Chapter 16: Ming Dynasty's Technology, Buildings and Literature

The technology, architecture and literature of the Ming Dynasty were all important parts of ancient Chinese culture, which contained rich wisdom and creativity. During the Ming Dynasty, China made great progress in the field of science and technology and architecture, leaving a valuable legacy for future generations. In terms of technology, the Ming Dynasty saw a lot of innovation. For example, China's gunpowder technology had been further developed to produce larger and more powerful gunpowder. In addition, the Ming Dynasty also created the compass and clock, which had an important impact on human navigation, navigation, and timing. In terms of architecture, the buildings and bridges built during the Ming Dynasty had unique styles and characteristics. For example, the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven in Beijing were representative works of the Ming Dynasty. The design, construction technology and materials used in these buildings had reached the highest level at that time. In terms of literature, there were many famous works in the Ming Dynasty, such as Dream of the Red Chamber and Journey to the West. These works not only had profound ideology and artistic value, but also made important contributions to the inheritance and development of Chinese culture. During the Ming Dynasty, technology, architecture, and literature all made great achievements, leaving an important legacy for the development of Chinese culture.

The literature of the early Ming Dynasty referred to Han Yu, one of the eight famous writers of the Tang and Song Dynasties, and the Tang Dynasty writers after him. In the early Ming Dynasty, there were many outstanding writers such as Feng Menglong, Luo Guanzhong, Xin Qiji, and Lu You. The works of these writers were not only widely circulated at that time, but also had a profound impact on the literature of later generations.

The Ming Dynasty was a dynasty in Chinese history that spanned from about 1368 to 1644. The achievements of science, technology, architecture, and literature during this period were very remarkable. In terms of science and technology, there were many inventions during the Ming Dynasty, such as gunpowder, the compass, and paper-making. One of the most famous was the Ming Dynasty scientist Xu Xiake's invention of the " glider ", a machine driven by gunpowder that could be used for flight and exploration. In addition, the Ming Dynasty also produced many advanced weapons and military equipment such as firearms, bows and arrows. In terms of literature, there were many outstanding works in the Ming Dynasty, such as Dream of the Red Chamber, Water Margins, Journey to the West, etc. These works reflected the social style and people's lives at that time and were regarded as classics in the history of Chinese literature. During the Ming Dynasty, technological buildings were also very developed. For example, the Forbidden City in Beijing, the Temple of Heaven and other buildings were built during this period. These buildings used a variety of advanced designs and techniques such as glazed tiles, red walls, yellow tiles, brick structures, etc. They had very high artistic and historical value.

The Ming Dynasty was a period in China's history. It made many achievements in science and technology, architecture, literature and art. The following are some of them: 1. Scientific and technological achievements: During the Ming Dynasty, China's scientific and technological level had made great progress. For example, scientists in the Ming Dynasty invented many important technologies, such as Lang Maoshan's gunpowder manufacturing technology, Xu Xiake's geographical achievements, Wang Zhihuan's Climbing the Stork Tower, and so on. 2. Construction achievements: The construction achievements of the Ming Dynasty were also very significant. For example, the Forbidden City in Beijing during the Ming Dynasty was one of the largest and most complete ancient palace buildings in China. Its design and construction level represented the highest achievements of ancient Chinese architecture. In addition, the Suzhou Gardens of the Ming Dynasty were also an outstanding representative of ancient Chinese garden art. 3. Achievement in literature and art: During the Ming Dynasty, China's literature and art also made great achievements. For example, Hamlet, the literary work of the great master of literature during the Ming Dynasty, was widely circulated in China and became an important part of Chinese culture. At the same time, painting, calligraphy, and other art forms during the Ming Dynasty also developed by leaps and bounds. During the Ming Dynasty, China made great achievements in science, technology, architecture, literature and art. These achievements not only left a precious cultural heritage for Chinese history, but also had a profound impact on modern society.

The characteristics of the Ming Dynasty's technology were: 1. Agricultural technology: During the Ming Dynasty, China's agricultural economy developed rapidly and the living standards of farmers improved. Therefore, the agricultural technology of the Ming Dynasty had also been developed accordingly, such as irrigation technology, water conservancy projects, agricultural mechanized, etc. 2. Handicraft technology: Handicraft technology in the Ming Dynasty was widely developed, including textile, porcelain, paper, printing, shoemaking, pharmaceutical and other fields. The craftsmen of the Ming Dynasty invented many new tools and techniques, such as textile machines, printing machines, paper machines, gunpowder manufacturing techniques, etc. 3. Nautical technology: During the Ming Dynasty, China began to have maritime trade, and the nautical technology of China and Europe also developed. China invented the compass and movable type printing, which helped Europe's navigation technology. 4. Medical technology: The medical technology of the Ming Dynasty has been greatly developed, and many new medical works have appeared. The medical scientists of the Ming Dynasty invented many new medical methods such as acupuncture, massage, and drug therapy. Astronomy: Astronomists in the Ming Dynasty had a more in-depth study of the laws of celestial motion and invented many new astronomical observation instruments such as sundial and constellation tables. During the Ming Dynasty, China made many important advances in the field of science and technology, which laid the foundation for later scientific development.

In the Ming Dynasty literature, matchmakers were usually called flower women or matchmakers, and they were the intermediary agencies responsible for introducing men and women to marriage. The matchmaker's duties included introducing, contacting, and communicating the wishes of both parties and coordinating the marriage ceremony. In some novels, the flower granny may also play the role of a gender-changing role to help men find a partner or arrange blind dates for women. In the Ming Dynasty, matchmakers were a very important profession. Not only did they have a high social status, but they also earned a lot of money. Matchmakers were usually sent by families or religious organizations to deliver messages and coordinate rituals. They also needed to receive guidance and arrangements from their employers. The image and role of matchmakers in Ming Dynasty literature reflected the views and values of marriage and interpersonal relationships in society at that time.

The ideology of Ming Dynasty literature was mainly based on Confucianism. In the Ming Dynasty, Confucianism became the main foundation of Chinese literature and thought, which had a profound impact on the development of literature. The Confucianism of the Ming Dynasty emphasized human ethics, benevolence, justice, loyalty, filial piety and etiquette. These thoughts played an important role in promoting the creation and acceptance of the Ming Dynasty literature. At the same time, the literature of the Ming Dynasty also reflected the reality of the society at that time, such as social injustice, natural disasters, political corruption, etc. These thoughts and contents also became the creative theme and inspiration of the literature of the Ming Dynasty.

The Ming Dynasty was a period of literary prosperity in Chinese history. There were many literary works in various styles, and a number of excellent ones emerged. The summary of Ming Dynasty literature can be summarized as follows: 1 Poetry: The prosperous period of poetry creation in the Ming Dynasty was from the end of the 16th century to the beginning of the 17th century. During this period, poems were mainly composed of lyrics, scenery descriptions, and narrations. A group of famous poets such as Li Yishan, Wang Zhihuan, Zhang Dai, and Zhou Bangyan emerged. 2. Fictions: The Ming Dynasty was an important period for the development of Chinese novels. There were many novels, among which the famous works such as Water Margins, Journey to the West, and Dream of the Red Chamber were the most prominent. These works had become the treasures of Chinese culture with their rich imagination, profound character portrayals, and vivid plots. 3. Prose: The prose creation of the Ming Dynasty also had a great development. Among them, the works of Han Yu, Ouyang Xiu, Su Shi, one of the Eight Great Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties, were the most famous. These, beautiful language, quick thinking, were known for their profound influence on the development of Chinese literature. 4. Theory of literature and art: The literary and art theorists of the Ming Dynasty made important contributions to the development of literary creation and the evolution of literary and artistic styles. For example, the historian Chen Jiru put forward the viewpoint of "the article is eternal", emphasizing the importance of literary creation; the literary theorist Xu Wei put forward the theories of "true feelings" and "profound artistic conception", which had a profound impact on literary creation. The Ming Dynasty literature is a rich and colorful, broad and profound literary treasure house. Its literary works and literary theories have had a profound impact on the development and prosperity of Chinese literature.

The Ming Dynasty literature was one of the most important periods in the history of Chinese literature. Its main feature was that it emphasized realism and reflected social reality. In the literature of the Ming Dynasty, there were many descriptions of various social problems at that time, such as corruption, war, natural disasters, etc. There were also many excellent literary works in the Ming Dynasty, such as Dream of the Red Chamber, Water Margins, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, etc. These works not only had an important position in the history of Chinese literature, but also had an important influence on world literature.

Bibliographies of Ming Dynasty literature included but were not limited to: History of the Ming Dynasty: It is an important historical work that records the rise and fall of the Ming Dynasty and important events. It was very helpful for the study of the historical background and characters of the Ming Dynasty literature. Moaning Language: The author is Chen Jiru, a famous writer of the Ming Dynasty. This book is a work on life philosophy and literary criticism. Many of the views and sentences in it had a great inspiration for the writers of the Ming Dynasty. " Dream of the Red Chamber " was a long novel written by Cao Xueqin, a famous novelist in the Qing Dynasty. It was hailed as a classic in the history of Chinese literature. This book described the love story of Jia Baoyu, Lin Daiyu and others, reflecting the various ills of feudal society. 4. Journey to the West: A mythical novel written by the Ming Dynasty novelist Wu Chengen. It tells the story of Sun Wukong and others protecting the Tang Monk to go to the West to obtain scriptures. This book has a high literary value and artistic value, known as a masterpiece in the history of Chinese novels. " Water Margins ": It was a heroic legendary novel created by the Ming Dynasty novelist Shi Naian. It told the story of 108 heroes, Song Jiang, and others who gathered for a righteous uprising. This book described a large number of characters, which had great reference value for the characteristics of Ming society and people's lives. The above are some of the main reference books of Ming Dynasty literature. They not only provide an understanding of the historical background and characters of Ming Dynasty literature, but also provide important reference and enlightenment for literary creation.