Tang East Market Guilds

Timeline

1. c. 780–820East Market, Chang'an · ShaanxiAfter the An Lushan Rebellion, Chang'an's population and commercial tax system were reorganized; under Emperors Dezong and Xianzong the East Market recovered as a distribution hub for North China luxury goods and Western Regions goods, with guilds resuming functions of trade registration, price coordination, and payment of taxes to the market office.
2. c. 820–860East Market, Chang'an · ShaanxiIn the first half of the 9th century, East Market guilds subdivided by trade into dozens of hang, including damask and silk, jewelry, ironware, and food and drink; each hang had a hangtou (hang head) who represented the trade in dealings with the market office and enforced internal rules on quality inspection, mutual aid, and festival offerings.
3. c. 860–900East Market, Chang'an · ShaanxiLate Tang regional warlordism and the Huang Chao Rebellion disrupted Chang'an commerce; although East Market guilds still maintained market-office registration and trade regulations, heavier commercial taxes and population outflow left some trade guilds nominal only, laying groundwork for the ward-market system reforms of the Five Dynasties and Northern Song.