The Ming Dynasty ruled China between 1368 and 1644. The Chinese population doubled during this period. This dynasty is known for its trade expansion to the outside world which established cultural links with the West. Especially the drama, literature and world-famous porcelain is remembered.

Emperor Taizé or Zhu Yuanzhang was born into poverty and spent part of his childhood wandering after his parents died following a series of natural disasters around the Yellow River. In 1352, he joined rebels and led a successful invasion of the city of Nanjing. Taizu captured Beijing in 1386 and destroyed the palaces. The Mongol rulers fled, and he announced the Ming dynasty. Emperor Taizu's reign was one of military discipline and respect for authority. He was a suspicious ruler who turned his palace guard into a form of secret police to stamp out treachery and conspiracies. More than 100.000 executions were conducted during his reign. After his death, a civil war arose to ascend the throne.

From 1405 to 1433, Chengzu launched ambitious fleets to expand the Chinese tribute system to other countries. That system was replaced by maritime trade in 1557, through which China exported silk. This was a time of cuisine expansion as other foods first entered China. Christian missionaries from Europe also began to enter the country. Many affordable books were produced for common people. Reference and religious tracts, textbooks, Confucian literature, and official examination guides were popular. There was a large market for fiction. Full-length novels began to grow in popularity during the Ming dynasty. Many stories were adaptations of ancient tales that had been part of oral traditions for centuries. Often illustrations were printed on which artists could cut their illustrations onto woodblocks for easily reproducible images.

The Great Wall of China had to undergo significant repairs. The Mongols posed a constant threat, and the wall was the most effective defense against invasions. In 1449, the Mongols finally conquered Emperor Zhentong. The Ming government paid no ransom and replaced the emperor with his half-brother. They continued to repair the Great Wall. Emperor Zhentong was later released and returned to the throne under the name Tianshun.

Porcelain was one of the most popular export products. The technique of the Tang Dynasty was perfected.

Huge fiscal problems resulted in a disastrous collapse of the Ming dynasty. The Imperial clan became overcrowded and paying all members became a heavy burden. The military campaigns against Korea, Japan and insurgents cost the treasury dearly. An agricultural disaster resulted in depleted funds. A drop in average temperatures resulted in poor harvests. Famine starved the soldiers who left their posts and formed marauding mobs in the countryside. In 1632 the gangs moved east, and the Imperial army could not stop them. Rebellions became commonplace. The country was ravaged by floods, locusts, drought, and disease.

In 1642 a group of rebels destroyed the dikes of the Yellow River. Hundreds of thousands of people died in the floods. The social order collapsed, and smallpox spread. Li Zicheng and Zhang, two competing rebel leaders, took control of two separate parts of the country. Both declared new dynasties. Chongzhen, the last Ming emperor, committed suicide in 1644. The semi-nomadic Manchu people overcame all chaos and founded the Qing dynasty.