When Ming Taizu (r. 1368-98) expanded the city of Nanjing he broke free from the city’s pre-Ming arrangement and built the imperial palace compound in an open ground to the east of the city. This was to enhance the imposing atmosphere that characterized the imperial capitals in traditional China. The plane layout, as well as its symbolic meanings, of the Nanjing palace would have significant impact on the Central Capital (Fengyang) later in the Dynasty and the city of Beijing in both Ming and Qing periods. This study describes the planning and construction of the Nanjing palace during the early Ming and discusses the characteristics and symbolism in its plane layout. It also traces the continuities and changes between the planning of this palace and that of Dadu in Yuan, Fengyang in Ming, and Beijing in the Ming-Qing era.