Sui Dynasty

589 AD - 618 AD

Under the Sui Dynasty (589 AD - 618 AD), China was reunited. Yang Chien, the first Sui emperor, was a military servant who usurped the throne of the non-Chinese Northern Chou in 581. In the next eight years, Yang Chien successfully reconquered the Chinese territory. The Sui dynasty re-established the centralized administrative system of the Han and reinstated the competitive tests that were once taken to measure a bureaucrat's competency.

In addition to the re-establishment of the government, there was a re-establishment of religion and their roles. Even though Confucianism was officially endorsed, Taoism and Buddhism were acknowledged in formulating a new ideology for the empire. During this time, Buddhism flourished.

Even though the Sui Dynasty was very short, it was filled with activity. The Great Wall was repaired at the cost of human life; a canal system, which was later formed into the Grand Canal, was constructed to carry water through out China. The eventual fall of the Sui Dynasty was due to losses in southern Manchuria and Northern Korea. With these defeats, the Sui dynasty was left devastated and rebels soon took control of the government.