📍4 Jingshan Front St, Dongcheng, Beijing 100009, China
1420 – 1424“From the Meridian Gate's uppermost tower, the empire stretched in every direction — six hundred rooms, a thousand courtyards, all arranged to reflect the order of heaven. I chose these grounds because the old capital Nanjing had grown too confined for a dynasty reborn. Three hundred thousand craftsmen built what I only imagined: the most perfect expression of Chinese order ever raised from earth.”
👍 LovedThe harmonious geometry of the courtyards, and the way morning light struck the yellow glazed rooftiles
👎 DislikedThe scale of the endeavour — over a million labourers perished in its construction, a weight I carried always
🗺️ Approximate location today
📍 Street view today
Sources: Wikipedia: Yongle Emperor