1st Prince Chun

The 1st Prince Chun (Chinese: 醇賢親王, officially Prince of the First Rank Chun Xian) (October 16, 1840 - January 1, 1891), commonly known in his days as the Seventh Prince (七王爺) was born Yixuan (Chinese: 奕譞; Wade-Giles: I-hsüan), of the Manchu Aisin-Gioro clan (the Qing Dynasty imperial family ruling over China). His courtesy name (字) was Pu'an (樸菴). He was the seventh son of the Daoguang Emperor (1782-1850). His mother was the (Manchu) concubine Lin (琳) ( ? -1866), of the Uya clan. She posthumously became the Imperial concubine of the 1st rank Zhuangshun (莊順皇貴妃). This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... October 16 is the 289th day of the year (290th in Leap years). ... 1840 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... 1891 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Wade-Giles, sometimes abbreviated Wade, is a Romanization (phonetic notation and transliteration) system for the Chinese language based on Mandarin. ... The Manchu (Manchu: Manju; Simplified Chinese: 满族; Traditional Chinese: 滿族; pinyin: ) are an ethnic group who originated in the dong bei or North East region consisting of Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang provinces, collectively known in English as Manchuria. ... Aisin Gioro (Simplified Chinese: 爱新觉罗; Traditional Chinese: 愛新覺羅; pinyin: ) was the clan name of the Manchu emperors of the Qing dynasty (as well as the later short-lived regime in Manchukuo). ... The Qing Dynasty (Manchu: daicing gurun; Chinese: 清朝; pinyin: qÄ«ng cháo; Wade-Giles: ching chao), sometimes known as the Manchu Dynasty, was founded by the Manchu clan Aisin Gioro, in what is today northeast China expanded into China proper and the surrounding territories of Inner Asia, establishing... Cha can also refer to a Latin American dance, also called the Cha-cha-cha. ... The Daoguang Emperor (September 16, 1782 - February 25, 1850) was the eighth emperor of the Manchu Qing dynasty, and the sixth Qing emperor to rule over China, from 1820 to 1850. ...

His principal wife was the younger sister of Cixi, from the (Manchu) Yehe-Nara clan. She died in the mid-1890s. He also had three concubines: the first one was the Lady Yanja, from the (Manchu) Yanja clan, who died early; the second one was the Lady Lingiya (1866-1925), a Han Chinese maid of his mansion whose original Chinese family name was Liu (劉) and was changed into the Manchu clan's name Lingyia when she was made a Manchu, which was required in order to become the concubine of a Manchu prince; the third one was the Lady Ligyia, probably also a Han Chinese maid whose Chinese family name Li (李) was changed into Ligyiya. His oldest surviving son, born to his principal wife, became the Guangxu Emperor. His second oldest surviving son, born to his second concubine, became the 2nd prince Chun, father of Puyi the Last Emperor. Empress Dowager Cixi Empress Dowager Cixi (Chinese: 慈禧太后; Wade-Giles: Tzu-hsi) (November 29, 1835–November 15, 1908), popularly known in China as the Western Empress Dowager (西太后), and officially known posthumously as Empress Xiaoqin Xian (孝欽顯皇后), was a powerful and charismatic figure who was the de facto ruler... The Yehe Nara were a Manchu clan who ruled Yehe, one of the HÅ«lun Four States. ... The Manchu (Manchu: Manju; Simplified Chinese: 满族; Traditional Chinese: 滿族; pinyin: ) are an ethnic group who originated in the dong bei or North East region consisting of Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang provinces, collectively known in English as Manchuria. ... Han Chinese (Simplified Chinese: 汉族; Traditional Chinese: 漢族; pinyin: ) is a term which refers to the majority ethnic group within China and the largest single human ethnic group in the world. ... The Manchu (Manchu: Manju; Simplified Chinese: 满族; Traditional Chinese: 滿族; pinyin: ) are an ethnic group who originated in the dong bei or North East region consisting of Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang provinces, collectively known in English as Manchuria. ... The Manchu (Manchu: Manju; Simplified Chinese: 满族; Traditional Chinese: 滿族; pinyin: ) are an ethnic group who originated in the dong bei or North East region consisting of Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang provinces, collectively known in English as Manchuria. ... Han Chinese (Simplified Chinese: 汉族; Traditional Chinese: 漢族; pinyin: ) is a term which refers to the majority ethnic group within China and the largest single human ethnic group in the world. ... The Guangxu Emperor (August 14, 1871–November 14, 1908), born Zaitian(載湉), was the tenth emperor of the Manchu Qing dynasty, and the ninth Qing emperor to rule over China, his reign lasting from 1875 to 1908, but in practice ruling from 1890 to 1898. ... Zaifeng, the 2nd Prince Chun in Qing Imperial Robes The 2nd Prince Chun (Chinese: 醇親王) (February 12, 1883 - February 3, 1951) was born Zaifeng (Chinese: 載灃; Wade-Giles: Tsai-feng), of the Manchu Aisin-Gioro clan (the Qing imperial family ruling over China). ... Puyi (Chinese:溥儀; Pronounced Poo-yee) (February 7, 1906 - October 17, 1967) of the Manchu Aisin-Gioro ruling family was the Xuantong Emperor (宣統皇帝) of China between 1908 and 1924 (ruling emperor between 1908 and 1912, and non-ruling emperor between 1912 and 1924...

In February 1850 his older half-brother Yizhu (奕詝) ascended the throne to become the Xianfeng Emperor, and Yixuan was made Prince of the Second Rank Chun (醇郡王). Although Prince Chun led quite an undistinguished life at court during the 11-year reign of Xianfeng, his fortune was made by Empress Dowager Cixi after the death of Xianfeng. 1850 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The Xianfeng Emperor (July 17, 1831 - August 22, 1861) was the eighth emperor of the Manchu Qing dynasty, and the seventh Qing emperor to rule over China, from 1850 to 1861. ... Empress Dowager Cixi (1835-1908) The Empress Dowager Cixi (Chinese: 慈禧太后; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Tzu-hsi) (November 29, 1835 –November 15, 1908), popularly known in China as the Western Empress Dowager (西太后), and officially known posthumously as Empress Xiaoqin Xian (孝欽顯皇后), was a powerful and charismatic figure who was the de facto...

This resulted from two major events in his life. In 1860 he was married by imperial decree of Xianfeng to the younger sister of Cixi, from the (Manchu) Yehe-Nara clan. This created close ties between the house of Prince Chun and the woman who was about to become the absolute ruler of China. Then on August 22, 1861, the Xianfeng Emperor died, leaving the 5-year old son of Cixi as his only heir, soon to become the Tongzhi Emperor. In the ensuing struggle over who would assume the regency, Prince Chun sided with Cixi's party. Eventually, in November 1861, as Cixi launched the Xinyou Coup (辛酉政變) with the help of Prince Gong (older half-brother of the 1st prince Chun), the 1st prince Chun carried out the arrest of Sushun (肅順), the leader of the opposing party, and carried him back to Beijing where he was beheaded. 1860 is the leap year starting on Sunday. ... 1861 is a common year starting on Tuesday. ... Empress Dowager Cixi Empress Dowager Cixi (Chinese: 慈禧太后; Wade-Giles: Tzu-hsi) (November 29, 1835–November 15, 1908), popularly known in China as the Western Empress Dowager (西太后), and officially known posthumously as Empress Xiaoqin Xian (孝欽顯皇后), was a powerful and charismatic figure who was the de facto ruler... The Tongzhi Emperor (April 27, 1856–January 12, 1875) was the ninth emperor of the Manchu Qing dynasty, and the eighth Qing emperor to rule over China, from 1861 to 1875. ... 1861 is a common year starting on Tuesday. ... Prince Gong in official dress Prince Gong (Chinese: 恭親王; Wade-Giles: Prince Kung) (January 11, 1833 - May 29, 1898), commonly known in his days as the Sixth Prince (六王爺), was born Yixin (Chinese: 奕訢; Wade-Giles: I-hsin), of the Aisin-Gioro clan (the Qing Manchu imperial family ruling over... Sushun was one of the eight ministers appointed by Emperor Xianfeng before he passed away to help his six-year old son, Zaitian or Emperor Tongzhi to rule China. ...

As a result of this, the inexperienced 21-year-old prince Chun was appointed overnight to the highest posts in the military and the government. During the following 14 years of the Tongzhi Emperor's reign, he led a prestigious career in the military and the government. In 1872 he was officially elevated to Prince of the First Rank Chun (醇親王). 1872 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

The third major event in his life happened as the Tongzhi Emperor died without an heir in January 1875. Empress Dowager Cixi then chose the eldest son of the 1st prince Chun, a 2-year-old boy, to become the new emperor, the Guangxu Emperor. The choice had many advantages for Cixi: the young boy was her nephew (his mother, the principal wife of the 1st prince Chun, was the younger sister of Cixi, as was explained above); the 1st prince Chun had always been a loyal follower of Cixi; the boy was only 2-year old, which would give Cixi another period of regency. For the 1st prince Chun however, the choice was a catastrophe. As he heard the announcement that his son had been chosen for emperor, he reportedly beat his head and cried bitterly, and then fell unconscious on the floor. Being the living father of an emperor was quite an extraordinary situation in the last centuries of imperial China, a situation which had existed only between 1796 and 1799 when the famous Qianlong Emperor had abdicated in favor of his son the Jiaqing Emperor. The tremendous respect for parents which is central to Chinese culture meant that as the father of the emperor, the 1st prince Chun would receive the highest honors and privileges. This was an extremely dangerous and uncomfortable position for him, given the prickly nature of Empress Dowager Cixi and her obsessional paranoia of any challenge to her absolute power. 1875 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1796 was a leap year starting on Friday. ... 1799 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The Qianlong Emperor (born Hongli, September 25, 1711 – February 7, 1799) was the fifth emperor of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China. ... The Jiaqing Emperor (November 13, 1760 – September 2, 1820) was the sixth emperor of the Manchu Qing dynasty, and the fifth Qing emperor to rule over China, from 1796 to 1820. ...

The first decision of Prince Chun after his son became the Guangxu Emperor was to resign all his official positions. He tried to keep a low profile, but was lavished with honors and privileges, to which he tried to resist as much as possible. Soon after his son became emperor, the title of Prince of the First Rank (親王) was made hereditary for the 1st prince Chun's descendants, a very high privilege with which he could not dispense. In 1876 he went as far as sending a memorandum to the throne in which he condemned in advance anyone that would propose to grant him a special position in the hierarchy of power due to his condition of father of the emperor. Following the resignation of his military and government posts, he was entrusted with the education of the young emperor, to which he consented. In the following years, with the disgrace of Prince Gong, the 1st prince Chun became unwillingly the most powerful figure at the imperial court after only Cixi. Cixi even ordered all ministers to discuss matters with Prince Chun before making decisions. Each step further, however, was making his position more dangerous, and the potential fall more frightening. The Guangxu Emperor (August 14, 1871–November 14, 1908), born Zaitian(載湉), was the tenth emperor of the Manchu Qing dynasty, and the ninth Qing emperor to rule over China, his reign lasting from 1875 to 1908, but in practice ruling from 1890 to 1898. ... 1876 is a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Prince Gong in official dress Prince Gong (Chinese: 恭親王; Wade-Giles: Prince Kung) (January 11, 1833 - May 29, 1898), commonly known in his days as the Sixth Prince (六王爺), was born Yixin (Chinese: 奕訢; Wade-Giles: I-hsin), of the Aisin-Gioro clan (the Qing Manchu imperial family ruling over...

The 1st prince Chun on his inspection tour to the imperial navy yards in the mid-1880s

In 1881 Empress Dowager Ci'an died suddenly, and rumors had it that she had been poisoned by Cixi. This made the 1st prince Chun even more cautious and eager to please Cixi in all possible ways. In the beginning of 1887, the Guangxu Emperor came of age, but Prince Chun officially asked Cixi to prolong her regency. This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... 1881 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Empress Dowager Cian (zh: 慈安太后) (1837 - April 8, 1881), popularly known in China as the Eastern Empress Dowager (東太后), and officially known posthumously as Empress Xiaozhen Xian (孝貞顯皇后), was the empress consort of the Xianfeng Emperor (b. ... 1887 is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar). ...

In 1885 Cixi appointed him Controller of the Admiralty, in charge of supervising the building of the new imperial navy. He was sent on an inspection tour to the navy yards on the coast of China. In the following years, he was involved in the infamous embezzlement of public funds initially allocated to the building of the navy but which were used instead in a large measure for the restoration and enlargement of the Summer Palace for Cixi, in order to replace the Old Summer Palace which had been destroyed by the English-French expeditionary forces in 1860. The Chinese imperial navy, deprived of funding, was to suffer a humiliating defeat in the Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895). His desire to please Cixi was such that he did not even stop work on the Summer Palace to relieve the victims of the terrible flooding that hit the region of Beijing; and so the enlargement of the Summer Palace was completed as early as the Spring of 1891. The 1st prince Chun died shortly before completion, on January 1, 1891. His second oldest surviving son became the new prince of the first rank Chun on that same day (see 2nd Prince Chun). 1885 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... The Summer Palace in Beijing. ... The Imperial Gardens as they once stood The Old Summer Palace, known in China as the Gardens of Perfect Brightness (Chinese: 圆明园 / 圓明園; pinyin: ), and originally called the Imperial Gardens (Chinese: 御園; pinyin: ), was an extremely large complex of palaces and gardens 8 km (5 miles) northwest of the walls of Beijing, built... 1860 is the leap year starting on Sunday. ... Japan and Qing China fought the First Sino-Japanese War (or the Qing-Japanese War) during 1894 and 1895, primarily over control of Korea. ... The Summer Palace in Beijing. ... ▶(?) (Chinese: 北京; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Pei-ching; Postal System Pinyin: Peking) is the capital of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). ... 1891 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Zaifeng, the 2nd Prince Chun in Qing Imperial Robes The 2nd Prince Chun (Chinese: 醇親王) (February 12, 1883 - February 3, 1951) was born Zaifeng (Chinese: 載灃; Wade-Giles: Tsai-feng), of the Manchu Aisin-Gioro clan (the Qing imperial family ruling over China). ...

He was given the posthumous name Xian (賢 - meaning "the Sage" [i.e. he who possesses both moral qualities and practical skills]) which, added to his princely title in Chinese, helps to differentiate him from his son the 2nd prince Chun: the former is Prince of the First Rank Chun Xian (醇賢親王), while the latter is only Prince of the First Rank Chun (醇親王). A posthumous name (Traditional Chinese: 諡號/謚號 Simplified Chinese: 谥号; Pinyin: shì hào; Romaji: shigō/tsuigō; Revised Romanization of Korean: siho) is a honorary name given to royalty in some cultures posthumously, that is, after the persons death. ... Zaifeng, the 2nd Prince Chun in Qing Imperial Robes The 2nd Prince Chun (Chinese: 醇親王) (February 12, 1883 - February 3, 1951) was born Zaifeng (Chinese: 載灃; Wade-Giles: Tsai-feng), of the Manchu Aisin-Gioro clan (the Qing imperial family ruling over China). ...

Tomb of the 1st prince Chun

He was interred in a tomb of princely rank (園寢), now popularly known as the "Grave of the Seventh Prince" (七王坟), located 35 km/22 miles northwest of Beijing. According to Puyi's autobiography, a ginkgo tree grew on the tomb of the 1st prince Chun, and became very tall and imposing. This fact was reported to Empress Dowager Cixi and greatly alarmed her. In Chinese, the first character of the word "ginkgo tree" is bai (白), while the first character of the word "emperor" is huang (皇), which combines the character bai with the character wang (王 - meaning "prince", 親王). A ginkgo (character 白) growing on the tomb of the 1st prince Chun (character 王) was interpreted as a sign that a new emperor (character 皇) would emerge in the house of Prince Chun. This was unacceptable for the very superstitious Cixi, as obsessed as ever with thwarting any challenge to her power, and so she promptly had the tree felled. The tomb of the 1st prince Chun was restored by the People's Republic of China after 1949 and is now one of the tourist attractions around Beijing. Photo self-taken in 2002 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... â–¶(?) (Chinese: 北京; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Pei-ching; Postal System Pinyin: Peking) is the capital of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). ... Puyi (Chinese:溥儀; Pronounced Poo-yee) (February 7, 1906 - October 17, 1967) of the Manchu Aisin-Gioro ruling family was the Xuantong Emperor (宣統皇帝) of China between 1908 and 1924 (ruling emperor between 1908 and 1912, and non-ruling emperor between 1912 and 1924... Binomial name Ginkgo biloba L. The Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), sometimes also known as the Maidenhair Tree, is a unique tree with no close living relatives. ... Empress Dowager Cixi (1835-1908) The Empress Dowager Cixi (Chinese: 慈禧太后; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Tzu-hsi) (November 29, 1835 –November 15, 1908), popularly known in China as the Western Empress Dowager (西太后), and officially known posthumously as Empress Xiaoqin Xian (孝欽顯皇后), was a powerful and charismatic figure who was the de facto... 1949 (MCMXLIX) is a common year starting on Saturday. ... â–¶(?) (Chinese: 北京; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Pei-ching; Postal System Pinyin: Peking) is the capital of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). ...