Relive China's Ming Dynasty

Unfolding the Secret Life of the Ming Dynasty Emperor

The very first atlas map crafted by Matteo Ricci in the 16th century Ming dynasty of China did not include any trace of architecture. Nevertheless, when a domestic map of China named “Great China Embracing the Kingdoms Under Heaven” was created, vague yet illustrative architectural elements began to appear in the form of simple rectangular outlines. The area of the Forbidden City was particularly emphasized by displaying multi-layered outlines with color variations in addition to a gold-filled color block. The representation of this architecture clearly demonstrated the significance it held as the political center of the Ming imperial world.

Aerial view of the Forbidden City, Beijing (© Google Earth 2021)

Source: www.smarthistory.org/reframing-art-history/art-ming-dynasty-china

“Great China Embracing the Kingdoms under Heaven”, Zhu, Xiling. Beijing 1818 (hand-colored wood-block print)

MAP Source: Library of Congress www.loc.gov

Unfolding the Secret Life of The

Ming Dynasty Emperor

The establishment of the Forbidden City was from 1406 to 1420, as a way for the third Emperor Zhu Di to consolidate power. Being the world’s largest imperial palace, it is certainly beyond one’s imagination to picture the lifestyle of the emperor inside this spacious place. The palace housed a large number of people whose sole purpose was to perform household duties and ultimately to support the emperor’s daily rituals. From the discovery of the juxtaposition of life inside and outside the palace walls, it became clear how the rectangular shape shown on the Chinese map had unwittingly marked a distinctive division between the wealthy and poor of that era. The Ming emperor’s living environment and its impact on the people of the time drew me to further explore this imaginary daily life of the emperor through a series of photographs, preserved artifacts, and historical artwork.

Forbidden City

Source: www.dpm.org.cn

Welcome to The Forbidden House

The “Forbidden City” didn’t get its name for no reason. The place was completely enclosed with tall thick walls around its perimeter. Individuals not belonging to the imperial family were prohibited from entering the palace without permission. The palace was essentially the home of the emperor, except the house itself and the number of occupants were much grander in scale. “With total area of 745,250 square meters”.1

Life inside the palace could be described as lavish yet cold. Whether elaborate sculptures engraved in the walls of the palace, or the explicitly hand painted art embedded onto the ceilings using finely detailed geometrical patterns and animal shapes, traces of wealth could be found in almost every corner.

Source: Giovanni Boccardi © UNESCO whc.unesco.org/en/documents/109759

Source: Giovanni Boccardi © UNESCO whc.unesco.org/en/documents/109762

Daily Ritual of Ming Court

As an emperor who oversaw the entirety of the Chinese continent, he was inevitably a busy man. Participating in court meetings was a crucial part of his daily ritual. Hence a special hand-crafted red sutra box with gold dragon designs was carefully constructed to keep his regularly used court manual at hand.2 He was often confronted with political crises, as well as management challenges on projects such as the restoration effort required to repair the protective barrier known as the Great Wall. As a means of discouraging constant intruders at the northern Chinese border, the Great Wall was already built prior to his ruling. The original material used for the walled barriers was rammed earth, which had degraded over time from wind erosion and was in need of significant renovation.3 By introducing stone and brick as replacement materials along with the added features of watchtowers and platforms, he was able to implement the ‘Dusi Weisuo (military administrative) system” and make significant improvements to the Great Wall.4

Sutra box with dragons amid clouds

Source: www.metmuseum.org

2. “Sutra box with dragons amid clouds”, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/60870

3. Su, N.; Yang, B.; Chen, W.; Xu, L.; Li, Y. “Influence of Prevailing Wind Direction on Sapping Quantity of Rammed Earth Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty”. Coatings 2022, 12, 707. https://doi.org/10.3390/ coatings12050707

4. Zhang,Y.;Li,S.;Tan,L.; Zhou, J. “Distribution and Integration of Military Settlements’ Cultural Heritage in the Large Pass City of the Great Wall in the Ming Dynasty:A Case Study of Juyong Pass Defense Area”. Sustainability 2021, 13, 7166. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13137166

Emperor’s Attires & Customs

Despite the political affairs he was obligated to attend, he was still a human being who lived within the human environment. Except his lifestyle was extremely complex due to his exquisite status. The word “extravagant” is insufficient to describe the level of care and service he received. Everything he used, from his attire to his dinnerware, was aesthetically customized with meticulous attention to detail. The emperor’s robes worn in the courthouse, for instance, were tailored to precision with gold-colored silk fabric and embellished with dragon embroidery to represent “facets of authority”. 5 Chinese dragon patterns, as well as gold and red colors, were particularly chosen as a symbol of the emperor’s heavenly status. Throughout the palace, these elements were widely displayed. The use of visual art as cues to differentiate levels of hierarchy within the palace was a common practice. Artistic representations of this theme could also be found in other types of craft such as wood, textile, uniform, print, painting, and ceramics.

5. “Finding the ‘Facets of Authority’ in Imperial Portraits”, TaiWan National Palace Museum. https://theme.npm.edu.tw/exh110/FacetsofAuthority/en/page-2.html

Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming

Source: TaiWan National Palace Museum www.theme.npm.edu.tw/opendata

Spiritual Regime

In order to gain protection and prosperity, the Ming emperor engaged in routine sacrificial practices in the spiritual realm. Daoism was the most influential religion practiced inside the palace, and Buddhism was also greatly appreciated by the people of China during that period. Located inside the Forbidden City was the Temple of Heaven, a sacred place that was specifically designed to be a multi-tiered circular structure resting on an elevated platform aimed at bridging the connection between earth and heaven. The emperor, being the son of heaven and the ruler of the earth, was expected to visit regularly and communicate with the divine. He was also expected to pay tribute to the highest power in the universe through fasting. As part of his prayer, he hoped to receive a plentiful harvest, to secure his position, and to attain ultimate immortality.6

The Temple of Heaven, Beijing, China (photo: Philip Larson, UNESCO)

Source: whc.unesco.org

The Temple of Heaven, Beijing, China (photo: © Juan Frias-Velatti)

Source: whc.unesco.org

6. Elizabeth Emrich, “How to Live Forever: Daoism in the Ming and Qing Dynasties” in Johnson Museum of Art Exhibitions, https://museum.cornell.edu/exhibitions

Atmosphere Outside the Palace

One might wonder what life was like for ordinary people who lived outside the palace. Due to potential threats to his position and authority, even in spite of his luxurious lifestyle, the conduct of wars and violence outside the palace was a common social phenomenon. This adversely affected the lives of ordinary citizens. Consequently, most commoners lived in poverty and suffering. Unlike the well-crafted attire the emperor wore, people who resided outside of the palace generally lived in villages and wore simple and plain colored cotton robes without any additional embellishments. The degrees of obstacles the common people faced as a result of the emperor’s way of life were also clearly demonstrated in the artwork produced during the Ming dynasty.

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A Large Chinese Buddhist Painting Depicting The Judgment Of The Souls, Ming Source: