Northern Wei (culture, style, and period)

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Scope note
Refers to the Chinese dynastic culture, style, and period dating 386 to 534 CE. Its capital was initially at Pingcheng but was moved south to Luoyang in 493-494 by Emperor Xiaowendi (reigned 471-499) where a new magnificent city was built on the ruins of the old Chinese capital; by 534 the population was more than half a million. Buddhist art flourished under state and private patronage during most of this period. Cave temples at Yungang were begun in ca. 460; thousands of craftsmen worked for about 35 years to make the temples and adorn them with sculpture and painting. Other cave temples were later made at Longmen at the instigation of Xiaowendi. While Yungang features static icons in a Gandharan style, the sculpture at Longmen is more linear, demonstrating the emerging Chinese style. Northern Wei burial pottery, also influenced by Buddhism, emphasizes frontality and symmetry. The nomadic Touba people began to rely on Chinese institutions to organize and run their state and they also became accustomed to Chinese culture and luxuries; under Xiaowendi Chinese became the official language and the use of Tuoba language was forbidden. The distinction between the 'barbarian' north and 'civilized' south became less marked; nevertheless, northern frontiersmen began to feel neglected and so they revolted, leading to the collapse of the Northern Wei dynasty. Northern China was divided into the Eastern and Western Wei dynasties in 534.
Northern Wei
Accepted term: 18-Nov-2024