Editing Northern and Southern dynasties (section)

===Other arts===
[[File:Buddhist paintings Yungang.jpg|thumb|upright|Northern Wei wall [[mural]]s and painted figurines from the [[Yungang Grottoes]]]]

The southern dynasties of China were rich in cultural achievement, with the flourishing of [[Buddhism]] and [[Daoism]], especially the latter as two new canons of scriptural writings were created for the [[Shangqing School|Supreme Purity sect]] and its rival the [[Lingbao School|Numinous Treasure Sect]]. The southern Chinese were influenced greatly by the writings of Buddhist monks such as [[Huiyuan (Buddhist)|Huiyuan]], who applied familiar Daoist terms to describe Buddhism for other Chinese. The Chinese were in contact and influenced by cultures of [[India]] and trading partners farther south, such as the kingdoms of [[Kingdom of Funan|Funan]] and [[Champa]] (located in modern-day Cambodia and Vietnam).

The sophistication and complexity of the Chinese arts of poetry, calligraphy, painting, and playing of music reached new heights during this age. The earlier [[Cao Zhi]], son of [[Cao Cao]], is regarded as one of the greatest poets of his day. His style and deep emotional expression in writing influenced later poets of this new age, such as [[Tao Yuanming|Tao Qian]] (365–427) or Tao Yuanming. Even during his lifetime, the written calligraphy of the "Sage of Calligraphy", [[Wang Xizhi]] (307–365), was prized by many and considered a true form of personal expression like other arts. Painting became highly prized with artists such as [[Gu Kaizhi]] (344–406), who largely established the tradition of landscape art in classical [[Chinese painting]] (to learn more, refer to the "Far East" section of the article for [[Painting]]).

Institutions of learning in the south were also renowned, including the [[Zongmingguan]] (Imperial Nanjing University), where the famed Zu Chongzhi (mentioned above) had studied. Zu Chongzhi devised the new Daming Calendar in 465, calculated one year as 365.24281481 days (which is very close to 365.24219878 days as we know today), and calculated the number of overlaps between sun and moon as 27.21223 (which is very close to 27.21222 as we know today). Using this number he successfully predicted 4 eclipses during a period of 23 years (from 436 to 459).

Although multiple-story towers such as guard towers and residential apartments existed in previous periods,<ref>[http://collection.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/results.do;jsessionid=A0082D7F7A6F75A8FF3C7AEFB2CE697C?view=detail&db=object&id=24275 Art Gallery NSW]</ref> during this period the distinct [[Chinese pagoda]] tower (for storing Buddhist scriptures) evolved from the [[stupa]], the latter originating from Buddhist traditions of protecting sutras in ancient [[India]].

{{wide image|Zhigongtu full.jpg|1800px|A [[Song dynasty]] (960–1279) copy of a lost [[Liang dynasty]] original from 526-539: ''[[Portraits of Periodical Offering]]'' of Liang by Xiao Yi. Foreign emissaries to the Liang court, from right to left: Uar([[Hephthalites]]); [[Persia]]; [[Baekje]]; [[Qiuci]]; Wo ([[Japan]]); [[Langkasuka]]; [[Dengzhi]] (鄧至) of Qiang ethnic group; [[Kargilik County|Karghalik]] ([[Yarkant County|Yarkand]], 周古柯), [[Kabadiyan]] (呵跋檀), [[Kumedhan]] (胡蜜丹), [[Baiti]] (白題, of similar [[Hephthalite]] stocks), whom dwell close to Hephthalite; Mo ([[Qiemo Town|Qiemo]]) (且末). [[National Museum of China]].}}