A cherished icon

About 70 kilometers from the Tang capital Chang'an — today's Xi'an in Shaanxi province — lies the Zhaoling Mausoleum in Xianyang, Li Shimin's resting place. It is the largest Tang Dynasty royal mausoleum.

Although the main grave where the emperor and his empress are buried remains mostly untouched, about 200 satellite graves, which belonged to concubines, princes and high officials, have yielded a trove of items, as if from a time capsule, key examples of which can be seen in the ongoing exhibition.

A mural portraying a smiling court lady is one such example. Dressed in a blouse with exquisite decorative patterns on its sleeves, a long skirt, and a knot of silk tied in across the front of her chest, the woman not only demonstrates the fashion and aesthetics of the Zhenguan period, but also provides an important academic reference for how attire evolved.

Another exhibit from the mausoleum, a blue-glazed pottery figurine of a standing woman, also reveals elegance and a sense of nobility, while the rarely seen color of the time indicates cross-cultural influences, as the ingredients for the dye may well have been brought to China along the Silk Road, Feng says.

"To modern eyes, the figurine's attire may look Japanese," Feng adds. "But it just reminds us of how the style originated and how Tang aesthetics influenced those of its neighbors."

The curator also adds that governance was effective and social harmony prevailed during the Zhenguan era, and that the Tang people of the period did not have access to the luxuriant attire of the later period.

"People were elegant, their style combining a demeanor of composure and vitality," she says. "In these murals and figurines, the beauty of the era reveals a sense of confidence, and this is vividly portrayed."

As a musician, calligrapher and poet, Emperor Taizong fully understood the importance of culture in creating prosperity.

"Clouds hide the sun above layered palaces, while mist and wind rise from the splendid forests," he once wrote in a stanza for a chant to celebrate the grandeur of Chang'an.