On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v1.c5.6

v1.c5.6

"As to our great T'ang dynasty, it assumed empire in accordance with Heaven, and taking advantage of the times it concentrated power to itself. [His Majesty] has made the six units of countries into one empire and this his glory fills; he is a fourth to the Three Huang and his light illumines the world. His subtle influence permeates widely and his auspicious example has a far-reaching stimulus. Combining Heaven's covering with Earth's containing powers he unites in himself the rousing force of wind and the refreshing action of rain. As to Eastern barbarians bringing tribute and "Western barbarians submitting themselves"¹ in founding an imperial inheritance for his posterity,² in bringing order out of chaos and restoring settled government,³ he certainly surpasses former kings and sums up in himself all that previous dynasties had attained. That there is a uniformity of culture⁴ over all the empire is the marvellous