Wanggongchang Explosion was a catastrophic explosion that occurred on May 30, 1626, at the heavily populated Ming China capital Beijing. The epicenter was a major production center of gunpowder, but it is uncertain exactly what triggered the explosion. The explosion reportedly killed around 20,000 people. It is also believed that the explosion was a heavenly punishment for the personal failing of the Tianqing Emperor.
About Wanggongchang Explosion in brief
Wanggongchang Explosion was a catastrophic explosion that occurred on May 30, 1626, at the heavily populated Ming China capital Beijing. The epicenter was a major production center of gunpowder, but it is uncertain exactly what triggered the explosion. The explosion reportedly killed around 20,000 people. The Tianqi Emperor’s only remaining heir, the 7-month-old Crown Prince Zhu Cijiong, died from the shock. The late Ming Dynasty was already suffering domestic crisis from political corruption, factional conflicts, and repeated natural disasters. The superstitious belief that the incident was a punishment from Heaven as a warning to correct the sins of the emperor’s personal incompetence. The destruction of the WanggongChang Armory resulted in the loss of one of the largest stockpiles of firearm and ammunition, which was never recovered from the Ming military. The Emperor was forced to publicly announce a repenting edict, and issued 20,.000 taels of gold for the relief effort.
The event can be considered a pivotal event in modern Chinese history, for the early rescue and rescue and relief efforts of the early modern Chinese government. It also put further strain on the Ming government budget, already suffering from ever increasing military expenditures in Manchuria, as well as rampant tax resistance by the upper middle class in the more affluent South and South East of the country. It is also believed that the explosion was a heavenly punishment for the personal failing of the Tianqing Emperor, and eroded the public respect towards the Ming monarchy. The most detailed account of the explosion is from a contemporary official gazette named Official Notice of Heavenly Calamity. The explosion took place at Sì shi on the late morning of May 30,. 1626. The sky was clear, but suddenly a loud \”roaring\” rumble was heard coming from northeast, gradually reaching southwest of the city, followed by dust clouds and shaking of houses.
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This page is based on the article Wanggongchang Explosion published in Wikipedia (as of Nov. 29, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
