Ming Palace Ruins

Open remains of Nanjing's first Ming imperial palace, model for later palace planning.

The Ming Palace Ruins mark the site of the imperial palace built when Nanjing was the first capital of the Ming dynasty. Much of the complex has vanished, but the surviving stone bases, gates, and open axes hint at a layout that later influenced Beijing's Forbidden City.

This is not a complete palace experience. It is better approached as an urban archaeological landscape, where traffic, lawns, and remaining masonry share the same ground.

things to do ruins historic site

Other places in Things to Do