Imperial Family of China

[magenta]

Hello Tom. Re: June 2012 article; death, burial of the Dowager Empress Longyu, February 1913.The newspaper photo you attached is just what I was looking for to verify a set of original photos (12cm x 10cm) that I have. A few in set had been taken from the exact same perspective of various other stages of the procession.

I will send along the photos in the next message as the character limitations in this box are minimal. Do you think these are from the same procession? Thanks, Jay Lazarin -NYC-USA

 

[magenta]

death and burial of the Dowager Empress Longyu in February 1913.

Does anyone know if these photos are from the procession of Longyu? Thanks, J.L., NYC-USA

 

[Baroncabodifalco]

Hello Jay,

The second set of photos are related to the first photo. The very similar perspectives, the weather and the state of the trees in the background.
The branching of the trees are identical.

Rgds
Victor

 

[magenta]

burial of the Dowager Empress Longyu, February 1913

Thanks much Victor. I kind of assumed that they were all from the same photographer's position at the same event. Another person's 'eyes-on' is a confirmation for me. Thanks again for the comments.
Regards,
Jay

 

[lucien]

The Forbidden City

Pics from my last trip there:


The Gate of Heavenly Peace at the Square by that name....

Duomen Gate,the 2nd of the Gates leading to...

The Wumen,or Meridian Gate

Golden River and Gate of Amilability leading to the Outer Court within the Forbidden City

Gate of Supreme Harmony

Gate of Supremem Harmony.Morning audiences were held here

Hall of Supreme Harmony

Elaborate detailed painting adornes all buildings within the Forbidden City

An overview...

Incense burners everywhere

Hall of Central Harmony,it was here that the Guanxu Emperor was captured by order of Empress Dowager Cixi

Throne at the Hall of Central Harmony

 

[lucien]

Imperial China

Hall of Preserving Harmony

Gate of Heavenly Purity,leading to the Inner Court of the Forbidden City

Palace of Heavenly Purity,and Throne

 

[lucien]

Imperial China

West alley,giving access to the Palaces of the West

The Palace of Gathering Elegance..yes,it could do that as it looks a tad delapidated...Cixi's residence while still a concubine but it was here that she gave birth to the Tongzhi Emperor.

Bronze pots are all over the grounds,the served in case of fire

Gift to the Emperor of China by Napolòn Bonaparte depicting the latters Coronation at the Notre Dame

And from the pavillion keeping the posessions of the Emperor Pu Yi,the last Emperor:

Books used by Pu Yi

Train once belonging to the Guanxu Emperor

A telegraph machine belonging to Pu Yi

And there was even that,even during Cixi's days

A Ryu,or Scepter,in a dusty corner of the Palace of Gathering Elegance:

Entrance to the Palace of Mental Cultivation

Massive Chrystal.It stood for clear government at the Palace of Mental Cultivation,Cixi's Residence as Regent and Dowager Empress.

Throne at Hall of Mental Cultivation

 

[lucien]

Imperial China

Details

Pavillion in the Imperial Garden where Pu Yi received English lessons from Reginald Johnston

Sealed doors....

In the Imperial Garden is the Hall of Imperial Peace for Taoist worship

Pavillion in the Imperial Garden

ALL pics ar emade by me..just in case....

Ancient tree

Pavillion of Accumulated Beauty,the Emperor and his retinue went up there to relax and enjoy the views....

The Long Alley,leading from the Imperial Garden to the square at the Hall of Preserving Harmony

Doors to an undisclosed Palace

Gate of National Prosperity,leading to the Gate of Imperial Supremacy

The Nine Dragon Wall,one of three in all of China

Gate of Imperial Supremacy

Courtyard in front of the Palace of Imperial Supremacy

Detail of the gate

The Lions,always in a pair.One holding the globe under it's paw that stood for power,the other holding a cub that stood for fertility

 

[Al_bina]

Thanks for the photos!
The Forbidden City is as magnificent as I thought it to be. The craftsmanship is superb.

 

[Lenora]

The revolutionary Empress - Books - Arts - London Evening Standard

 

[CarolynHarris]

Here's my review of Dowager Empress Cixi by Jung Chang

Empress Dowager Cixi: The Concubine Who Launched Modern China by Jung Chang (Review) | Carolyn Harris: Royal Historian

 

[DonCurlyOneBFF]

Chinese Emperor Emulation

Salutations.

My friend's son wishes to emulate some of the most powerful Chinese Emperors throughout the ages in physical appearance. Are long toenails required for this effect or nonessential? Thank you in advance.

Royally,

FR

 

[CR1]

@Lucien Thanks for your post and those terrific photographs of the Forbidden City. It is one of my (so far) unfulfilled ambitions to visit the Imperial City but unfortunately, i have got no further that Hong Kong. Once again, many thanks.

 

[CR1]

I have recently read Keith Laidler`s biography of Empress Cixi and found it rather unsatisfactory in comparison to others. In particular, there is a reference that i find perplexing. In the third chapter, Laidler quotes Te Ling`s biography Two years in the Forbidden City writing "When the remnants of the Manchu court were finally expelled from the Forbidden City in 1924, three old women, forgotten wives of long-dead Emperors, were discovered still living in obscurity in the warren of dilapidated apartments " Now by my own reckoning, the Dowager Consort Jin had died earlier that year leaving only the Noble Consorts Jingyi and Ronghui, wives of the Tongzhu Emperor, as the last remaining former concubines. Have i made a mistake or has Ter Ling and if so, has Laidler added to his indifferent biography by not doing his research??? Any reply will be appreciated.

 

[Blog Real]

Who is the current imperial family of China?

 

[Blog Real]

Jin Youzhi (born 17 August 1918), also known as Puren, is the fourth and youngest son of Zaifeng, and is, at age 96, the only surviving sibling of Puyi, the final ruler of the Qing Dynasty and last Emperor of China.
Jin Youzhi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Ceallach]

Puren, the youngest brother of the last emperor Puyi of China has died at 96.

Brother of China's final emperor who was the last of the Qing dynasty dies in Beijing aged 96 | Daily Mail Online

 

[Ceallach]

The new pretender to the throne is his son Jin Yuzhang then his other sons Jin Yuquan and Jin Yulan. None of the sons have sons just daughters.

Jin Yuzhang - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jin Youzhi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[EssexRoyal]

Which throne?

When people say that Puren's son is now the pretender to which throne do they refer? Manchuria or China? Didn't Manchuria and Imperial China have different succession rules and laws?

 

[Ceallach]

He is a pretender to both. His family's claim to China was disputed under Puren and will continue to be by those who say Puren as a half-brother could not succeed. However he and his family contended that the last published succession rules adopted in 1937 allowed half-brothers to succeed after full brothers.

 

[Chubb Fuddler]

I don't know if the family of the last Great Qing Emperor can really lay claim to Imperial China. The Great Qing clearly lost the Mandate of Heaven in 1912, and if the previous 2000 years of dynastic cycles were anything to go by, the Imperial Throne was up for grabs. And grabbed it was by the first President of the Republic of China, Yuan Shikai, when he became the Hóngxiàn Emperor of China in December 1915. His accession was even approved by the Great Qing Emperor, still living as a foreign monarch in Beijing. The new Emperor's reign lasted only until March 1916, when the republic was restored. If he had held onto power he could have claimed the Mandate of Heaven, and China might have been getting ready to celebrate the centenary of the Dynasty later this year.

Mao Zedong could easily have claimed the Mandate of Heaven (if it wasn't such a contradiction to communism), and it seems he did see himself as a modern day Emperor. A communist Chinese Emperor? I suppose it is only about as ridiculous as the so-called communism of China today.

Mao, who killed millions, called himself "Emperor... and Marx in one", his former secretary reveals

'As soon as we enter Beijing,' he said cheerfully, 'I'll be an emperor, won't I?'

 

[Cory]

Which is the behavious of the members of the Family towards the communist regime?

 

[Chubb Fuddler]

According to his "autobiography", the last Great Qing Emperor became a true communist, a defender of the revolution, and loyal supporter of Chairman Mao. He acknowledged that as Great Qing Emperor, and Emperor of Manchukuo, he had been an enemy of the people. But he was just being used again, a curious relic of some value for propaganda purposes. He spent his entire life as a powerless symbol in someone else's regime: the decaying Great Qing Court, the Japanese Empire, and, finally, the People's Republic of China. When I read his so-called autobiography, I found him a particularly unlikable character. More reliable biographies also paint the picture of a weak, selfish and easily manipulated man, which is hardly surprising given his early life. But I will give him this, he was one hell of a survivor.

 

[Cory]

What about the present members of the Family?

 

[Chubb Fuddler]

From the few bits and pieces I've read over the years, I get the impression that the more prominent members of the family who remained were loyal supporters of the People's Republic of China. But if they wanted to live, that was probably the most sensible thing to do, so who knows how genuine their "conversions" were. Even now, with Communism an empty ideology, it is probably better for the next generation to keep a low profile.

On my first visit to China in 1993 there was very little mention of the last Great Qing Emperor at the Imperial Palace Museum, let alone outside its walls. In 2007 a new English edition of From Emperor to Citizen was available at the Imperial Palace Museum Gift Shop, along with a set of postcards of the Grand Dowager Empress Ci Xi. On my most recent trip in 2012 there were all sorts of souvenirs available with images of the last Great Qing Emperor, from expensive china plates to t-shirts. I spotted the Emperor's face on souvenirs in Shanghai, Xian and even as far away as Lhasa and Shigatse in Tibet. Now in death, as in life, he is being used again.

The worst thing, however, was a A shop near the Gate of Supreme Harmony. It's called "Fly Over the Forbidden City". You dress up as the Emperor or Empress and are filmed pretending to fly. This is then superimposed over aerial footage of the Imperial Palace, the Summer Palace and the Great Wall. I couldn't believe the poor old Imperial Palace was reduced to such ignominious tackiness. So much for the Communist ideology embraced by various members of the former Great Qing Dynasty.

 

[Lee-Z]

I don't think this has been posted yet:

In 1905 dutch painter Hubert Vos got an assignment to paint a portrait of the empress Cixi. A couple of years ago a documentary was made about his journey and experiences in China while painting the portrait.
story about the documentary

translation

Found a link to the documentary itself, although i'm not sure if it works as it should
http://www.npo.nl/avro-close-up-hubert-vos-en-de-keizerin-verhaal-van-een-portret/23-11-2008/AVRO_1311513
it's in dutch though, don't know if a subtitled version is available..

(oh, and in my humble opinion, the imperial dynasties of China deserve their own subforum and not just one thread uner "other non-reigning houses" )

 

[Chubb Fuddler]

If everything had gone to plan in 1916, China might have been celebrating the centenary of the monarchy founded by China's second president, General Yuan Shikai. Yuan Shikai reigned as the Hóngxiàn Emperor for about 80 days before he gave up his imperial ambitions in March 1916. He seriously underestimated his chances of success, and didn't quite appreciate how China had fundamentally changed since 1912 when the Dowager Empress Longyu proclaimed the abdication of the six-year-old Great Qing Emperor, and established a republic. For thousands of years weak dynasties, having lost the Mandate of Heaven, gave way to a new dynasty, which by coming to power proved it now had the Mandate of Heaven. But not any more. After his short reign, Yuan Shikai reverted to his old position as President of the Republic, and died a few moths later.

Had the Great Hóngxiàn Emperor of the Empire of China succeeded, his great-grandson Yuan Ji Yan, a painter, would today be Emperor of China. Interestingly, Yuan Shikai was the only Chinese emperor to ever use the title Emperor of China. The name of the country in Chinese was always the name of the reigning dynasty, so the title of the emperor was the Great Qing Emperor of the Great Qing Empire, Great Ming Emperor of the Great Ming Empire, Great Qin Emperor of the Great Qin Emperor etc. etc. depending on the dynasty.

Yuan Family

 

[An Ard Ri]

The end of Imperial China

The end of imperial China | History Today

 

[An Ard Ri]

Wu Chao: Woman Emperor of China

Wu Chao: Woman Emperor of China | History Today

 

[Sun Lion]

"The Palaces"/"The Old Palaces" of Beijing - known to the West as the Forbidden City.

Some photos I took earlier this year.