Which Chinese dynasty is known as the 'Golden Age' of poetry?

Which Chinese dynasty is known as the “Golden Age” of poetry? The answer is the Tang dynasty. From 618 to 907, poetry became one of the defining achievements of Chinese culture, supported by a wealthy empire, active cities, court patronage, and a civil-service system that valued literary skill.

More than 48,900 poems associated with the Tang period survive, representing over 2,200 authors. Candidates for government office were expected to study and compose poetry, while poems also circulated at banquets, among friends, and in courtly competitions. The period’s most celebrated poets include Li Bai, known for imaginative and wine-filled verse, and Du Fu, whose poems often reflected war, famine, family, and political disorder.

Tang poetry was not a single style. It included older free forms as well as regulated verse, which imposed strict rules on line length, rhyme, and tonal patterns. The “High Tang” is especially associated with literary brilliance, but the dynasty’s poetic legacy continued after its fall and strongly influenced Song-dynasty writers. The label describes a cultural reputation, not a claim that no later Chinese poetry was important.