Ming Brick City Walls

Timeline

1. c. 1366–1393Yingtian Prefecture (Nanjing) · Nanjing CityAfter Zhu Yuanzhang established the capital at Yingtian, he conscripted craftsmen and laborers from five prefectures of Jiangnan, building the foundation in granite strips and facing it in specially made city bricks, creating a capital wall roughly 35 km in circumference; the bricks were inscribed with the names of prefectures, counties, kiln operators, and supervising officials for accountability.
2. 1406–1425Beijing · Beijing CityAfter the Yongle Emperor relocated the capital, the walls of Beiping were expanded; the barbicans of the nine inner-city gates, the moats, and the brick-and-stone structures were built to the standards of the capital, forming the defensive core of the Ming northern political center.
3. 1441–1450Two-capital and prefectural city system of the Ming · ChinaFrom the Zhengtong to the Jingtai reigns, the court continuously allocated funds to repair the walls of the two capitals and promoted brick-facing techniques to the walled cities of prefectures, departments, and counties; the brick-inscription system became standard practice in Ming defensive engineering management.