Huai Su's Autobiography, scribed in 776 AD by Buddhist monk Huai Su (725–785 AD), is considered one of the finest cursive script works in Chinese history. The original is lost, but three modelling copies existed; the Shu version is deemed superior to the Su version held at the National Palace Museum in Taipei for its artistic variability and consistency with Huai Su's style. Huai Su's cursive script tradition traces back to Han Dynasty calligraphers and was influenced by his discourse with Yan Zhenqing.
Chang'an during the Tang Dynasty (particularly 710 CE) was a massive gridded city with six major avenues of varying widths, from 82 feet at the narrowest to 492 feet for the Imperial Way, which facilitated fire containment and connected the southern gates to the northern palace complex. The city's hierarchical layout reflected cosmological principles and imperial authority, with nested districts (outer walls, imperial district, and palace district) oriented toward the south to receive foreign dignitaries.