<P> The Tang dynasty or the Tang Empire ( Chinese : 唐 朝 ) was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period . It is generally regarded as a high point in Chinese civilization , and a golden age of cosmopolitan culture . Its territory , acquired through the military campaigns of its early rulers , rivaled that of the Han dynasty , and the Tang capital at Chang'an ( present - day Xi'an ) was the most populous city in the world . </P>
the capital of the tang dynasty and the largest city in the world at the time was
Chang'an