Print and Preservation: Special Exhibition of the Exhortations to Promote Good Deeds by Empress Renxiao of the Great Ming

Print and Preservation: Special Exhibition on the Exhortations to Promote Good Deeds by Empress Renxiao of the Great Ming focuses on showcasing the imperial edition of the Exhortations to Promote Good Deeds, compiled by Empress Renxiao in the third year of the Yongle reign (1405). This is the first public presentation of the rarer imperial edition. The exhibition offers a detailed examination of the historical context and content of this work, highlighting how the Ming imperial court used the publication of ethical and moral texts to assert political legitimacy and promote social stability.  

The featured version was intended exclusively for the crown prince and other princes. A later edition, printed in the fifth year of Yongle’s reign (1407), was widely distributed to the public at the request of Crown Prince Zhu Gaochi following the death of Empress Renxiao, increasing its influence on both officials and commoners across the empire and beyond, making it a foundational text in Ming moral education. 

This exhibition serves as an extension of last year's interdisciplinary research initiative, ‘Print and Preservation: Chinese Books Beyond Technology’, and aims to offer fresh perspectives on this set of rare books from the Ming dynasty.

Exhibit:

Da Ming Renxiao huanghou quanshanshu 

( ‘Exhortations to Promote Good Deeds by Empress Renxiao of the Great Ming’ ) 

The third year of Yongle, Ming (1405), imperial edition 

Print on paper 

Chamber of Young Snow Collection