Ming Capital Beijing

Timeline

1. 1421Beijing, Shuntian Prefecture · Beijing MunicipalityThe Yongle Emperor decreed Beijing the capital, renamed Beiping as Shuntian Prefecture, and civil and military officials followed him north. The move marked the formal shift of the Ming political center from Nanjing to Beijing, making it the seat of the empire's highest administration.
2. 1422–1430Beijing central axis · Beijing MunicipalityAfter the move, the court successively completed ritual buildings such as the Temple of Heaven and the Altar of Mountains and Rivers, and refurbished the nine-gate city walls and granary offices. By the Xuande era, the central-axis ritual system of the capital was essentially complete, forming the spatial skeleton of the city together with the Forbidden City.
3. 1425–1430Shuntian Prefecture · Beijing MunicipalityDuring the Hongxi Emperor's brief reign, a return to Nanjing was discussed; the Xuande Emperor ultimately fixed Beijing as the capital and Nanjing as the secondary capital. Between 1425 and 1430 the two-capital system stabilized, with Beijing the emperor's usual residence and the seat of the Six Ministries.