Beijing, the Capital City during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) through Documentary Paintings

This paper aims at analyzing the structural feature and customs through the Beijing Maps and documentary paintings. Beijingcheong Gongdianzhi-tu is a map drawn spatial structure of the Imperial City including the Forbidden City during the Jiajing emperor's rule. But the poetry of the upper side of the map praises the emperors of many generations until the emperor Wanli. The emperor surrounded by eunuches and powerful courtiers is reading the catchphrase of ‘peaceful reign’ written on the document. The name of Wansui Mountain is written ‘Zijin’ Mountain on this map. Suzhou-hutong is a village for the architectural artisans moved into Beijing to participate in the construction of the Imperial City, when the capital moved from Nanjing to the new capital Beijing. Yeongyeong-do, made by Korean envoy sent to Beijing in 1624, includes Tiantan altar, Dongyue Taoist Temple and Lugou Bridge as well as the Imperial City. This is precious materials, because maps of Ming Dynasty are rare. Beijing Gongcheong-tu painted portraits of master craftsman Kuai Xiang and Xu Gao in Court Attire in front of the Forbidden City. They created and repaired Beijing Capital City. These Paintings show the power of the bureaucracy with Huanji-tu depicted the career of government official. Guanbang-tu is related to a custom to announce the names of the applicants who passed the literary examination at the palace gate of the Forbidden City. Their reactions to the examination have various looks, because they thought that the only road to success lies in the examination. Huangdujisheng-tu describes the peace and prosperity of Beijing Capital City. The social climates at the time get into a period of economic stagnation and bureaucratic corruption. Ultimately this work is used to compensate for many other negative phases in the late Ming dynasty.