Glossary

Hongwu

洪武

Term · calendar

Chinese era name (洪武) of the Ming for the years 1368–1398: 1368 is Hongwu 1 (元年) and Hongwu 31 is 1398. Hongwu (洪武) is a Chinese era name (nianhao) of the Ming, proclaimed in 1368. Under the Ming and Qing an emperor kept one era for his whole reign and is known by it: the Hongwu Emperor. Its years are counted in lunar years: 1368 is Hongwu 1 (元年), 1398 its last year, Hongwu 31. A Chinese source dates a year within it as “Hongwu 2” (洪武二年) rather than by a continuous count. After: Jianwen.