Book excerpt: Women in Tang society enjoyed experimenting with ways to enhance their charms. Not only enthusiastically adopting fashion styles of foreigners who thronged the capital of Chang'an, they were also some of the earliest cross-dressers in history. Through a close-up look at excavated pottery figures and surviving gold and silver objects, a picture emerges of a remarkably open society in which women took an active part. The Close-Up series is the very first of its kind to give you a fascinating, concise introduction to individual aspects of China and its peoples, past and present. Each topic is presented by chosen experts in their fields who write with brevity for the intelligent reader. Illuminating text is supported by the work of international photographers and with maps and diagrams to give a picture that satisfies curiosity and encourages further reading.