Translation Corner:
Just to enhance visualization~
Hall of Political Discourse – This is where officials would come every morning to discuss politics, policy and national issues. I just watched a documentary that said that officials would have to get up at 4 am every morning to attend this daily requirement, even during Chinese New Year. Only an extremely good reason could excuse a minister from attending.
Here officials would line up in order of rank in rows. The most senior would stand in front and progressively seniority/rank would go downwards the further they were from the Emperor. Ministers would also carry a white plaque. High ministers would carry an ivory one, while progressively lesser officials would carry bamboo ones. Some dynasties required officials to remove their shoes before entering, but in the Tang Dynasty this was not necessary.
The Tang Dynasty was also one of the most open to foreigners. Among the ministers, there were non-Chinese ministers even in very high positions. All around ChangAn, the ancient capitol of Tang, many different types of ethnic groups could be seen, including Koreans, Japanese, Persians, Tibetans, Turkmen, and many other minority groups that don’t have corresponding countries to their ethnicities today.
A Tang Dynasty dress of a woman. Tang style of dress for women was quite low-cut compared to, I think, every other dynasty. I’ve also heard that Tang Dynasty taste in women preferred curvaceous, full-bodied women.
Mecha Mushroom Translations 