October
10
/ 2015
The Ming Dynasty was established in 1368 AD by Zhu Yuanzhang (who became the Hongwu Emperor) following the overthrow of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty. Until the collapse of the Ming Dynasty in 1644 AD, there were a total of 16 emperors who ruled over China. The tombs of 13 of these Ming emperors are located in a cluster not far from the Chinese capital, Beijing, and are known collectively as the Thirteen Tombs of the Ming Dynasty. The Three Ming Emperors Not in the Tombs The three Ming emperors not buried in this area are the Hongwu Emperor (who was buried near his capital, Nanjing), his immediate successor, the Jianwen Emperor (who vanished from history following his overthrow by his
