The Tang dynasty (618-907) is often referred to as a golden age of Buddhism in China. This research, concentrated on the first half of the dynasty (618-755), shows that Buddhism's impact on Tang aristocratic society has been overestimated. Looking at models of the familial and social order that one can extract from the Tang Code as well as from some literary works of the period, the picture emerging is that Tang society was a highly stratified one, and based on Confucian values. Buddhism, in order to establish and maintain itself in China, had to compromise with those values. However, its efforts to conciliate its doctrine with some Confucian precepts did not suffice to prevent its decline. Ultimately, Confucian values were reaffirmed as the sole basis of Chinese society, and remained so until the end of the Qing dynasty, in 1911.

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