"Tang Dynasty Is Fiction": Bizarre Conspiracy Theory Spreads as Chinese Authorities ...
asiae.co.kr
A history influencer named Chao Yu claims the Tang Dynasty never existed — and Chinese authorities are now pushing back against the viral theory.
Phantom Time HypothesisSocial EpistemologyConspiracy Theory DiffusionInfluencer Effect
Theory Briefing
- History influencer Chao Yu sparked the viral claim that the Tang Dynasty — one of China's most documented eras — is entirely fabricated.
- Chinese authorities called the theory "complete nonsense," citing the dynasty's overwhelming body of historical evidence.
- The episode shows how a single online personality can force official institutions to publicly defend settled history.
- The Tang Dynasty's alleged fictional status is the latest in a pattern of "phantom time" style theories targeting well-evidenced historical periods.