How did famine and plague change Zhu Yuanzhang’s childhood in 1344?

In 1344, the future Hongwu emperor, born Zhu Chongba, faced a devastating turning point due to widespread famine and disease. During this period, central and northern China suffered from severe drought and famine, which resulted in the starvation of more than seven million people.1

These catastrophic conditions led to the death of his family, leaving him orphaned at the age of 16. To escape starvation, he sought refuge at the Huangjue monastery near Fengyang, where he became a monk. Following this, he lived as a wandering mendicant, begging for food in areas where social order had collapsed, a reality that fueled the popular rebellions of the time.1