Description
Book SynopsisTrade Review"What the Emperor Built will make even those familiar with the city’s ancient buildings feel that while they may have looked, they perhaps did not entirely see."
* South China Morning Post *
"[A] detailed study of the architecture created during the early Ming dynasty reign of Yung Lo"
* Choice *
"[O]ne of her book’s greatest strengths lies in the clarity of both the argument and the handsomely reproduced illustrations presented in its pages...the story of magnificent buildings and the millions involved in their construction is sure to inspire lively discussions about the profound impact of Yongle’s architectural vision on global architectural history and global history as a whole."
* Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians *
"The book is remarkable for its successful integration of architectural with political and economic history, disciplines that are usually practiced separately... This is architectural history at its best, and sets a standard for future work in the field."
* Journal of the American Oriental Society *
"State architecture is a transformative art of power and persuasion. In What the Emperor Built Aurelia Campbell employs this lens of Ming imperial architecture to capture how Yongle (r.1402–1424) mobilized a standardized architectural vision to project legitimacy and counter his problematic rise to power through nepoticide and civil war."
* Chinese Historical Review *
