The Forbidden City is located in the center of Beijing, also known as the "Forbidden City". 24 emperors once lived here. It was the royal palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1911 AD) and is now the "Forbidden City Museum". The entire building of the Forbidden City is splendid and majestic. It is known as one of the five major palaces in the world (Forbidden City in Beijing, Versailles Palace in France, Buckingham Palace in the United Kingdom, the White House in the United States, and the Kremlin in Russia), and is listed as a "World Cultural Heritage" by UNESCO.
The palace buildings of the Forbidden City are the largest and most complete ancient building complex in China, with a total area of ??more than 720,000 square meters. It is said that there are 9,999 and a half palaces and rooms, known as the "Sea of ??Palaces" , magnificent and extremely spectacular. Whether it is the plane layout, the three-dimensional effect, or the majestic form, it is an unparalleled masterpiece.
Anyone who likes traveling or has traveled to Beijing knows that there is a place in the Forbidden City in Beijing that is basically not open to the public. This place is the Cold Palace in the Forbidden City. I believe many people know where this place is in the Forbidden City. No one knows about it, and as it was the harem of the Ming and Qing dynasties, many people must have died in it. Is it because it is too dark and closed to the public? Let’s find out today.
In ancient times, if a woman could get the favor of the emperor or be favored by the emperor, her destiny might be directly changed. There are so many women in the harem who will do whatever it takes to get the emperor's favor. They will fight to the death, so there is also a saying that "the harem is as deep as the sea." There are even some women who have never seen the emperor from the time they entered the palace until their death.
This has happened throughout the dynasties, from entering the palace as a young girl to growing old and golden, and finally dying without even seeing the emperor! It is also very miserable, except for this situation, that is, being relegated to the cold palace. In the harem, you may be a noble concubine today, but you may become a worthless commoner tomorrow. Today we will take the concubines of the Ming and Qing dynasties as examples to talk about the cruel harem life in detail.
It is said that during the Tianqi period of the Ming Dynasty, there was a concubine named Li who offended the eunuch Wei Zhongxian and was framed by Wei Zhongxian and was thrown into the cold palace. Although the Cold Palace is also part of the palace, its conditions are very poor. Not only are there no eunuchs or maids to serve, but they also have to work, live like prisoners every day, and are bullied by the eunuchs on duty from time to time.
Wei Zhongxian (1568-December 11, 1627), courtesy name Wanwu, was a Han nationality from Suning, North Zhili (now Suning County, Cangzhou, Hebei), and his original name was Li Jinzhong. The surname was restored by the talented Wang family. After he became the eunuch of Bingbi, he changed his name to Wei Zhongxian. Eunuch in the late Ming Dynasty. During the reign of Emperor Xizong of the Ming Dynasty, he served as the eunuch of Si Li Bingbi. He was highly favored and was called "Nine Thousand Nine Hundred Years Old". He excluded dissidents and arbitrarily ruled the country, so that people "only know that there are loyal and virtuous people, but they don't know that there is an emperor."
On every first and fifteenth day of the Lunar New Year, Concubine Zhen must kneel to listen to the instructions. When the Eight-Power Allied Forces entered Beijing, Cixi ordered Concubine Zhen to be thrown into a well to kill her.
Cixi (November 29, 1835 - November 15, 1908) was Empress Xiaoqinxian, Yehenala, the concubine of Emperor Xianfeng and the biological mother of Emperor Tongzhi. An important political figure in the late Qing Dynasty and the actual ruler of the late Qing Dynasty.
He entered the palace in 1852 and was given the title of Lan Guiren (Yi Guiren is recorded in Qing history manuscripts), and the following year he was granted the title of Yi concubine of the Jin Dynasty; in 1856, the eldest son of the emperor Aixinjueluo Zaichun (Emperor Tongzhi) was born, and the Jin Dynasty granted him the title of Yi concubine. In the following year, she was granted the title of Imperial Concubine Yi of the Jin Dynasty. After the death of Emperor Xianfeng in 1861, she was honored together with Empress Xiaozhenxian in the two palaces. _ Launched the Xinyou coup, executed eight ministers, and seized power, forming a pattern of "the second palace hangs the curtain, and the prince discusses politics."
As for why the Cold Palace is not open to the public, Puyi, the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty, described it this way in his own book "My First Half of Life". After hundreds of years of wind and rain, many parts of the Forbidden City have become dilapidated. It's unbearable, and there are no cultural relics to appreciate inside. Moreover, the Cold Palace is located in a remote location and is damp all year round, so it is easy for bacteria to breed. It has not been cleaned by dedicated personnel. If it is opened rashly, it will inevitably affect the mood of tourists.
Aisin Gioro Puyi (February 7, 1906 - October 17, 1967), the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty and the last emperor in Chinese history. The courtesy name is Yaozhi and the nickname is Haoran. Also known as the Qing Fei Emperor or the Xuantong Emperor. The grandson of Prince Chunxian Yi_, the eldest son of Zaifeng, and his mother Su Wanguarjia Youlan. He served twice from 1909 to 1912 and from July 1, 1917 to July 12, 1917.
From this, we can still clearly glimpse the tragedy and comedy of the last emperor in a specific historical environment. His life path embodies the changes in modern society. In his later years, Puyi originally wanted to write a book called "The Second Half of My Life", but unfortunately he failed to do so. On February 6, 1995, the Beijing Intermediate Court ruled that the copyright of "My First Half of Life" belongs to Puyi personally. As Puyi's wife and sole legal heir, Li Shuxian did not dispose of the book's property rights during her lifetime, and there was no heir after Li Shuxian's death. As for Puyi's niece Ms. Jin Ailing's request to own the copyright of the book, the court rejected the claim saying "Jin Ailing is not the heir to Li Shuxian's estate? There is no legal basis." After that, Jin Ailing did not appeal again.
What do you think of Puyi’s statement?