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Updated Monday, March 3, 2008 0:00 am TWN, By Joe Hung, The China Post

Tang Xuan Zong

Xuan Zong (玄宗) held the throne from 712 until 756, the longest reign of the Tang Dynasty. He began with great promise. It was largely because of his initiative that his father Yin Zong (濬宗) had been restored to the throne, and he was successful in crushing court intrigues which threatened him. Under him, the Tang reached the pinnacle of its glory. The empire was wealthier and more populous than the Han had ever been. That was partly because the fertile Yangtze valley had been extensively developed by the Han Chinese.

Xuan Zong is better known for his love for his imperial concubine Yang guei-fei (楊貴妃), who is immortalized by Po Chu-yi's (Bo Juyi's) Song of Eternal Sorrow (長恨歌). He inaugurated a school for the teaching of music. At his court were some of the most distinguished poets and painters China has known — Li Po and Tu Fu among the former, and Wu Daozi and Wang Wei among the latter.

Above all, Xuan Zong was so personally attached to Taoism to give the Tao Te King the status of Jing (經), or Classic, placing it on par with Confucian texts in that designation. Taoism again was restored as a state religion.

The establishment of the imperial conservatory is said to have been inspired by music Xuan Zong heard during a tour of the moon.

Xuan Zong had a favorite Taoist master, Lo Gongyuan (羅公遠). They were together on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival in one of the first years of Xuan Zong’s reign of Kai Yuan (開元). While they were viewing the fullest moon of the year, Lo asked the emperor if he was interested in visiting the satellite.

“If it pleases your Majesty, come with me,” the Taoist master said. When they reached the gate of the grand palace on the moon, Xuan Zong saw Immortal Ladies dancing to divine music. Lo told the emperor the music was named Zi yun qu (紫雲曲), or Purple Cloud Song. The emperor thoroughly enjoyed the dancing and music.

He even memrorized the steps as well as the tune. When he returned to his own palace, Xuan Zong had a score written for the tune and taught his ladies-in-waiting how to dance to that music, performed with himself as conductor. He renamed the divine music Ni Shang Yu Yi Qu (霓裳羽衣曲), or Rainbow-colored Plume Costume Song. The dance was dubed Ni Shang Yu Yi Wu (霓裳羽衣舞), or Rainbow-colored Plume Costume Dance. Both are still performed today.

The school established by Xuan Zong developed Taoist music. But that is not the only mysterious episode in which Lo was involved with Xuan Zong, who is also known as Tang Ming Huang (唐明皇).

As he grew old, Ming Huang wanted to learn Taoist magic from the great master. One lifelong aim of a devout Taoist was to become a xian (仙), or an Immortal. Learning Taoist magic certainly was among the first lessons an aspirant had to take.

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