"They went to one of the many restaurants lining the 500-foot-wide avenue leading south from the imperial city. After some discussion about what sort of food they wanted, they chose a place renowned for its spicy noodles, mare's teat grape wine and dancers." (Whitfield "The Merchant's Tale")
Speaker: Whitfield
Subject: Chang'an and the journey of the merchant through the Silk Road. From the northern region of the Abbasid empire to Chang'an. Describes one of Nanaivandak, the merchant's journey.
Occasion: visit to Chang'an and observations. It shows that it has a cosmopolitan nature and the entertainment offered to prosperous merchants.
Purpose: shows how diverse Chang'an is, how developed. Show variety of cultures and foods available, which symbolizes the economic prosperity during the Tang dynasty, due to the rapid growth in population in cities, which attracted many entrepreneurs and private small enterprises from other towns and cities. Foreign inputs flowed into this capital ie: restaurants, churches, such as Nestorian churches and Zoroastrian temples~ thus had religious tolerance. Attracted many weary travelers.
General Time period: approximately mid-700 C.E. 730-750 CE