Society thumb|The Hongwu Emperor's calligraphy The Hongwu Emperor's guiding principle was one of parsimony and simplicity. The emperor aimed to restore a simple agricultural economy, with other industries being seen as complementary. In order to maintain social cohesion and preserve the economic foundations of the state, the consumption of the wealthy and privileged was restricted. This was done out of fear that excessive displays of wealth would have destructive effects on society. The privileged were expected to exercise self-restraint, with the justification for this being rooted in Confucian morality. Material interests and selfishness were actively rejected. The Hongwu Emperor himself set an example by contenting himself with simple food and palace furnishings. He viewed the pursuit of comfort, luxury, and property as unacceptable self-centeredness and a sign of corruption. Some of his specific orders included the planting of vegetable gardens instead of flower gardens in his sons' palaces, a ban on keeping pet animals (such as tigers), and calls to replace them with useful animals like cows. Additionally, the cultivation of rice varieties suitable for the production of rice wine was prohibited. The government also regulated consumption, setting specific levels for food, clothing, housing, and transportation for each class of the population. This resulted in strict regulation of the entire lives of the subjects, including attempts to enforce standards of greetings and the style of written texts, restrictions on people's choice of names, and bans on the use of symbols that reminded people of a monastic episode in the emperor's life.
Society thumb|The Hongwu Emperor's calligraphy The Hongwu Emperor's guiding principle was one of parsimony and simplicity The emperor aimed to restore a simple agricultural economy, with other industries being seen as complementary In order to maintain social cohesion and preserve the economic foundations of the state, the consumption of the wealthy and privileged was restricted. This was done out of fear that excessive displays of wealth would have destructive effects on society. The privileged were expected to exercise self-restraint with the justification for this being rooted in Confucian morality. Material interests and selfishness were actively rejected. The Hongwu Emperor himself set an example by contenting himself with simple food and palace furnishings. He viewed the pursuit of comfort, luxury, and property as unacceptable self-centeredness and a sign of corruption. Some of his specific orders included the planting of vegetable gardens instead of flower gardens in his sons' palaces, a ban on keeping pet animals (such as tigers), and calls to replace them with useful animals like cows. Additionally, the cultivation of rice varieties suitable for the production of rice wine was prohibited. The government also regulated consumption, setting specific levels for food, clothing, housing, and transportation for each class of the population. This resulted in strict regulation of the entire lives of the subjects, including attempts to enforce standards of greetings and the style of written texts, restrictions on people's choice of names, and bans on the use of symbols that reminded people of a monastic episode in the emperor's life.