The key connotation of “wegroup consciousness” is a common sense of belonging among people, that is, their sense of identity and collective consciousness to the nation and country. Therefore, a people with “wegroup consciousness” will possess a strong national pride and cohesive force. In the Tang Dynasty, both the Han people, the homemigrated minorities and those ethnics around China all possessed a “wegroup consciousness” and considered themselves proudly as the Tang people. The enormous cohesive force initiated by the “wegroup consciousness” once played an important part in the rise and prosperity of the great Tang Empire. However, it was the great difference between the stategoverning system and the regionsaddling system imposed respectively in inland areas and northwestern borders that resulted in great contrast in possessing the “wegroup consciousness” and affected the stability of the rule of the Tang Dynasty in northwestern China.

“wegroup consciousness”; sense of identity; the Tang people; the regionsaddling system