---
title: "Tang Dynasty Emperors (618–907): From Gaozu to Ai"
url: https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/
language: en
description: The emperors of the Tang dynasty (618–907) in order, from Gaozu and Taizong to Empress Wu, Xuanzong and Emperor Ai, with a short account of each reign.
alternates:
  zh-Hant: https://realrareantiques.com/zh-hant/tang-dynasty-emperors/
  zh-Hans: https://realrareantiques.com/zh-hans/tang-dynasty-emperors/
---

# Tang Dynasty Emperors

The Tang Dynasty ruled China from 618 to 907. For much of that time, and above all in its first century and a half, China enjoyed peace and prosperity and was one of the strongest states in the world.

The Tang is often called a golden age of Chinese civilisation.

**Dates:** 618 to 907
**Rulers:** 23

## **Establishment of the****Tang Dynasty**

As the Sui Dynasty collapsed, Li Yuan, the military commander at Taiyuan in Shanxi, rose in revolt in 617 and took the capital, Chang’an. He placed a young Sui prince on the throne as a puppet emperor and governed in his name.

When the Sui emperor Yang was murdered in 618, Li Yuan took the throne himself and founded the Tang Dynasty. At its height, Tang power reached from the Korean peninsula to northern Vietnam and westward into Central Asia.

## **Arts and Culture of the Tang**

The Tang Dynasty was a brilliant period for Chinese arts and culture.

Music and dance flourished at court, where large orchestras played bells, stone chimes, flutes, drums and zithers.

Tang China also welcomed foreign ideas. Merchants from Persia and Central Asia travelled the Silk Road to Chang’an, Arab and Persian traders came by sea to the southern ports, and the music and dance of Central Asia became fashionable at court.

Poetry was the greatest pride of the Tang. Poets drew on earlier forms and perfected new ones, above all lüshi (regulated verse) and jueju (quatrains), which became highly popular.

Nearly 50,000 poems by more than 2,000 Tang poets survive. Short stories, histories and encyclopaedias were also written.

The period also saw important advances in technology. Woodblock printing developed under the Tang, and the Diamond Sutra of 868 is the earliest dated printed book to survive.

Tang alchemists made the earliest known experiments with gunpowder, and the kilns of northern China made fine white porcelain, notably Xing ware. Map-making and astronomical instruments also advanced in this period.

## Timeline of reigns, 618–907

1. [Emperor Gaozu](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-gaozu/)
2. [Emperor Taizong](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-taizong/)
3. [Emperor Gaozong](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-gaozong/)
4. [Emperor Zhongzong (First Reign)](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-zhongzong-the-first-reign/)
5. [Emperor Ruizong (First Reign)](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-ruizong-his-first-rule-in-the-tang-dynasty/)
6. [Empress Wu Zetian](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/empress-wu-zetian/)
7. [Emperor Zhongzong (Second Reign)](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-zhongzong-his-second-reign/)
8. [Emperor Ruizong (Second Reign)](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-ruizong-his-second-rule-of-the-tang/)
9. [Emperor Xuanzong](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-xuanzong/)
10. [Emperor Suzong](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-suzong/)
11. [Emperor Daizong](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-daizong/)
12. [Emperor Dezong](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-dezong/)
13. [Emperor Shunzong](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-shunzong/)
14. [Emperor Xianzong](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-xianzong/)
15. [Emperor Muzong](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-muzong/)
16. [Emperor Jingzong](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-jingzong/)
17. [Emperor Wenzong](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-wenzong/)
18. [Emperor Wuzong](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-wuzong/)
19. [Emperor Xuanzong of the 9th Century](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-xuanzong-of-the-9th-century/)
20. [Emperor Yizong](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-yizong/)
21. [Emperor Xizong](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-xizong/)
22. [Emperor Zhaozong](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-zhaozong/)
23. [Emperor Ai](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-ai/)

### Tang Dynasty

- [Emperor Gaozu618–626 · 武德Founded the Tang dynasty and abdicated in favour of his son Li Shimin after the Xuanwu Gate incident.](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-gaozu/)
- [Emperor Taizong626–649 · 貞觀His Zhenguan reign became the model of good government for every later Chinese dynasty.](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-taizong/)
- [Emperor Gaozong649–683 · 永徽 顯慶 龍朔 …Tang territory reached its greatest extent under him, while real power passed steadily to Empress Wu.](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-gaozong/)
- [Emperor Zhongzong (First Reign)684 · 嗣聖Deposed by his mother Empress Wu after only eight weeks on the throne.](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-zhongzong-the-first-reign/)
- [Emperor Ruizong (First Reign)684–690 · 文明 光宅 垂拱 …Reigned in name only while Empress Wu governed, then yielded the throne when she founded her own Zhou dynasty.](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-ruizong-his-first-rule-in-the-tang-dynasty/)

### Wu Zhou

- [Empress Wu Zetian690–705 · 天授 如意 長壽 …The only woman to rule China as emperor in her own name, she proclaimed a Zhou dynasty in 690 and widened entry to government through the examinations.](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/empress-wu-zetian/)

### Tang Dynasty

- [Emperor Zhongzong (Second Reign)705–710 · 神龍 景龍Restored in 705, he left government to Empress Wei, who is believed to have poisoned him.](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-zhongzong-his-second-reign/)
- [Emperor Ruizong (Second Reign)710–712 · 景雲 太極 延和Returned to the throne after his son Li Longji overthrew Empress Wei, and abdicated to him two years later.](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-ruizong-his-second-rule-of-the-tang/)
- [Emperor Xuanzong712–756 · 先天 開元 天寶Presided over the Kaiyuan golden age of Tang poetry, music and sancai ceramics, which ended in the An Lushan rebellion.](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-xuanzong/)
- [Emperor Suzong756–762 · 至德 乾元 上元Took the throne in exile during the An Lushan rebellion and recovered both capitals with Uyghur help.](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-suzong/)
- [Emperor Daizong762–779 · 寶應 廣德 永泰 …Ended the An Lushan rebellion, but left the regional military governors stronger than the court.](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-daizong/)
- [Emperor Dezong779–805 · 建中 興元 貞元Introduced the twice-yearly tax reform and survived a mutiny that drove him from Chang'an.](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-dezong/)
- [Emperor Shunzong805 · 永貞Crippled by a stroke before his accession, he reigned for less than a year while the Yongzhen reformers tried to curb the eunuchs.](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-shunzong/)
- [Emperor Xianzong805–820 · 元和Brought the rebellious provinces back under court control in the Yuanhe restoration.](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-xianzong/)
- [Emperor Muzong820–824 · 長慶A short reign in which the provinces regained their independence from the court.](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-muzong/)
- [Emperor Jingzong824–827 · 寶曆Came to the throne as a teenager and was murdered by his own eunuchs after two years.](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-jingzong/)
- [Emperor Wenzong827–840 · 大和 開成His attempt to destroy the eunuchs failed in the Sweet Dew incident of 835.](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-wenzong/)
- [Emperor Wuzong840–846 · 會昌Ordered the Huichang persecution that closed thousands of Buddhist monasteries.](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-wuzong/)
- [Emperor Xuanzong of the 9th Century846–859 · 大中Remembered as the last capable Tang ruler, restoring order and recovering the Hexi corridor.](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-xuanzong-of-the-9th-century/)
- [Emperor Yizong859–873 · 咸通His lavish court and the famous Famen Temple relic procession coincided with rising unrest.](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-yizong/)
- [Emperor Xizong873–888 · 乾符 廣明 中和 …Fled Chang'an when Huang Chao's rebels sacked the capital in 880.](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-xizong/)
- [Emperor Zhaozong888–904 · 龍紀 大順 景福 …Struggled to rule through the warlords and was murdered on the orders of Zhu Wen.](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-zhaozong/)
- [Emperor Ai904–907 · 天祐The last Tang emperor, forced to abdicate to Zhu Wen, founder of the Later Liang.](https://realrareantiques.com/tang-dynasty-emperors/emperor-ai/)

The porcelain that followed: [Song dynasty ceramics](https://realrareantiques.com/song-dynasty-ceramics/) and [Song pieces in our collection](https://realrareantiques.com/product-category/antique-chinese-porcelain/song-dynasty-porcelain/).