ISSN : 1598-1142(Print)
ISSN : 2383-9066(Online)
ISSN : 2383-9066(Online)
Journal of architectural history Vol.34 No.6 pp.27-41
DOI : https://doi.org/10.7738/JAH.2025.34.6.027
DOI : https://doi.org/10.7738/JAH.2025.34.6.027
Urban Layout and Characteristics of Chengdu (成都) during the Ming (明) Dynasty
Abstract
continued to serve as the political center of the Sichuan region, and the city was rebuilt on a large scale. During this time, additional Ming official offices were established, and a feudal lord's residence was set up to govern the city jointly. Compared with the previous dynasty, the city construction techniques of the Ming Dynasty were more mature, and the institutional system was gradually standardized. While implementing the Ming system, local officials incorporated early city-building concepts from the Zhouyi and Zhouli, influencing Chengdu's spatial pattern with ideas and systems from the Central Plains. The topography of the basin in which Chengdu was located also provided favorable natural conditions for the completion of the city form. This also helped to fully display the idea of city building in the city's space. Due to the frequent wars in the middle and late Ming Dynasty, Chengdu's cities and buildings have not been preserved to this day. Therefore, Based on historical documents and local chronicles, this research explores the spatial structure of Chengdu during the Ming Dynasty and the Yixue and etiquette embodied in the city's construction. On this basis, the ten most important royal residences of the early Ming dynasty were selected as objects of comparison, and their internal architectural forms were analyzed to provide supplementary evidence for the institutionalization of Chengdu and the residences of the Shu kings. Furthermore, the cities were compared with the Taiyuan Mansion in Shanxi, which had considerable political significance, to analyze differences in spatial organization and institutional expression from the perspectives of urban layout and etiquette expression. Finally, based on ancient images and archaeological data, a detailed analysis of the spatial structure of Chengdu City during the Ming Dynasty was conducted. The characteristics and key features of the city's gates, facilities, and construction methods were summarised to provide new insights into the spatial development of Chinese cities during the Ming Dynasty.









