Imperial Family of China

[Vanesa]

Thank you, Aidan! I knew that Chinese last dynasty was not Chinese (we should said "Han" ...this is the correct way, I think...) but Manchu, and it's just for that, that I mentioned the issue of the women feet. Since Cixi was Manchu, and not "Han" her feet must have not being bounded as Han would do. Feet boundage was a "Han" tradition, and Behr claims that Manchu ladies never adopted it. He even said that Cixi feet were naturally little and that other women were jealous of her for that.

We must add that only high society Han ladies would bound ther feet. Country and worker women wouldn't do that, for they need to go out to work and feet boundage doesn't allow people to walk properly, but balancing, as if you were handicaped or drunk...

Thank you for the link, Aidan. I didn't know very much about Manchurian language, but since 'm very interested in languages, I'm very grateful to you.

Xie xie! (Thank you in Mandarin language...I'm sorry for not being able to said it in Manchu!

Vanesa.

 

[Vanesa]

I wanted to add that Pu-Yi, the last Emperor of China, NEVER managed to know Manchu language. He learned it when he was little, but he always would become bored in Manchu classes and never payed attention to the teacher.

He does a very hilarious account of this issue in his interesting book "From Emperor to Citizen".

Vanesa.

 

[Madame Royale]

I studied the Chinese Imperial Family in the later years of my secondary education and did a dissertation on the removal of Pu Yi's power.

I find the Qing dynasty to be so interesting.

Thanks to all those who have provided the photos and information .

 

[BeatrixFan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9sgjr5_AJ4

Apparantly, this is a descendant of the last Emperor.

 

[Royalist0007]

Did any of you ever see the film 'The Last Emperor'? I saw it many years ago as a child.The Ch'ing (as it is correctly spelt in the Wade-Giles translation) Dynasty were a very fascinating dynasty.Does anyone know what became of Pu Yi's father,Prince Chun,who was the Regent from 1908 until 1912?

Aidan.

 

[BeatrixFan]

I love the Last Emperor film. Queen Elizabeth II was in China when they filmed the Coronation Scene and was said to be very moved by it. Prince Chun became a bit of a slave to Dowager Empress Ci-Xi who he believed was murdering those in the Imperial Palace who disagreed with her. He became a bit of a sycophant and it was whilst he was trying to please her by building her a new Palace that he died at the age of 51.

 

[Enrique]

How is the "Emperor" of China now??

 

[BeatrixFan]

Dead. He died without heir in 1967.

 

[Vanesa]

Yes. But when these things happens, they designs another Emperor from the Imperial Family, even if he is not the son of the former Emperor. For example, Russian Tzar was dead in 1918, but nowadays, Grand Duchess María Vladimirovna claims to be the Empress of Russia in exile. Of course, not all people agrees with it and not even the Imperial Russian Family, but this is the fact.

Chinese imperial family could have do the same, since the succesory laws there were not so rigid...

Vanesa.

 

[BeatrixFan]

It's possible but it really would be a case of a distant relative and even then there'd be arguments based on parentage. Remember that the Emperors had alot of concubines and there was such a complex protocol of birth that it'd be hard to prove who had the right to call themselves the Emperor or Empress in-exile. It is perhaps, a little too complex, considering that the position will never be restored.

 

[Vanesa]

It was a nice film. The guy did ressemble to Emperor Pu Yi. But as you are able to read in Youtube, the Emperor had not aby child...He could not be his grandson. Maybe his great-grand nephew.Prince Pu Chieh did have a daughter with his wife, Princess Hiro Saga. So, who knows?

Besides, I'm tired of the intolerant outburst of young people affiliated to Youtube.When visiting the link proposed by Beatrix, I read some disgusting post calling Manchu people "inferior race having distroyed Han culture and China" and laughing at them for using "these ridicoulous pigtails". Every time I goes to this site, I find unbearable expressions of racism and intolerance whithout soeaking of ignorance, who makes people offensive and violent whithout whanting to.

Vanesa.

 

[BeatrixFan]

Youtube doesn't have a very good monitoring policy it has to be said. I knew Puyi didn't have any children and I assumed this guy was some kind of descendant from a brother or cousin or something but as you say, who knows? I doubt it'll go down well with the authorities to have a self-proclaimed Emperor running around so it might be better for him to be quiet about these things.

 

[Vanesa]

If it was Russia, I would say yes...But China is another bussiness. China is a very complex country. As far as I know, Emperor's Pu Yi family always worked for the Communist Party and had good relationships with governement. One of Emperor Pu Yi's uncles was representant of the Manchu minority in Chinese Congress.

 

[BeatrixFan]

True and Puyi himself wrote a book saying he had seen the light and was now a committed communist. Whether he was or not, well, I have my doubts.

 

[Vanesa]

Hmmm. The poor man wanted to save his life. He was able to know he should never have his throne back, and only tried to live a quiet, happy, private life...which he never could. He liked to be took as an old fool man who would loosed his glasses everywhere as long as he was able to live whithout being noticed.

He has been an Emperor that, in fact, never ruled (other would rule for him), and that was a prisoner almost all his life. We may understand easily that his later years, he would want to be simply...a man.

Vanesa.

 

[BeatrixFan]

I agree. Nobody dare stand up to Mao and Puyi was no different. I don't think he actually liked the Imperial ways or being Emperor, I certainly get that from the reforms he brought to the Forbidden City. It's sad that China fell before he could make those reforms nationwide.

 

[BeatrixFan]

Does anyone know where Empress Cixi is buried? I know her tomb was desecrated but where did she end up?

 

[gino]

tomb of cixi

Cixi is buried in the eastern Qing tombs .Her tomb was robbed in 1927 Now it is open and can be visited.There is even a picture of her body after the robbery.

 

[gino]

Are a any of Pu Yi's descendants still living in China now ?

Of the brothers and sisters of Pu yi only 4th brother Pu ren is still alive.He is 88 and lives in Beijing

 

[gino]

The Imperial Grand Concubine Zhen (of the first class).

Sorry.But the picture is not Zhen fei.The picture is the mother of Rong yuan, the father of Wan rong(Pu yi"s first wive).

 

[gino]

This picture is taken in the Japanese embassy.Behind Wanrong are her stepmother,5th aunt ,yunying,1st aunt.Seated left is the widow of You lang:heshili with her eldest granddaughter.

 

[gino]

Are a any of Pu Yi's descendants still living in China now ?

Many.About who you want to talk?

 

[Vanesa]

I see you have a lot of info about Pu Yi's family. I just want to know if there is some descendant of him from his sisters and brothers. I know Pu Ren is alive ...but did he have any son or daughter?

Vanesa.

 

[gino]

Pu ren

Hello Vanesa. Pu ren has 3sons and 2 daughters by his first wive.His eldest son Jin Yuzhang has 1 daughter.One daughter is named Yu Kunxi.

 

[Vanesa]

Thank you, Gino! So there ARE descendants of Pu Yi in China, and the one who wrote there wasn't under the Youtube's video was saying nonsense! I don't mean that the guy appearing in the video IS a descendant of the Royal Family, but at least he COULD BE...

Vanesa.

 

[Benjamin]

Pu Yi's Widow Reveals Last Emperor's Soft Side
8 Apr 1995
Beijing-China's last emperor, shown as a hedonistic collaborator in Bernardo Bertolucci's film of the same name, has been revealed by his widow as a lonely, vulnerable man who even threatened suicide when she spoke of divorce. rest of article

 

[gino]

Li shuxian

Nice article.But mrs. Li does not reveal that she had 2 marriages before she married Pu Yi.

 

[Vanesa]

Yes. I've read this too. But the article brokened my heart all the same. Poor Emperor. He was alone in this life. He had always been alone. I do not know if Li was a good woman or really a witch, but he seemed to have loved her and needed her.

Poor man. He was the loneliest of the Emperors.

Vanesa.

 

[GlitteringTiaras]

I originally posted this latest news in the Member's Corner of the foprums, but I thought I would post it here since it has to do with the Imperial family.

2,200 Imperial Tombs found and [url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/language_tips/cdaudio/2007-09/29/content_6145697.htm]Archeologists Find a tomb believed to be that of the Third and Last Emperor of the Qin Dynasty[/url]

Chinese archeologists believe an ancient tomb discovered four years ago may be that of the third and last emperor of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC).

 

[Jason R Maier esq]

Cixi is buried in the eastern Qing tombs .Her tomb was robbed in 1927 Now it is open and can be visited.There is even a picture of her body after the robbery.

Oh that's just brutal . . robbing the tomb (1927, if my memory serves me right; that would have been during the Northern Expedition led by Chain-Kai Shek to rid the Communists from the KMT).

Even more brutal a picture of her body after the robbery