Beyond and behind the wall : Siege warfare of Sui-Tang China, 600-900

This chapter seeks to highlight the increasing importance of siege warfare in Sui-Tang China between the 7th and 9th centuries. By identifying the major trends that characterized Chinese siege warfare from a macro perspective and the major factors that shaped them, it sheds new light on how Chinese armies adapted to shifting modes of warfare by adjusting military strategies and employing siege tactics in response to internal and external military threats during the middle period. In addition, it also demonstrates that there was a shift in siege and counter-siege tactics during the 8th and 9th centuries, with a particular focus on the employment of projectile weaponry, underground operations, and blockade tactics.