In the summer of 2024, Xiaolu Guo travelled from England to China with her eleven-year-old in search of what remains of the ancient past. As they wander through the great cities of Xi'an and Luoyang, and cross rivers such as the Wei and the Yangzi, Xiaolu ponders the achievements of the Tang in science, arts, trade, spirituality, sexuality and women's freedom which sheds new light on our understanding of the Tang Dynasty.