The Sui reunified China, whilst the Tang extended the territory they controlled, particularly to the west of a state that had previously been centred on the Huang He and Yangtze basins. This expansion brought new cultural influences to bear on design, some from as far afield as Persia. Under the Sui and Tang a national civil service was created, leading to bureaucratisation and standardisation with the power of the Imperial Court in matters of taste taking on new significance. In response to this, and to increased wealth levels, designers and craftspeople produced more substantial artefacts of greater complexity and striking decoration. Many of the earliest still existing major works of civil engineering result from projects undertaken during this period: these include the digging of the Grand Canal, the development of urban planning, and the creation of Buddhist temples that still mark today’s skylines.

Authors and Affiliations

1. School of Fine Arts, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China

   Qi Shao

2. School of Design, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China

   Xiaojing Wen

3. Department of Geography, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

   Paul White

Corresponding author

Correspondence toQi Shao.

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