The Li family's ups and downs

In time, the Li family amassed a trove of portraits, pedigree charts, ceremonial outfits, documents and other objects that belonged to their ancestors, as evidence of their glorious past. These objects later became part of the collection of several museums, including the National Museum of China, which has just mounted a new exhibition to show them.

Legacy From the Prince of Qiyang, a long-term exhibition that gathers together more than 70 objects, traces the ups and downs of the Li family, starting with Li Zhen and Zhu Fonyu, Li Wenzhong's parents, right through to the political turmoil and drastic changes that resulted from the eventual fall of the Ming Dynasty, and its replacement by the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

The Li family enjoyed prominence and respect for so long — not just because of the close relations between Zhu Yuanzhang and Li Wenzhong and his parents, but also because several key family members consolidated their prestigious status with displays of courage, intelligence and loyalty, especially to Zhu Yuanzhang, whose mistrust of his court officials intensified in the years following his seizure of the throne.