Description
The Hongwu Emperor, was the founder and first emperor of China’s Ming dynasty. Born into rural poverty, he was a Buddhist monk until the age of 24, when his monastery was destroyed by a rampaging army. He joined the rebels fighting against the Mongol Yuan dynasty and rose through the ranks to become their leader and ultimately founded the Ming dynasty. During his reign China experienced rapid economic growth, profound administrative reform and as the founder of China’s last native dynasty a refocusing on Han Chinese culture.
