• Travelling by the sik road or by sea, many foreigners came to China
• During Sui, there were more than 10 foreign business partners.
• In Tang, the number increased to more than 70
• Tang's government encouraged foreigners to open up businesses in China, allowed to to stay for an indefinite period, allowed intermarriages between races, and allowed them to take official positions
• China during Tang was famous throughout the world. Foreigners started to call Chinese "the people of Tang" instead of the former "the people of Han"
• countries of exchange were Japan, peninsula of India, Afghanistan, Byzantine Empire, and various countries from Southeastern Asia, Western Asia, Europe and Africa

Food

• lots of varieties
• Cakes were popular -- many different varieties such as braized cake, steamed cake, thin cake, etc.
• Hu cake was the main meal
• many vegetables were foreign (such as lettuce)
• tea and alcohol were popular
• learned the art of making grape wine from foreigners