women in the Tang Dynasty were also quite jealous. "Miscellanies of the Western Han Dynasty" records: "Before Dali, the wife of a scholar-bureaucrat was jealous." The allusion of "jealousy" originated in the Tang Dynasty. The so-called "strong woman, weak husband, strong inside and soft outside" and "it's not bad to be afraid of women" have become the "topic" talked about in the note novels of the Tang Dynasty. Due to the influence of Hu Feng, women's aesthetics in Tang Dynasty changed from advocating thinness in Wei and Jin Dynasties to advocating health and fullness. The scenes of women riding horses and hitting the ball in some works of art in the Tang Dynasty are contrary to the tradition of taking femininity as the norm in China culture, revealing Hu's lively, brave and unrestrained character. Therefore, women in the Tang Dynasty have their unique charm among traditional women in China. Or in other words, in the social and economic life of women in the Tang Dynasty, women's consciousness was revived to a certain extent. This is a major feature of female culture in the Tang Dynasty. This primitive recovery. It is different from the liberation of modern and contemporary women's female consciousness, but a release of female consciousness after being suppressed for several years, and a release and expression of "Hu culture" and "Hu feng". Therefore, the revival of women in the Tang Dynasty is more reflected in the revival of sexual consciousness and the pursuit of free communication between the two sexes in lifestyle and lifestyle.

The Tang Dynasty was a special era of feudal society in China, with an open concept of marriage and an indifferent concept of chastity. Princess Tang remarried dozens of people, and Princess Levin, Xiangyang, Taiping, Anle and Yongjia were also saved. The law of the Tang Dynasty stipulates that "husband and wife do not leave and do not sit down", which makes the attitude of the Tang people towards divorce more enlightened. Some divorce papers also have blessing words: "I hope that after my wife and I leave, I will comb my sideburns again, dress my eyebrows beautifully and gracefully, and hire a high-ranking official ..... I will be happy." (4) The concept of chastity of women in the Tang Dynasty was not as harsh as that after the Song Dynasty, and the social requirements in this respect were quite relaxed. From the court to the people, people have considerable freedom in sexual life. The main reasons are as follows: First, in the heyday of feudal society in the Tang Dynasty, feudal ethics were far less harsh than later. As a tool for rulers to imprison people and humanity, feudal ethics gradually developed with the needs of the ruling class. Rulers always reach the end of the world, and the more they feel the need to control people's thoughts, bodies and secular desires, the more strict, meticulous and strengthened ethical codes become. From the pre-Qin dynasty to the Tang dynasty, although people came out to advocate women's education in all previous dynasties, the ruling class was not so eager to restrain this aspect. Especially in the Tang dynasty, because of its high prosperity, the rulers had full self-confidence and strength, so their control over sex was more relaxed. Second, there was a long period of peace and prosperity in the Tang Dynasty, with rapid development of productive forces, a large increase in population and a relatively affluent society as a whole. With ample food and clothing and a stable life, people will inevitably pursue more enjoyment and happiness in life, including sexual pleasure, which is the gradual rise and change of people's internal demand level. The ancients said, "It's hard to fill what you want." If we understand "lust" as love (ascetics always dismiss people's normal love and sexual needs as "lust"), then this sentence is a truth. Keeping warm is the first and most basic need of people. Generally speaking, when these first and most basic needs cannot be met, people seldom pursue high-level needs such as love, sex, self-esteem and self-realization. When you are rich, you will pursue others more strongly. Thirdly, the Tang Dynasty was an era of the integration of "Hu Hua" and Han nationality. Li Tang's royal family itself is descended from the northern minorities. They lived together with the northern minorities for a long time, flourished in the Northern Wei Dynasty established by the Xianbei people, and then directly inherited the northern regime ruled by the Xianbei people. Therefore, they followed the northern tradition in cultural customs and were deeply influenced by "Hu Hua". After Tang came to the world, they brought the customs of these northern minorities to the Central Plains. In the Song Dynasty, Zhu once criticized the Tang Dynasty for "the chastity of the boudoir" and "the lack of ethics", saying: "The Tang Dynasty originated from barbarians, so the faux pas of the boudoir is not different here." [5] This is also the actual situation. At the same time, the contacts and international exchanges between various ethnic groups in the Tang Dynasty were unprecedented, and the cultural relics of the so-called "barbarian state" were readily accepted in the prosperous Tang Dynasty. Many ethnic minorities' marriage relations are still primitive, women's status is relatively high, and their sexual life is relatively free. These cultural customs had a very strong influence on the society of the Tang Dynasty, penetrated into all fields of social life, and strongly impacted the ethical concepts of the Han nationality in the Central Plains.

There was a great degree of sexual freedom in the Tang Dynasty, which was mainly manifested in three aspects: premarital sex, extramarital sex, divorce and remarriage. From the historical books and many literary works at that time, it can be seen that it was quite common for folk women to fall in love and freely combine in the Tang Dynasty. "The prostitute's family went to the water's edge to rock the boat and smoke in the river, looking for both concentric couples and concentric lotus." "The river level willows are green, and the songs on the Langya River are loud and clear. The sun is shining in the east, but it is raining in the west. Tao is ruthless and affectionate. " These poems all describe the free love life of working women. They have been working outside for many years, have more contact with men, have weak ethical concepts, and their feelings are naturally simple and unrestrained, so there are many things about free love. As for some upper-middle-class women, there are many such things, and society has not excessively condemned them. For example, Cai Chao, a talented woman in Dali, and Mao Wen, a neighbor, often empathize with each other through poetry and take the opportunity to have fun together. When Chao's mother learned about it, she sighed, "A talented person and a beautiful woman should have such a thing." So I married them. Women run away with their lovers from time to time. For example, a woman in Taizhou fell in love with Xuan Yan, eloped and lived in a guest house. Many legendary novels in the Tang Dynasty describe the story of men and women pursuing love and freely combining. The Romance of the Western Chamber, which was widely circulated in later generations, came from the biography of Yingying in the Tang Dynasty. Yingying is having an affair with Zhang Sheng. In fact, the ending of this story is not as changed by later generations, but Yingying married another person, and Zhang Sheng also married another person. Later, they had an exchange of poems and essays. It can also be seen from the Biography of Yingying that people didn't feel strange at that time, but thought that Zhang Sheng was too forbearing and was praised as a much-told story. It can be seen that the Tang people did not care too much about their children's premarital chastity, and it was common for them to lose their virginity and remarry. Looking through the legends and notes of the Tang Dynasty, there are many things about prostitutes, fairies and ghosts "recommending pillows", which is a true reflection of social reality. Feudal ethics imposed many severe restrictions on women's divorce and remarriage, and the attitude of society towards divorce and remarriage also reflected the openness of society, freedom of marriage and sexual freedom. The Tang Dynasty was still a feudal society and a patriarchal society, and the issue of marriage (marriage and divorce) was still centered on men. There are also provisions of "seven outings" and "three no's" in Tang Law. Although there are certain restrictions, it is easy for men to get married, and there are many things to get married. For example, the strict Shen couple divorced because they had no children for more than ten years. Li Huixiu's mother came from a humble background, and his wife scolded the handmaiden. Li divorced her when her mother was unhappy. The Tang Dynasty is characterized by a large number of divorces in social life, while women voluntarily divorce or abandon their husbands. For example, during Emperor Taizong's reign, Liu Ji's wife Xiahou asked for a divorce to support her father because his father was blind. Yang Zhijian, a scholar, was fond of learning and came from a poor family. His wife can't stand poverty, so she went to the government to ask for divorce and remarriage. Yang Zhijian sent a poem and said, "My life's ambition lies in the piano poem. Now I have two threads on my head. The fisherman also knows that the valley is dark, and the wife of the mountain doesn't believe that she was born late. Chai Jing casually touched her new temple, and Luan Jing drew another eyebrow. Walk with passers-by today and go down the mountain when you meet. " Yan Zhenqing, the state official at that time, handled the case and criticized the woman. As a cloud, Yang Zhijian is famous for Confucianism, reading the Nine Classics, and coquettish among poems. A fool's wife is estranged because she has never met her. Wang Huan's jealousy is empty, so you follow Huang Juan; Chaucer's wife must go and would rather see a gorgeous dress. Insulting the countryside and hurting customs, if there is no praise or criticism, there are many opportunities. In the end, although he was sentenced to divorce and allowed to remarry, he was fined 20 times; At the same time to Yang Zhijian "20 pieces of cloth and silk, 20 meters of stone, send the army". It is said that because of Yan Zhenqing's judgment, the custom is very positive, and there are no more people who abandon their husbands here. At the end of the Tang Dynasty, there was a daughter of General Li who had to marry a teenager because of the scattered war. Later, when she found a relative, she said to her husband, "In the chaos, a weak woman can't help herself. Fortunately, she was reminded, even so. Losing virginity is not unfortunate. Everyone has his own couple, and it is difficult to grow old together. Please resign from now on. " Don't take "chastity" and chastity seriously at all. It is also a common practice for women to remarry after divorce or widowhood, which is not condemned by public opinion. According to the Biography of the Princess in the Book of the New Tang Dynasty, more than 20 princesses remarried in the whole Tang Dynasty: four in Gaozu, six in Taizong, two in Zhongzong, two in Zong Rui, eight in Yuan Zong and one in Suzong. Three of them have been married three times. This shows that the court at that time was not surprised by this. This trend exists not only in the royal family, but also in the families of bureaucrats, nobles and even civilians. Even prominent officials are not afraid to marry their remarried daughters. The son of Prime Minister Song Jing married the widow Shi Xue. Yan Tingzhi's wife divorced and married Rebecca, the secretariat. Later, Wang committed a crime and Yan saved him. After Wei Ji's wife Li Fu died, she took the initiative to go to Wang Jin, and Wang Na was his wife. Han Yu, a great scholar, first married his favorite pupil, and then married Fan after divorce, so it can be seen that this scholar's family does not prohibit his daughter from remarrying.

Second, autonomy.

The autonomy of women's consciousness in Tang Dynasty is manifested in the improvement of women's status and dignity. In the prosperous Tang Dynasty, there were female emperors who ascended the throne and gave orders to the world, powerful women who set up shogunate and ruled prisons, talented women who wrote poems, and female artists who were good at orchestral music, light singing and dancing, and excellent in color and art … all of them were able to make public appearances. Especially at that time, the giants of poetry, top writers of articles and celebrities from all walks of life had close contacts with prostitutes. They not only like women with outstanding talents and admire their talents, but also understand their hearts and respect them, so as to get close to each other. Talented women like Xue Tao, Yu, geisha-poet and Taoist are surrounded by a group of admirers. They are celebrities, poets and scribes. For example, Yuan Zhen, Bai Juyi, Liu Yuxi and Xue Tao, Yuan Zhen and Liu Caichun, Lu Yu, Liu Changqing and Ye Li are all close friends in the poetry travel, and they are passionate about each other, and they all like to compose poems. They never describe women as materialized aesthetic and erotic objects, but as spiritual transcendence and ideological perfection. Yuan Zhen, for example, was amazed by Xue Tao's poetic talent and eloquence and was cited as a confidant. He once wrote a poem praising Xue Tao: "Jinjiang is flashy in Emei, while Wen Jun and Xue Tao fantasize. Words steal parrot's tongue, articles get chicken hair. One by one, all the poets stopped writing, and all the people wanted to dream of a knife. After parting, acacia is separated by smoke and water, and calamus flowers are five clouds high. " [6] Xue Tao's beauty, eloquence and literary talent are highly praised. Another poet, Hu Ceng, wrote a poem in praise of Xue Tao: "Under the loquat tree, the girls' school book by the bridge in Wan Li stays at home. It is better to lead the spring breeze than to sweep your eyebrows. " Once again, Ye Li, a monk and poet, was valued by transcendental scholar Lu Yu, monks Jiao Ran, Liu Changqing and Zhu Fang. Ye Li's contacts with them are also very frank, sincere and touching, and their friendship is profound, which is incompatible with stereotypes and feudal ethics. This kind of frank and open social communication between men and women is rare in China feudal society. Outstanding women in the Tang Dynasty won the respect and admiration of upright literati and poets for their talents, which is worthy of attention and study in the life history and concept of women in China. This situation is unique in the previous generation and has far-reaching influence, which has opened up the consciousness of respecting women's equality between men and women in later generations. This special social phenomenon in the Tang Dynasty is not accidental, but a reflection of the economic life and cultural spirit in the prosperous Tang Dynasty. An open society, prosperous weather and broad-minded mind must be tolerant in culture and thought, allow all kinds of so-called "heresies" to exist, and be independent and pluralistic in female consciousness. Not only is she the only female model who embodies orthodox Confucian ethical values and abides by moral ethics, but also social women who can bring beauty and fun to society, such as geisha and dancers, are affirmed. The best among them are naturally respected by like-minded scribes. Women in the Tang Dynasty often went out, and even men and women sat together drinking, laughing and singing, without scruple. There is no distinction between men and women in the royal aristocrats of the Tang Dynasty. Queen Wei of Tang Zhongzong and minister Wu Sansi sat on the imperial bed and played backgammon. Zhongzong is still there to raise money for them. An Lushan, the frontier guard, ate and played with Yang Guifei in the harem and often stayed up all night. Female officials in the palace often "go in and out, visit the palace" and make friends with courtiers and foreign ministers. Yang Guifei's sister Mrs. Guo and her brother Yang even went to North Korea. As for ordinary people, there are no constraints. "Where is your family, near here, next to the fish pond? ? Stop the boat and ask for a moment whether we belong to the same town .. "levies this Tang poem describes a boatman woman who greets and talks generously with strangers. Bai Juyi's famous poem Pipa Travel tells the story of a merchant woman who meets a group of strange men and plays the pipa in the middle of the night when her husband is out. Hong Mai, a Song Dynasty man, once sighed: "Li Xia is suspicious, and Tang people are not hungry." ⑽ Women's autonomy in social activities in the Tang Dynasty swept away the lead and white powder in the Six Dynasties and presented magnificent and colorful beauty.

Third, make progress.

Marx once spoke highly of the historical role of women. Without women's enzymes, there would be no great social change. To some extent, social progress can be accurately measured by women's social status. Historical experience has proved that the improvement of women's status will play a very important role in promoting social development and social progress. Since China entered the feudal society at the turn of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the society, economy, politics, culture and other aspects have advanced along a tortuous road, and there have been three climaxes, that is, three heydays. And especially the second time is the most prosperous. The so-called most prosperous second time is represented by the Tang Dynasty.

In the early Tang Dynasty, agricultural production flourished, handicrafts became increasingly sophisticated, commodity economy was unprecedentedly prosperous, and urban traffic was busy. In the late Tang Dynasty, the economy of the south of the Yangtze River developed further, which laid the foundation for the economic level of the south to surpass that of the north in the future. Politically, there have been "the rule of Zhenguan" and "the prosperity of Kaiyuan", the country is unified and the society is stable, showing a peaceful scene, the feudal political, economic and cultural development level is becoming more and more mature and perfect, and the social atmosphere is becoming more and more open. At this time, women's values and lifestyles have changed greatly because of the increasingly open social atmosphere. Here, Wu Zetian, the first feudal female emperor in China, appeared, and the appearance of Wu Zetian, from another angle, was like a stimulant, which further promoted the enthusiasm of women in the Tang Dynasty to actively participate in various social activities and participate in the discussion of state affairs, that is, the enterprising spirit of women, thus completing the great display of women's consciousness in the Tang Dynasty.

Wu Zetian is the only empress in the history of China. There are other little queens who have sat on the throne of the emperor, but now the general view is that Wu Zetian is the only queen, because she ascended the throne of the emperor on her own, not someone else's puppet. After Wu Zetian became queen, she began to participate in political affairs, and she was called "double saints" with Gao Zong. In 683, Emperor Gaozong died, and Li Xian succeeded to the throne as Zhongzong, and Zunwu was the empress dowager, who was called the royal family. The following year, Li Xian was abolished as the king of Luling, Li Dan was appointed, and Wu Zetian took the real power. In 690, Li Dan was abolished as Emperor Zetian, and the country name was changed to Zhou, which was called "Wu Zhou" in history. After Wu Zetian proclaimed himself emperor, he opened the imperial examination and made an exception in employing people. Reward agriculture and mulberry to develop economy; Understand others and be good at performing their duties, allowing others to receive guidance. In nearly half a century when she was in charge of state affairs, social stability and economic development laid the foundation for the later "Kaiyuan Shi Sheng". During the reign of Wu Zetian, women in the Tang Dynasty participated more in political and economic national life than before, which to some extent awakened the repressed female consciousness.

In the eyes of male rulers in traditional society, women belong to yin and men belong to yang. However, in the Tang Dynasty, the phenomenon of women's participation in politics was widespread, and this phenomenon became more prominent after Wu Zetian came to power. For example, Shangguan Waner's life was tortuous and turbulent, and she took refuge in various political forces. However, it is not difficult to see that, as an outstanding representative of women in the Tang Dynasty, she showed her unique feminine charm and immortal talent in participating in and discussing politics, which was a strong expression of her female consciousness in the shadow of feudal society in which men were superior to women. On the other hand, it also represents the open way of thinking and positive ideology of women in the Tang Dynasty. Social status is a sociological concept, which reflects people's differences in social relations. Specifically, it refers to people's status in social hierarchical relations, which is manifested through people's obligations, rights and treatment in society. The reason why women in the Tang Dynasty dared to break away from the shackles of feudal ethics was inseparable from their ability to study and receive education in the social atmosphere where culture and education were more popular at that time. It has become more and more common for women to learn poetry in the Tang Dynasty. There are more than 100 female writers in the whole Tang Dynasty alone, and almost all the beautiful women in the Tang Dynasty can't help reciting poems. The grandson of Emperor Taizong loves reading and can write. When Xu Xianfei was 4 years old, he studied with his father and could recite The Analects of Confucius and Shi Mao. At the age of eight, he was able to write articles. Wu Zetian not only understands literature and history, but also reads the throne for the emperor and acts as a representative of the court, thus climbing the ladder of power. Song Ruozhao, the author of The Analects of Confucius and Women, has been studying with her father since childhood. They are unwilling to get married and determined to be famous for their studies. When Tang Dezong called them into the palace, they were called "bachelors". Many famous wives of the scribes are friends of their husbands' boudoir poems. The ex-wives of poets Yuan Zhen and Wei Shi, the wife of famous scholar Ji Zhongfu, the wife of Jinshi and the wife of Yin are all talented women, and some of them often write poems or essays on their behalf. Xue Tao, a famous talented woman who was born in a literati or civilian family, and Yu, a female Taoist priest, are free to read and learn poetry. When watching the title of the new Jinshi, Yu Zeng sang a poem "Hate Luo Yi's poem, look up and admire the name on the list", expressing his confidence in his talent and his regret that he could not be on the gold list with men and show his talent.

Fourth, openness.

Social progress can be accurately measured by women's social status. In the early Tang Dynasty (Tang Gaozu-Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty), the political, economic and cultural development of the feudal society in the Tang Dynasty and even in China reached its peak after "Zhenguan rule" and "Kaiyuan prosperity". At the same time, the development of human personality is relatively free, and the majority of women living in this period have got rid of the shackles of feudal ethics and ethics, and their mental outlook has taken on a new look. For example, in the early Tang Dynasty, most women boldly pursued the beauty of personality, and the choice of clothing and color abandoned the official regulations, even wearing Khufu and Hu Mao. Make-up is also "heavy makeup". The daily clothes of women in the Tang Dynasty are shirts above and skirts below. There are gorgeous patterns on clothes, and red is the most popular clothes. Rich women often make clothes with fine silk fabrics, which are soft, light and delicate. Generally speaking, the clothing styles in the Tang Dynasty are elegant and gorgeous, and the accessories are gorgeous. In the Tang Dynasty, silk and hemp were the main materials, and bright warm colors such as red, purple and yellow were the main materials. In the Tang Dynasty, women often wore round neck gowns, shawls over their shoulders, and special short-sleeved half-arm shirts over their gowns. Wearing a skirt, which has a high waist and beautiful lines, looks tall and beautiful, showing a relatively stable side. The Tang Dynasty was dominated by the Han nationality, with a long history and exquisite civilization, and gradually formed elegant tower-shaped costumes. Living in a warm and humid area, the silk weaving technology is superb, and there are many kinds of silk fabrics, which are famous for their thinness. For example, the gauze unearthed in Turpan is more delicate than the plain gauze unearthed in Mawangdui. Most of the ladies in the Tang Dynasty "don't look down on love". And there is another interesting phenomenon in the Tang Dynasty, that is, women in the Tang Dynasty like to wear men's clothes. The rulers of the Tang dynasty were born in the conference semifinals, so they were martial, so they took pleasure in Hu fu; In the early Tang Dynasty, the society was open, and women participated in more social activities, making it more convenient for men to wear them. Women in the Tang Dynasty have a strong sense of self-expression, and men's wear can reflect the curves of various parts of women's bodies. Martial spirit and openness are undoubtedly the background of the popularity of women disguised as men. Highlighting women's physical beauty may be the consciousness of individual women, not necessarily the idea of everyone. Openness and human beauty can also be expressed through other decorations. The Northern Qi Dynasty, the Northern Zhou Dynasty and the Sui Dynasty also had Hu descent, martial spirit and an open society, but women did not wear men's clothes in large numbers, which showed the openness of women in the Tang Dynasty. In the early Tang Dynasty, women were not excluded from the activities of the court and the upper class as in other times. The social images of these women often appear in the form of men's wear. Wu Zetian and Princess Taiping, two influential women, like to wear men's clothes, which will inevitably have an impact on the social atmosphere. During the period of peace and rule, women such as Wu Zetian, Wei, Princess Anle, Princess Taiping, Princess Jin Xian and Princess created a so-called "girl country" image for the society. However, under the domination of the traditional ideology of male chauvinism, women who appear in public places often stand in front of people in men's clothes. Clothing ranks first in people's "basic necessities of life", which shows the role of clothing in daily life, and it can reflect the overall mental outlook of a nation. The wealth, elegance, exaggeration, splendor and originality of women in the Tang Dynasty all reflect the openness and enthusiasm of women in the Tang Dynasty.

Custom, also called custom, is an established social habit formed in the process of long-term historical development and evolution. Although customs do not restrict the thoughts and behaviors of all members of society by administrative orders or compulsory means, in ancient China society with imperfect legal system, custom culture often plays an irreplaceable role in maintaining social stability and feudal rule. It seems that the social status of women in the Tang Dynasty has also improved. Most aristocratic women in the Tang Dynasty had the habit of participating in politics. Even ordinary women, who go out for business, want to enter poetry, freely associate with men, go out for pleasure and get together, are subject to fewer restrictions than other dynasties. It is generally believed that this is related to the self-confidence brought by the powerful national power of the Tang Dynasty and the Xianbei legacy of the Li Tang royal family's worship of women. In the prosperous Tang Dynasty, the social atmosphere was open, and not only men but also women drank alcohol. The fullness of a woman was recognized as beauty at that time, and the drunkenness of a woman was a kind of beauty. Li Longji, the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, especially appreciated Yang Yuhuan's drunken charm and beauty of makeup. He often joked that the drunkenness of the imperial concubine was "whether the imperial concubine was drunk or not, or whether Haitang didn't get enough sleep". The Tang Dynasty was a groundbreaking dynasty in the history of China. It is not only full of martial arts, religious freedom, rich culture, but also "high feminist". Since Li Yuan entered the Central Plains from the frontier and had extensive contacts with ethnic minorities in all directions, he naturally formed an open, heroic and informal ethnic style beyond the Great Wall. Men are like this, women are like this, so they have the reputation of "unrestrained women in the Tang Dynasty". This self-respecting style has also influenced the style of women's beauty and makeup. At that time, when women put on makeup, they also liked to apply two pieces of red wedding fat on their faces, which was a very popular makeup method at that time and was called "drunken makeup".

The Tang Dynasty was an era of great decoration, which can be seen from the descriptions of art, sculpture and poetry preserved to this day. The women's costumes in the pictures of ladies in Tang Dynasty and Dunhuang frescoes have their own characteristics, which are novel and exquisite. The costumes in an open society are eclectic. However, in terms of bun styles and gorgeous types, there are more than a dozen each, and there are countless styles of parting lips. In the early Tang Dynasty, Lu's "Ancient Meaning of Chang 'an" wrote that aristocratic women were full of makeup at that time: "Pieces of cicada temples in the clouds, and duck yellow in the early moon. Duck yellow powder is on the white car, full of charm and feeling. " Woman who writes about prostitutes: "Prostitutes wear purple clothes at dusk, and love songs are full of fragrance ... Luo is for you, and Zhao Dance is for you." Two kinds of women, expensive and cheap, play the role of guiding the new trend of society in clothing and beauty at the same time. The preference of women in the Tang dynasty for "Hu makeup" is also very distinctive. "Round ridge bun, no?

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