The Ming
Get a Taste of the Good Life under the Ming Dynasty
Michael Wood visits Suzhou, "the Venice of China." Five hundred years ago during the Ming dynasty Suzhou was the symbol of China’s "Embarrassment of Riches." Staying in the house of a Ming merchant family, Michael explores China's new world of private wealth and fashion, when porcelain, lacquer making and silk weaving reached new heights to meet consumer demand.
Episode Clips
Beijing and the Forbidden City
Yongle moves the capital north to Beijing and builds the Forbidden City.
The Chinese Voyages of Exploration
Michael Wood tells the tale of Admiral Zheng He’s voyages before Columbus.
Christian Missionary Matteo Ricci Journeys to China
In 1582, Matteo Ricci arrives in Macao, hoping to convert China to Christianity.
Power Politics in the Ming Dynasty
After the death of the Ming founder, a brutal new emperor takes charge.
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