Write a short paragraph describing culture and values during the Tang and Song dynasties.

The Song dynasty (960-1279 AD) was a culturally rich and sophisticated age for China. There was blossoming of and advancements in the visual arts, music, literature, and philosophy. Officials of the ruling bureaucracy, who underwent a strict and extensive examination process, reached new heights of education in Chinese society, while general Chinese culture was enhanced by widespread printing, growing literacy, and various arts.

In science, the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907) contributed a lot to the development of astronomy, medicine and printing technique in Chinese history. The famous astronomer, Monk Yixing, was the first to successfully measure the length of the meridian line. The well-known King of Medicine, Sun Simiao, wrote a medical book Qianjin Fang (Thousand Golden Prescriptions) which was considered the treasure of traditional Chinese medicine. In 868, the Chinese translation of the Diamond Sutra was printed, nowadays recognized as the earliest engraved printing in the world.