Preparations for Moving the Ming Capital to Beijing

Timeline

1. 1420Forbidden City · BeijingIn the eighteenth year of Yongle, the Forbidden City construction project, lasting over a decade, was essentially complete. The three outer court halls, the inner court Palace of Heavenly Purity, and core facilities such as the imperial city walls and moat were ready; the Beijing palace district now had full functions for the emperor's governance, residence, and ceremonies, making the material conditions for the capital move ripe.
2. 1420Shuntian Prefecture, Beijing · BeijingThe Ming court elevated Beijing's Shuntian Prefecture to capital status, standing alongside Nanjing's Yingtian Prefecture as the "Two Capitals." The rank of the Shuntian governor was raised, and ritual facilities such as the imperial city, nine gates, altars and temples were completed. Beijing formally gained capital status, and the northward shift of the political center entered a substantive phase.
3. 1420Nanjing to Beijing · ChinaFrom 1420 the Ming court began shipping personnel rosters and archives of the Six Ministries and the Censorate north in batches. Palace furnishings, inner court supplies, and guard soldiers were also gradually transferred to Beijing. The capital move preparations involved hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians and massive transport projects, making final arrangements for the edict of January 1421 and the emperor's formal entry into the Forbidden City.