Shop:
Shen Yun Creations
Artist Fashion
Shen Yun Collections
Shen Yun Performing Arts
  • The Performance
    9 Characteristics of Shen Yun
    Classical Chinese Dance
  • The Company
    Our Story
    Artists
    Challenges We Face
    About Shen Yun
    Performing Arts
    Symphony Orchestra
    Press Releases
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • News
  • Blog
  • 5,000 Years
    Chinese Dance
    Music
    Vocal Music
    Shen Yun Costumes
    Digital Projection
    Shen Yun Props
    Stories and History
    Shen Yun and Traditional Chinese Culture
  • FAQ
  • Newsletter Support Employment Search
    English
  • 中文正體
  • 中文简体
  • 日本語
  • 한국어
  • Česky
  • Deutsch
  • Español
  • Français
  • Indonesia
  • Italiano
  • Nederlands
  • Polski
  • Português
  • Pусский
  • Svenska
  • Việt
  • עברית
  • What's New Buy Tickets
    Menu
    Shen Yun Logo
    Tickets
    What’s New
    Menu
    • The Performance
      • 9 Characteristics of Shen Yun
      • Classical Chinese Dance
    • The Company
      • The Company
      • Our Story
      • Artists
      • Challenges We Face
      • About Shen Yun
        Performing Arts
      • Symphony Orchestra
      • Press Releases
    • Videos
    • Reviews
    • News
    • Blog
    • 5,000 Years
      • 5,000 Years
      • Chinese Dance
      • Music
      • Vocal Music
      • Shen Yun Costumes
      • Digital Projection
      • Shen Yun Props
      • Stories and History
      • Shen Yun and Traditional Chinese Culture
    • FAQ
    • Shop
      • Shen Yun Creations
      • Artist Fashion
      • Shen Yun Gift Shop
    Shen Yun 9 Characteristics Link Image

    What Makes Us Unique?

    DISCOVER THE 9 CHARACTERISTICS
    • Employment
    • Support
    • Subscribe
    • Search
    Language
    • 中文正體
    • 中文简体
    • 日本語
    • 한국어
    • Česky
    • Deutsch
    • Español
    • Français
    • Indonesia
    • Italiano
    • Nederlands
    • Polski
    • Português
    • Pусский
    • Svenska
    • Việt
    • עברית
      Explore
      Back Explore > The Ming Dynasty

    The Ming Dynasty

    A
    A

    The Ming dynasty’s first emperor, Ming Taizu, did not begin life destined for royalty. Born a Chinese peasant named Zhu Yuanzhang, he first pursued life as a Buddhist monk. But, as the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty weakened amidst internal rivalries, Zhu joined an emerging rebellion and soon came to lead a powerful army.

    In 1368, several years after his forces conquered Nanjing, Zhu proclaimed himself emperor and founded the Ming dynasty, returning ethnic Han rule to China. Over the next two centuries, China’s regional and global influence grew, three of the four classics of Chinese literature were written, and the magnificent palaces of the Forbidden City were built.

    The Ming dynasty reached its peak during the reign of its third emperor, Ming Chengzu (1403–1424). He moved the capital from Nanjing to Beijing, excelled as a military strategist, constructed the Forbidden City, and made important contributions to global exploration and the humanities. Ming Chengzu gained the name Yongle, meaning “perpetual happiness.” This title reflected the prosperity of his era and the cultural and military achievements that rivaled those of the great Han and Tang dynasties.

    Among Ming Chengzu’s contributions to Chinese culture was the completion of the Yongle Encyclopedia, a monumental volume that covered subjects ranging from astronomy to medicine to the yin-yang theory. The completed text exceeded 3.7 billion words, and preserved countless ancient works, though today only select portions of it have survived.

    Religion and philosophy were an important part of Ming dynasty life. Taoism flourished, particularly during the reign of Emperor Jiajing (1521–1567). A pious and devoted disciple of the Tao School, he built three famous Beijing temples: the Temple of the Sun, the Temple of the Earth, and the Temple of the Moon.

    Among the most lasting contributions of the Ming era were three novels, written in the vernacular, whose stories remain some of the most well-loved pieces of Chinese literature today: Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Outlaws of the Marsh, and Journey to the West. Several Shen Yun performances portray episodes from these classics, including the adventures of the Monkey King.

    Three important personalities epitomize the achievements of the Ming dynasty:

    • Zheng He (1371–1433): An admiral who was commissioned by the emperor to explore the Pacific and Indian oceans. He took seven voyages during a span of 28 years, visiting over 30 countries and reaching as far as eastern Africa, the Red Sea, and some historians say even America (several decades before Columbus). His expeditions helped promote international trade and spread Chinese culture.

    • Li Shizhen (1518–1593): A prominent herbologist, acupuncturist, and Chinese medical doctor, Li Shizhen wrote Compendium of Materia Medica, the most in-depth medical book in traditional Chinese medicine, still used today as a key reference.

    • Wang Yangming (1472–1529): A philosopher-official during Emperor Jiajing’s reign. Wang promoted the Neo-Confucian School, which grew to become a major branch of Confucian philosophy.

    Following the rule of Emperor Shenzong (1573–1620), the Ming dynasty began to decline. Its final years were plagued by corruption and conspiracies by eunuch officials. In 1644, the dynasty ended at the hands of a peasant rebellion led by Li Zicheng and the subsequent suicide of Emperor Weizong.

    July 11, 2011

    RELATED CONTENT
    • Leading Article Drama Watermargin
      Outlaws of the Marsh
    • Monkey King V2
      Journey to the West
    • Leading History Qin
      The Qin Dynasty
    • Leading History Han
      The Han Dynasty
    • Leading History Ns
      The Northern and Southern Dynasties
    • Leading History Tang
      The Tang Dynasty
    • Leading History Song
      The Song Dynasty
    • Leading Img Yuan
      The Yuan Dynasty
    • Leading History Qing
      The Qing Dynasty

    Previous

    The Qing Dynasty

    Next

    The Yuan Dynasty

    Tags

    • Imperial Court Life
    • Chinese Language & Writing
    • Taoism
    • Dynasties
    • Traditional Virtues
    RELATED CONTENT
    • Outlaws of the Marsh
      Leading Article Drama Watermargin
    • Journey to the West
      Monkey King V2
    • The Qin Dynasty
      Leading History Qin
    • The Han Dynasty
      Leading History Han
    • The Northern and Southern Dynasties
      Leading History Ns
    • The Tang Dynasty
      Leading History Tang
    • The Song Dynasty
      Leading History Song
    • The Yuan Dynasty
      Leading Img Yuan
    • The Qing Dynasty
      Leading History Qing
      Shen Yun logo golden
      Shen Yun logo golden

      Shen Yun Performing Arts is the world's premier classical Chinese dance and music company, established in New York in 2006. It performs classical Chinese dance, ethnic and folk dance, and story-based dance, with orchestral accompaniment and solo performers. For 5,000 years, divine culture flourished in the land of China. Through breathtaking music and dance, Shen Yun is reviving this glorious culture. Shen Yun, or 神韻, can be translated as: “The beauty of divine beings dancing.”

      About
    • Shen Yun Performing Arts
    • Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra
    • Challenges We Face
    • Shen Yun & Spirituality
    • Meet the Artists
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Press Releases
    • Employment Opportunities
    • Videos
    • Latest & Featured
    • About Shen Yun
    • Meet the Artists
    • Reviews
    • News & Blog
    • News & Reviews
    • Featured
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Explore
    • Chinese Dance
    • Music
    • Vocal Music
    • Shen Yun Costumes
    • Digital Projection
    • Shen Yun Props
    • Stories and History
    • Shen Yun and Traditional Chinese Culture
    • Shen Yun Creations
      Artist Fashion
      Shen Yun Collections
      Friends of Shen Yun
      Tian Yin Music Store
      Guestbook
    • Support
    • Subscribe
    Shen Yun Performing Arts Official Website Artist Fashion Shen Yun Collections Friends of Shen Yun Copyright ©2022 Shen Yun Performing Arts. All Rights Reserved.
    Contact us Terms Privacy Site map