The Ming Dynasty

The Ming Dynasty has often been labeled "the greatest period in China's history."  The voyages of Zheng He were among the most epic in history, and they extended China's influence throughout much of the world as it is known.  Literature flourished, and many famous novels that are still read today were written, one being Journey to the West, a fairy tale based on the real story of Xuan Zang's epic trek to India to retrieve the Buddhist scriptures during the Tang Dynasty,  The Ming tombs are still an architectural marvel today, and the Great Wall we see at present is in fact mostly built during the Ming.  The classic Chinese garden design also developed during this period, and acupuncture and a system of scientific medial diagnosis was developed.  All in all, the Ming Dynasty was a time of unparalleled achievement, but also the beginning of a dark era for China which was the "closed door policy".

The Ming-Qing period was highly productive musically, resulting in developments that are important not only in this period but as highlights in the entire continuation of Chinese music.  During this dynasty period (1368-1644), the art of traditional opera developed rapidly and diversely in different regions.  When these distinctive opera styles were performed at the capital, artists combined the essence of the different styles and created the Beijing opera.  This music continues to be enjoyed and appreciated even in modern times.  The art of qin and the regional traditional music were also part of the Ming dynasty.Some other prominent developments of this period include the area of theory and musical literature.  The Kun opera flourished during the Ming dynasty.
The reign of Emperor Welzong started the end of the Ming dynastythis reign was also known as Chongzhen. Corrupt court officials and the domination of the eunuchs caused the crisis of the Ming Dynasty.During that time, the ruling classes exploitation along any peasants. with natural disasters caused extreme hardship to the people. Rebel military forces launched battles in the northr]ern area of the Shaaxi Province in 1628. One of the rebel leaders, named Li Zicheng was trusted and supported by many peasants.  Li Zixheng captured Xian and a new regime was founde in 1644, called Dashun.  In the same year, the end of the Ming Dynasty was signified in Jingshan Hill of beijing when Emperor Welzong hanged himself.