Blog # 7

The three scholar pieces, Missiological Reflections on Nestorian Christianity in China during the Tang Dynasty by David Bundy, Daily Life in the Capital by Valerie Hansen, and Golden Peaches of Samarkand by Edward Schafer, although different, they all mention the influence of “others” on the Chinese culture, specifically, on the city of Chang’an in particular, during the Tang period.   

In order to understand each piece, I will break down each article and then draw a common conclusion for all.

The first article, Daily life in the Capital, focuses on the commercial as well as cultural exchanges that occurred in Chang’an, a major city in the Tang dynasty. At first the author explains the layout of the city, and then discuss the 2 major features of the city. This article as opposed to Bundy’s is more personal and gives to the reader a sense of what it was actually like living in Chang’an at the time.

The second article deals with the existence of Nestorian Christians in Tang China. It relied deeply on the teachings of its monks and Nestorian Christian life centered on the monasteries’ activities. The Nestorian Christians in China had accomplished much, however they failed to have a very profound impact in China and not much of a following compared to Buddhism and Manichaeism. The Nestorians left Mesopotamia and travelled East most likely because of being separated by the growing Islamic existence, which sidelined the other pre-existing traditions in the region.

The third article, Golden Peaches of Samarkand focuses on all the foreign contact experienced by the Chinese in the city of Chang’an during the Tang period through mainly commercial trade. The foreign contact ranges from the Tang Chinese’s trade with the Malayan Indians to Persians to the Japanese.  The author of this article mainly details the attitude of the Chinese faced by foreigners entering China, either by land or by sea.