Yuan Empire
Kublai Khan proclaimed the Yuan dynasty in 1271, and the conquest of the Southern Song in 1279 brought China under Mongol rule. The court governed from Dadu, present-day Beijing, within a wider network of Mongol states and long-distance exchange. Tibetan Buddhist teachers, Nepalese artists, Muslim communities and Chinese officials all participated in its institutions. Temples, monasteries, mosques and the remains of the fleet sent against Japan reveal the dynasty’s varied connections. Yuan rule in China ended in 1368, while Mongol rulers continued farther north.
Explore Yuan sites
Yuan monuments connect the Mongol court with religious communities across Asia, while a shipwreck site records its expedition against Japan.
Daily life
Daily Life in Yuan China: Households, Work, Food and Worship
Yuan daily life joined farming and urban trades with household service duties. Homes, family property, cooking, dress, worship and performance reveal practical activities.
History and society
The Yuan Dynasty: History, Institutions and Society in China
Kublai’s Yuan joined Mongol imperial rule with Chinese administration. Provincial government, service households, farming, commerce and religious patronage shaped the dynasty.
- Religion and Learning under Yuan Rule in China
- The Yuan Economy: Farming, Labour, Taxation and Money
- The Yuan Empire: Mongol Conquest and Rule in China, 1271-1368
- Yuan Cities, Buildings, Art and Theatre: Cultural Life under the Yuan Dynasty
- Yuan Communications, Trade and the Wider Mongol World
- Yuan Government: Provincial Administration and Social Categories