Ming Palace Ruins, Nanjing

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Ming Palace was built during Hongwu Emperor by Zhu YuanZhang, the first Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. It was once said to have magnificent structure which the imperial palace of Beijing was modelled. The palace was completed in 1368, and continued to upgrade year 1392 and 1398. When Zhu Yuanzhang passed away, he passed on his empire to his grandson, Jianwen Emperor. Unfortunately Jianwen empire did not stay long, as his Uncle Yongle Emperor, son of Zhu YuanZhang, took the power in 1402. The Jianwen Emperor disappeared amid a fire in the imperial palace. Yongle Emperor moved the capital to Beijing in 1420. Ming Palace was going through destruction from time to time by fire.

Based on the signboard, you could identify the actual site of the palaces like Palace Feng Tian, Palace Hua Gai, Palace Jin Shen and Palace Nan Da.

You could see the Ming Palace layout model at the Presidential Palace.

Also, see the present Ming Palace Park.

In Chinese: 明故宫， ming gu gong

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Today, Ming Palace is a local park on Zhongshandong Road, surrounded by busy streets with cars, buses, hotels, office, and residential buildings. You can even come here by a metro train, minggugong station.

I was here on the 20.10.11 at 7:30 in the morning. There were people passing by the park to work. The locals love to do Tai Chi or exercises in this park, and also spend their time to meet their friends gossiping around.

I wonder how many of these people knowing that they are standing on a site once was Ming Imperial Palace.

In Chinese: 明故宫， ming gu gong

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The ruins of the former Imperial Palace of the Ming dynasty lie in a park called Wuchaomen Park along Zhongshan East Road near the Nanjing Museum. Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang (r. 1368-1398), the first emperor of the Ming dynasty built his palace here in 1366 and it was rebuilt in 1375 and eventually completed in 1377. The palace was destroyed during a war between 1853 and 1864 and all that remains are blocks of the ruined palace plus the Five Dragon Bridges and the superb Meridian Gate.