The Tang dynasty (618-907 CE) “brand” has persisted in East Asia for more than millennia after the empire’s fall. “Brand” here refers to a type of style in living, culture, and art. The Tang dynasty also features the only woman to become emperor thus far in Chinese history. Arguably, the northern nomadic tribes and the flowering of the Silk Road had as much influence on the Tang brand and its social norms as the Han classical heritage. And yet, while later non-Han peoples invaded and conquered the geographical region of China–like the Yuan or the Qing dynasties–only the Tang is known as the “we” as opposed to “them.” A thousand years later, people still talk about the Mongol invaders whereas the Tang is regarded as one of the glorious dynasties of China. Using textual and archaeological/visual materials, Liu will talk about the Tang dynasty, its arts and the cultural impact of its branding on Chinese identity today.

Chao-Hui Jenny Liu is Field Director for the Princeton University Peking Opera Immersion Program in Shanghai and Coordinator of the East Asian Studies Program. After earning an M.Phil. from Cambridge University in Archaeology & Anthropology, Liu received her Ph.D. in Chinese art and archaeology from the University of London (SOAS). Her research focuses on the Tang dynasty (618-907 CE), especially imperial tombs near Xi’an and Luoyang. She has a GIS field project on Zhaoling in Shaanxi, China. At Princeton, she has taught a graduate seminar on “Reading Tombs in Ancient China” and led field trips for both undergraduates and graduate students to museums far and near.

Before coming to Princeton, Liu was Assistant Professor of East Asian Art and Archaeology at New York University and Visiting Professor at Hunter College. She was also the Research Associate (and contributor) for the special exhibition “China: Dawn of a Golden Age (200-750 AD)” at The Met and a researcher for the WWII provenance of Asian art at the Smithsonian.

Introduction and moderation of the Q&A by Lu Zhao, Assistant Professor of Global China Studies, NYU Shanghai; Global Network Assistant Professor, NYU.

Co-hosted by the Center for Global Asia and Global China Studies.