The Ming and Qing Dynasties were the last development stage of China's ancient architectural system. During this period, although the technology and modeling of ancient architecture in China became more and more stereotyped, remarkable achievements were made in the combination of architectural groups and the creation of space atmosphere.

The greatest achievement of architecture in Ming and Qing dynasties was in the field of gardens. The private gardens in the south of the Yangtze River in Ming Dynasty and the royal gardens in the north of Qing Dynasty are the most artistic ancient buildings. China has built a large number of palaces throughout the ages, but only the palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties-the Forbidden City in Beijing and the Forbidden City in Shenyang-have been preserved so far and become priceless treasures of China culture. The existing ancient cities and houses in the north and south were basically built during this period. Beijing and Nanjingcheng are the most outstanding representatives of Ming and Qing cities. The quadrangles in Beijing and houses in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces are the most successful examples of houses in China. Tanmiao and Huangling are both important buildings in ancient times. At present, Beijing still retains the highest-level temple dedicated to the Temple of Heaven in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, dedicated to heaven and earth, the country and the ancestors of the emperor. One of the most outstanding representatives is the Tiantan in Beijing, which still touches people's hearts with its wonderful art connecting heaven and earth. The Ming tombs have their own style on the basis of inheriting the previous generation, while the Qing Dynasty basically inherited the system of the Ming Dynasty. The Ming Tombs are the most outstanding artistic achievements in Ming and Qing tombs.

In the past, architectural history researchers often belittled Ming and Qing architecture because of the decline in the artistic quality of Ming and Qing architecture. In fact, Ming and Qing architecture not only made outstanding achievements in creating group space in art, but also made progress in architectural technology. The architecture in Ming and Qing dynasties emphasized the direct combination of beams, columns and purlins, and reduced the role of bucket arch as an intermediate level. This not only simplifies the structure, but also saves a lot of wood, thus achieving the effect of obtaining more building space with less materials. Masonry was also widely used in Ming and Qing dynasties, which promoted the development of masonry structure. During this period, the common beamless hall in China is the concrete embodiment of this progress.

In a word, the architectural art of Ming and Qing dynasties did not go downhill blindly, but it was like a fading sunset on the horizon, still shining.