Nanjing

Author: Wang Rending
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2002-03-01
Features: This book includes content such as an introduction to Nanjing, district guides, and travel information. Before publication, every effort was made to ensure that the content is up-to-date and accurate, but some changes are inevitable. If the information in this book does not match the actual situation, please feel free to contact us for revision purposes.
The Ming Imperial Palace in Nanjing is a historical site of the imperial palace of a unified dynasty in Chinese history. It served as the imperial palace for the early Ming emperors Hongwu, Jianwen, and Yongle, as well as the small court of Hongguang in the late Ming Dynasty. This magnificent and once-prosperous Ming Dynasty palace has weathered over 600 years of wind and rain and has long become an ancient ruin, hence the name "Ming Imperial Palace Ruins." However, from the remaining Wuchao Gate, the five dragon bridges inside and outside, and numerous large stone bases and stone arched gates, one can still appreciate the elegance and charm of the past.
The Ming Imperial Palace Ruins are located within Zhongshan Gate, stretching from the northern and southern ends of Zhongshan East Road. It extends from Dong'anmen Street in the east to Tianjin Bridge (now Yixian Bridge in the south) in the west, with Dayanggou to the south and Xingjin Bridge to the north. The ruins were originally part of Yanque Lake. For his preparation to declare himself emperor, Zhu Yuanzhang ordered Liu Ji and others to select the site and construct the new palace, mobilizing 200,000 laborers and craftsmen to "move the three mountains and fill Yanque," transforming the lake into land and rebuilding the city. The project began in 1366 and was completed the following year. In the first year of the Hongwu era (1368), Zhu Yuanzhang formally ascended the throne in the new palace.
The Ming Imperial Palace underwent two major renovations in the eighth year (1375) and the twenty-fifth year (1392) of the Hongwu era, becoming a grand palace. The city was divided into two layers: the outer Imperial City and the inner Palace City, collectively known as the "Imperial Palace." Its layout was neat and symmetrical. The Palace City, commonly known as the "Forbidden City" or the "Great Inner Palace," was square in shape, with the Qingxi River serving as the protective dragon river, also known as the "Jade Belt River" or the "Imperial River." The city had six gates, symmetrically aligned according to the cardinal directions. The southern gate was the Wumen (now called Wuchao Gate), with two gates on the east and west sides called the Left and Right Eryemen, and the central axis was the Imperial Way. The eastern gate was Dong'anmen, the western gate was Xi'anmen, and the northern gate was Bei'anmen.
The buildings within the Palace City were arranged in three main axes: the central, eastern, and western routes. After passing through Wuchao Gate, the first gate along the central axis was the Fengtian Gate, followed by the Fengtian, Huagai, and Jinshen Grand Halls, collectively known as the "Front Court." Among the three grand halls, the Fengtian Hall was the most majestic and magnificent, gilded and resplendent, commonly referred to as the "Golden Hall," similar to the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City in Beijing. The Qianqing and Kunning Palaces were known as the "Back Court." The "Front Court and Back Court" were collectively referred to as the "Court." In reality, the Front Court was where the emperor conducted official business and handled state affairs, while the Back Court, also known as the or sleeping quarters, was where the emperor rested and resided.
The Eastern Route housed the Wenhua Hall, Wenhua Pavilion, and the Eastern Six Palaces. The Western Route had the Wuying Hall, Wuying Pavilion, and the Western Six Palaces, as well as the Imperial Garden and other facilities. The Imperial City enclosed the Palace City. At the time, the central government agencies of the Five Ministries and Six Departments were located outside the Wuchao Gate along the central axis. Between the Hongwu Gate and the Wuchao Gate, the Chengtian Gate, Duamen, and Zhengyang Gate were also built. To the southeast stood the Temple of Heaven, and to the southwest, the Altar of Land and Grain. The Imperial City spanned approximately 2.5 kilometers from north to south and 2 kilometers from east to west, with a circumference of 9 kilometers, covering an area of about 16 square kilometers.
After the completion of the Ming Imperial Palace, the early Ming emperors Hongwu, Jianwen, and Yongle ruled there for 53 years (1368–1421). In the first year of the Yongle era (1421), Zhu Di formally moved the capital to Beijing, making Nanjing a retained capital, with imperial guards and officials maintaining the same structure as before. In the late Ming Dynasty, the Prince of Fuguo Zhu Yousong established the Hongguang Dynasty here, which lasted for one year. When Emperor Kangxi visited Nanjing for the first time in the twenty-third year of his reign (1684), he was deeply moved by the ruins of the Ming Imperial Palace and composed the essay "Passing Through Jinling" ():