Table of Contents
CHAPTERⅠ
WATERS OF THE CHANHE RIVER AND
THE BAHE RIVER MOISTEN THE CITY OF CHANG'AN
CHAPTERⅡ
THINKING OF THE VICISSITUDES WITH WILLOWS IN HAND
CHAPTERⅢ
A NEW CITY BUILT AT THE STARTING POINT OF THE SILK ROAD
CHAPTERⅣ
A PICTURESCLUE WATER CITY
CHAPTERⅤ
FLOWERS ARE BLOSSOMING IN THIS FLOURISHING ERA
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The Sui and Tang dynasties marked the peak of the feudal society of China, and also that of the Chan-Ba area.
It is indeed regretful that the blossoming city of Chang'an was destroyed in late Tang Dynasty, which bad not only affected the history of thee Chan-Ba area, and of the Central Shaanxi Plain area, and of the whole western areas, but of the whole China. The destruction of the Chang'an city cost China its most influential metropolis. Since then, China has never had a city like that. Nowadays, all we can do is but to speculate on its brilliant past by studying the documented records and archaeological materials,and reflect on its significance in history, key city that links every parts of the country together, losing the talents and wealth which converged in the capital area, the social and economic development of western China had also been greatly inflicted.
The decline of Chang'an, which also lost its position as the state capital, resulted in the decline of the Chan-Ba area. In Song, Yuan, Ming,and Qing dynasties, China's center of politics, economy and culture shifted away from Xi'an, making it merely a place of strategic importance. TheChan-Ba area, thus, witnessed its decline.
Several extensions and maintenance operations had been conducted for the Ba Bridge during the Song Dynasty. In the Yuanyou Period of Song,the emperor ordered demolition of over 300 Tang tablets to refurnish the Ba Bridge. In the third year of Zhiyuan Period of Yuan, Liubin raisedcapital to rebuild the bridge, replacing the Ba Bridge constructed within the Sui Dynasty. And in the Daoguang Period of Qing, again extensionswere carried out on the Ba Bridge.