A little wonder, every day
Tang “flying money” were receipts, not banknotes
AI-generated illustrative reconstruction of an early Chinese merchant's paper receipt and market office. It is not an authentic Tang note or a specific historical artifact. Generated with OpenAI image generation; no external source or reuse license applies.
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In eighth-century China, merchants and officials used “flying money,” paper documents that helped transfer funds between places. These were forerunners of bank drafts, not banknotes that anyone could spend in a shop. Paper currency for broader circulation appeared later under the Song dynasty.