Abstract: The unearthed epitaph of people in the Tang Dynasty has massively involved in the economic prosperity of Yizhou (Chengdu) and its suburban areas and counties with vivid images, which is a hard evidence of the "Yangzhou No. 1 and Yizhou No. 2 in economy". Recording the natural landscape and topographical advantages of Bashu area in the form of historical allusions, the unearthed epitaphs reflect that people at that time had developed a stereotype for the regional image of Bashu in the Tang Dynasty. The epitaphs demonstrate the traffic routes from and to Shu and road conditions, which can be used to roughly calculate the traffic time and efficiency of the road leading to Shu in the Tang Dynasty, compared to mere mileage from Chengdu to Chang'an and Luoyang recorded in Book of Han • Geography. In addition to the above, the descriptions of evil of banditry and chaos caused by war in the epitaphs also serve as valuable information for understanding social environment along the traffic routes in Shu in the Tang Dynasty.
Keywords: Unearthed Epitaphs of Tang Dynasty; Bashu Area; Road Traffic Leading to Shu
The Chinese version appeared in Journal of Chinese Culture, 2020(05).