Hongwu Reign Begins
Hongwu begins ruling as the first emperor of the Ming dynasty
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1368 in China
Explore 28 historical events and records for China in 1368.
Historical records for China in 1368
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 28 of 28 unique records.
28Unique records
1 of 1Page
27Named events on this page
9Named people on this page
12Places on this page
January
Ming Dynasty Founded
Zhu Yuanzhang proclaims the Ming dynasty and takes the Hongwu reign title
Capital at Nanjing
Hongwu establishes Nanjing as the first Ming capital
Ming Administration
Li Shanchang helps organize the early Ming civil administration
Northern Expedition Command
Xu Da commands the Ming northern expedition against the Yuan
Northern Expedition Command
Chang Yuchun serves as a senior commander in the Ming advance north
February
Fujian Campaign
Tang He helps secure the southeast for the Ming
Fujian Pacified
Hu Mei helps bring Fujian under Ming control
Northern Expedition
Hongwu sends armies north to destroy Yuan control of China
March
Capture of Shandong
Xu Da's forces bring Shandong under Ming control
April
Guangdong Campaign
Liao Yongzhong supports the Ming conquest of Guangdong
May
Capture of Henan
Chang Yuchun helps secure Henan during the northern campaign
June
Council at Kaifeng
Ming commanders confirm plans for the final march on Dadu
July
Guangxi Occupied
Yang Jing's forces help occupy Guangxi for the Ming
August
Advance on Dadu
Xu Da resumes the campaign toward the Yuan capital
September
Battle before Dadu
Ming forces defeat Yuan defenders outside Dadu
Capture of Dadu
Xu Da captures the Yuan capital Dadu
Dadu Renamed Beiping
The former Yuan capital is renamed Beiping after Ming occupation
Flight from Dadu
The Yuan emperor flees north as Ming armies capture Dadu
Northern Frontier Planned
Hongwu begins turning the former Yuan capital region into a northern defence zone
Northern Yuan Retreat
Toghon Temur retreats to Shangdu and continues Yuan rule in the north
Shuntian Prefecture Established
The Ming establish Shuntian Prefecture around the former Yuan capital
Yuan Palaces Destroyed
Ming forces destroy Yuan palace buildings after taking Dadu
Other events (month unknown)
Capture of Beijing
Captures Peking & ends the Yuan Dynasty
Military Households Organized
The early Ming state organizes hereditary military households for defence
Ming Dynasty Declaration
Declares the foundation of the Ming Dynasty at Nanjing
Ming Law Drafting
Hongwu begins shaping the legal and administrative order of the new dynasty
Succession
Succeeds as Emperor of China, Hongwu means "Vast Military Power"
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.