| During the Qin 秦 (221 BC to 207 BC) and Han Dynasties 汉 (206 BC to 220 AD) the Yan State 燕国, which included Beijing, was brought under the central control of the Han culture based in Chang'an, today's Xi'an. After the fall of the Han Dynasty, the north was ruled by various kingdoms and wasn't reabsorbed until the Tang Dynasty 唐 (618 to 907) conquered the separate kingdoms and brought them under central contol again. China again broke up after the Tang Dynasty fell and Beijing was ruled by the Khitan (Liao Dynasty) and Jurchen tribes (Jin Dynasty) from the north. Both the Khitan and Jurchen societies had elaborate and sophisticated designs used in jewelry and ornaments. The ornament shown above was carved during the Liao Dynasty, when Beijing was under the control of the Khitan culture. The capital of the Northern Song 北宋 Dynasty (960 to 1127) was in Kaifeng, to the south. |
