1. Ming Dynasty Marissa Gray Kali Hepburn Period 2

2. 1368- 1644 (276 years) Founded by Chu Yuan-chang Zhu Yuanzhang was crowned first emperor in 1368 Chu Yuan-chang Zhu Yuanzhang

3. Yong Le 1402- Yong Le’s reign –Yong Le may have been the strongest ruler of the Ming Dynasty and created Beijing as the capital. They began the Imperial Palace, better known as the Forbidden City, during his reign. He also expanded the empire beyond the Great Wall. He also was very much in to exploration.

4. Achievements Repair and completion of the Great Wall Trade and commerce with other nations of the world flourished Monumental compilation of knowledge at the time, this was known as the Y ǒ nglè Dàdi ǎ n, or the Yongle Encyclopedia.

5. Foreign Relations In the rule of Emperor Chengzu, Zheng He, a great navigator in Chinese history, had ever sailed to the West seven times. He voyaged throughout South Pacific, Indian Ocean, Taiwan Persian Gulf and even reached the Eastern Bank of Africa. His travel promoted the communications between Ming Dynasty and the other countries in the world.

6. The end of the Ming Dynasty The end of this dynasty started from the last emperor, Emperor Weizong's reign - the reign went by the name Chongzhen. The crisis was caused by the corruption of the court officials and the domination of the eunuchs. In that period, both the exploitation from the ruling class and natural disasters in successive years caused the Dingling, Beijing Ming Tomb’s people to live in extreme hardship.

7. http://www.artsmia.org/art-of- asia/history/video-popup-ming.cfmhttp://www.artsmia.org/art-of- asia/history/video-popup-ming.cfm