Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang (October 21, 1328 - June 24, 1398), whose courtesy name was Guorui, whose original names were Zhu Chongba and Zhu Xingzong, was a native of Zhongli, Haozhou (now Fengyang, Anhui). He was the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, with the reign name "Hongwu".
At the age of twenty-five, Zhu Yuanzhang joined the Red Scarf Army led by Guo Zixing to resist the Yuan Dynasty. In 1356, he captured Jiqing Road and changed its name to Yingtian. In 1364, he proclaimed himself King of Wu and successively eliminated separatist forces such as Chen Youliang and Zhang Shicheng. In 1367, with the call of "driving out the Huru and restoring China", he sent Xu Da and Chang Yuchun to lead an expedition to the north to overthrow the rule of the Yuan Dynasty. In the first month of 1368, he proclaimed himself emperor in Yingtian Mansion and established the Ming Dynasty. In the autumn of the same year, he captured Dadu, ending the Yuan Dynasty's rule across the country. After that, he sent his generals to the north several times to attack the remaining forces of the Northern Yuan Dynasty and gradually unified the country.
Zhu Yuanzhang's life is full of legend. He started from a grassroots and eventually became the founding emperor of the country. His ideas and methods of governing the country had a profound impact on Chinese history. However, his harsh governance methods and certain legends have also caused widespread controversy. But in any case, as the founder of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang's historical status cannot be ignored.
