Ming Dynasty Construction

435 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Summary of the ming dynasty

The Chinese Ming Dynasty, stretching between the mid 14th to mid 17th century, saw the completion of many great feats of architecture in order to convey the immense wealth and power of various emperors and government officials. The complex shown is only an example of many buildings that were completed using various architectural and stylistic feats of the Dynasty. One example of an architectural complex completed within the Ming Dynasty is the Forbidden City (c. 1406-1420). The vast imperial palace was built within Beijing in order to consolidate royal power. The Ming dynasty, marked by isolationist practices, invested time in both further developing design and artistic integrity within architecture as well as composing vast and impressive …show more content…

According to traditional Chinese beliefs, roofs are platforms for communication between the mortal and spirit worlds. It is likely that the architects of both complexes believed that, along with countless others of the time, ridges and eaves should be decorated with animals, symbolic beasts, heroes, or gods so that they could serve as guardians, warding off evil and attracting blessings and good fortune. Both structures communicate the immense power that they set off to convey. The buildings in the images all surround the huge and intricately designed circular structure; the circular building stands directly in the center of the area, thus gathering the attention of all present within the well fortified complex. The Forbidden City alludes towards power by clearly conveying the separation of powers. The southern half, or outer court, contains spectacular palace compounds of supra-human scale. This outer court belonged to the realm of state affairs, and only men had access to its spaces. It included the emperor’s formal reception halls, places for religious rituals and state ceremonies, and the Meridian Gate that served as the main

Show More
Related

  • Changes And Continuities In The Shang Dynasty

    1657 Words  | 4 Pages

    The founder of the Qin dynasty was Qin Shi Huangdi, a title meaning “First Emperor.” He was a brutal ruler, but he brought about many changes. However, in addition to all the new, some old ideas were continued from the Zhou, such as the emphasis on the wheat and rice staple foods, and the philosophies, Confucianism and Daoism. The old continuities tended to have been deeply embraced by China, and, just as the Zhou did, the Qin would create some ideas that lasted, and some that did not. Qin Shi Huangdi enforced a tough autocratic rule and, as a result, opposed formal culture that could make people counter his rule. This meant that he burned many books and attacked Confucian ideas in order to keep the people from generating rebellious ideas. When the Qin dynasty fell, so too did the opposition towards education, because it took away from the civilization culturally. Despite the fact that the Qin dynasty was very short and had little time to fully develop its systems and ideas, it did pump out a vast quantity of new and lasting concepts, such as the Great Wall and a central government. One of the biggest contenders for the most well-known feature of the Qin dynasty is the Great Wall. This architectural masterpiece extends over 3,000 miles, and was mainly a

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast The Han And Roman Empires

    563 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Han Dynasty and Roman Empire existed around the same time period and both lasted around 400 years. They each had large populations (around 50 million), conquered enemies they felt as a threat, wanted to spread their boundaries and had strong militaries. The Han Dynasty, located in China, was built on other dynasties such as the Qin and Zhou. The Great Wall of China was built during

    Read More

  • Achievements of the Tang and Song Dynasty

    606 Words  | 2 Pages

    During the Tang and Song dynasty, many excellent achievements have been accomplished which are still being preserved and used widely over centuries. Their citizens were excelled in many fields with several of new and practical inventions which all directly affected the citizens’ lives.

    Read More

  • The Three Empires

    952 Words  | 2 Pages

    As in terms of economics, China grew prosperous through trade, military expansion, invention of tools and other means of convenience and through the market economy. From the Han Dynasty China began to build again. The Sui Dynasty constructed the Grand Canal. The Grand Canal was an artificial canal that extended 1,240 miles. It enabled merchants and farmers to travel by water, selling an abundance of rice and other crops. This canal was extremely expensive but throughout the years paid itself off by providing travel routes north and south of China. The Sui Dynasty also built palaces, granarie...

    Read More

  • Li Si and the Qin Dynasty

    1291 Words  | 3 Pages

    Li Si The "Historical Records," written by Sima Qian, is a historical account which showcases how the corrupted legalist system of the Qin Dynasty led to the loss of the Mandate of Heaven and the fall of the Empire. Qian, who lived during the Han Dynasty, used the example of Li Si, the Chief Minister of the Emperors of the Qin Dynasty, to emphasis the newly accepted Confucian values. It was the shortcomings of Li Si which led to the fall of the Qin Dynasty as well as his own death. However, Qian is careful to note that prior to his downfall, Li Si followed many Confucian values which allowed him to rise up from a commoner to his eventual position as Chief Minister.

    Read More

  • The Sui, Tang, and Song Dynasties

    469 Words  | 1 Pages

    Major changes in political structure, social and economic life define the Sui, Tang, and Song dynasties. Each period laid the foundation for the next, with changes and improvements to create a new order.

    Read More

  • The Han Dynasty

    1393 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Han Dynasty, the amazing Chinese era to have said to unified China for over 400 years old. This era in China’s history began in 206 B.C when a rebel armies rose up against the Qin army. One rebellion, led by Chen Sheng and Wu Kuang was later joined by Xiang Liang, Xiang Yu, Ying Bu, and Peng Yue joined forces with Liu Bang. The people of the Qin Dynasty were unhappy under the rule of Qin Shihuang who was ran his empire with an iron fist. His rule was absolute and disagreeing was punishable by death, though Emperor Qin was the one who to end the Warring States as well as complete the conquering of China in 221 B.C, thus expanding the Chinese state. After the takeover, Liu Bang took the name as Emperor of China and changed his given name to Emperor Gaozu and the Qin laws were abolished.

    Read More

  • China

    468 Words  | 1 Pages

    began during Qin’s rule, although it didn’t reach its full glory until the Ming dynasty, “The

    Read More

  • Great Wall

    1243 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Ming wall was the last section to be built. It was built in an age when China would become a world economic power. This wall took an estimated 200 years to complete. The Ming portion of the wall contained individual forts that at one time held and estimated one million soldiers! An economic power is something that is not attained in one day but over time through careful planning and excellent leadership.

    Read More

  • GWC

    1897 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Great Wall of China, one of the world’s eight wonders, is one of the most famous feats of human architecture in the history of the world. This ancient marvel is not only a great spectacle, but is also significant in the shaping and molding of the China everyone knows today. The Great Wall of China allowed China to possess some of the longest lived governmental structures in the world by providing a means of protection against hostile nomadic groups and other warlike peoples. This allowed the lifespans of the dynasties-- lines of hereditary rulers who rule over a country for a long period of time-- inside the wall to be prolonged. This massive structure is therefore a key part of China’s history, influencing nearly every dynasty that ruled the region, since the rise of the first emperor.

    Read More

  • The Safavids And The Ming Dynasties

    1246 Words  | 3 Pages

    In this case of the Ming Dynasty, it was a peasant named Zhu Yuanzhang and his rebel army that successfully developed a strong Dynasty for 300 years. Zhu along with his army overthrew the last emperor of the Mongols in 1368. Over the years, the Ming Dynasty took control of Korea, Mongolia and certain areas of Central and Southeast Asia (Wineburg 510). The Safavid Dynasty also dated around the same time. This Dynasty was founded by a religious group named the Safavids in the 1500’s. In the 15th century the religious group strengthened their military. The mindset of the group changed as it became more military based. When the Islamic holy war occurred, the uprising caused the Safavids to proclaim freedom and independence. The Safavid Dynasty lasted nearly 220 years (BBC Web).

    Read More

  • The Han Dynasty And Roman Empires

    938 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Han Dynasty governed China for more than four hundred years. It rose to power in 206 BC and stayed until 220 AC. The Han Dynasty played a vital role in China’s development. This dynasty pioneered a political system and social structure that lasted in China for almost 2,000 years. The Han Dynasty and the Roman Empire were considered two of the most strongest civilizations at that time. The Roman Empire lasted from 27 BC to 393 AD. This empire changed the way Romans lived. The Romans made rapid advancements in science and technology. Both of these civilizations successfully took control of their countries. While they both have an abundant amount of similarities, they is an overwhelming amount of differences that set these two empires apart. The decline of these two civilizations were both caused by internal affairs. The Han Dynasty and the Roman Empire both ruled close to the same time span, they both had highly centralized political systems, and they both were the most advanced civilizations in their region of the world. Their similarities did not overshadow their differences however. The Roman Empire had a senate that served as their legislative body and in China, the emperors ruled over the city. The Han Dynasty implemented national equality, and used Confucianism thoughts to keep the country united, while the Romans divided their citizens into different social classes and kept ethic discrimination. While both civilizations had strong social class separators, the Roman Empire made their’s more apparent. Both civilizations were strong and advanced for their time, however, they both ruled their countries differently.

    Read More

  • The Achievements of the Tang and Song Dynasties

    1139 Words  | 3 Pages

    Today we can look around ourselves and see thousands of technical innovations that make life easier; But if we take a step back and ask ourselves “How?” we will soon realize that most often, these technological advancements did not just “poof” into existence, but are usually the outcome of building upon yesterday’s technology. If we follow this cycle back into time, we can attribute almost any modern day invention to an ancient civilization during its golden age. China was no exception. China’s Song and Tang dynasties fostered scientific advances comparable to Rome’s during its Pax Romana. The most significant and impacting of these were the development of primitive gunpowder and porcelain of the Tang and paper money, and the magnetic compass of the Song Dynasties. Although these may seem very far off, if you look hard enough, you can see traces of their impacts in society today because most of the advancements today we owe to them.

    Read More

  • The Good and Bad Aspects of Disney Movies

    1278 Words  | 3 Pages

    "Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang." Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2014. .

    Read More

  • The Ming Dynasty

    1275 Words  | 3 Pages

    The purpose of this paper is to tell the history of the Ming Dynasty’s impact on the Chinese Empire, and to explain why the Chinese Empire was in fact an empire.

    Read More

More about Ming Dynasty Construction

Open Document