The Ming Dynasty was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644. It was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic Hans, before falling to the rebellion led by Li Zicheng, and later replaced by Manchu-led Qing Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty, founded by Zhu Yuanzhang, ruled over the Empire of the Great Ming, as China was then known. Although the later Ming capital, Beijing, fell in 1644, remnants of the Ming throne and power (collectively called the Southern Ming) survived until 1662. During the subsequent Qing Dynasty, some Han Chinese harbored strong feelings against the rule by a non-Han ethnic group (the Manchus); consequently, the restoration of the Ming Dynasty was used as a rallying cry up until the modern era.

The Ming Dynasty was one of the most stable but autocratic dynasties that extended Chinese influence farther than did any other native rulers of China. Under the Ming, the capital of China was moved from Nanjing to Beijing, and the Forbidden City was constructed. Naval expeditions led by Zheng He paved the way for trade with Southeast Asia, India, and eastern Africa. During the Ming Dynasty, novels were written in the vernacular, while philosophy benefited from the work of Wang Yangming in Neo-Confucianism. Ming monochrome porcelain became famous throughout the world, with imitations created in Vietnam, Japan, and Europe.

Ming rule saw the construction of a vast navy, including four-mast ships of 1,500 tons displacement, and a standing army of 1,000,000 troops. Over 100,000 tons of iron per year were produced in North China (roughly 1 kilogram per inhabitant), and many books were printed using movable type. At its height, the Ming Dynasty had a population of 160 million people.

There are several important sites and buildings from the Ming Dynasty in Jiangsu, particularly in Nanjing. Perhaps the most important of these is the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum located in Nanjing, which is inscribed on the World Heritage List. The previously-mentioned Zhonghua Men in Nanjing is another site from the Ming Dynasty, as is the Qingming Bridge in the Nanchang District of Wuxi.

The Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is the tomb of the Hongwu Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. Hongwu died at age 71, having outlived his empress and his son/heir by five years. Dozens of concubines were burned alive at his funeral and their remains buried with him. The tomb lies at the northern foot of Purple Mountain (Purple-Golden Mountain) in Nanjing, China. Legend says that in order to prevent robbery of the tomb, 13 identical processions of funeral troops started from 13 city gates to obscure the real burying site. The construction of the mausoleum began during the Ming Dynasty in 1381 and ended in 1405, with a huge expenditure of resources involving 100,000 laborers. The original wall of the mausoleum was more than 22.5 kilometers long. The mausoleum was built under heavy guard of 5,000 military troops.

In 2003, along with the Ming Dynasty Tombs north of Beijing, the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum of Nanjing was inscribed by UNESCO as part of the World Heritage List sites, "Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties.”

Qingming Bridge, built over the Grand Canal during the middle period of Emperor Wanli’s reign (1572-1620) of the Ming Dynasty, is the largest and best-preserved ancient stone arch bridge still standing in Wuxi.

Most major Chinese cities were once protected by walls, and as a former imperial capital, Nanjing still boasts many impressive fortifications. Nanjing City Wall, constructed during the Yuan and Ming Dynasties between 1365 and 1386, originally stretched over 30 kilometers, which made it the longest city wall in the world. Now, with about two-thirds of the wall still intact it still remains the longest city wall in China.

Zhonghua Men is the most famous and most fortified gate of the wall. It was constructed with 1000 kilogram vertically sliding doors and contained 27 vaults that could hold thousands of soldiers. The idea was that if an enemy entered, the doors could be slammed shut. The enemy, trapped inside, would then be ambushed by soldiers inside. Enemy armies avoided this super-fortified gate in favor of attacking Nanjing via weaker points along the wall. Zhonghua Men fortress is located across the bridge from Yuhua Road and about 500 meters east of South Zhongshan Road.