As the last feudal dynasty in China, the Qing Dynasty has always been very popular because it is closest to us, and there have also been many film and television dramas describing the life of the court or the people in the late Qing Dynasty, but many film and television dramas show us may be different from the real situation in the late Qing Dynasty.
The content of this picture is to lead readers back to that tragic era, and use historical photos to see what the real late Qing Dynasty "looked like".
In fact, as early as 1822, the world's first photo was taken in France. But it was not until the United States developed the "film" in 1888 that the camera slowly began to become popular around the world, and a few years later, in the 1890s, film cameras appeared in China.
At this time of the Qing Dynasty, although the emperor on the surface was the Guangxu Emperor, it was Empress Dowager Cixi who really held power. Empress Dowager Cixi had a luxurious life, so why did she not use a camera when she was in a high position? Therefore, there are actually many photos handed down by Cixi, but the most famous is this seated portrait:
From the photo, Cixi is dressed gracefully and luxuriously, there are many ornaments on her hands, the chair she sits on is also carved with dragons and phoenixes, and there are two plates of fruits on both sides, and the screen behind her is also exquisite and beautiful, which shows the luxury of her usual life.
And the Guangxu Emperor was not always under Cixi, and Cixi also returned the government to Guangxu for a period of time, otherwise the Guangxu Emperor would not have been able to support the Penghu Reform Law so vigorously. Unfortunately, after the failure of the Wushu Reform Law in 1898, the Guangxu Emperor was put under house arrest by Cixi.
The contradiction between the two people thus became very deep. In 1908, when the Guangxu Emperor was seriously ill, he heard that Cixi was also ill, and said that he must die behind Cixi, which shows the depth of the hatred between the two. Cixi was annoyed when she saw the Guangxu Emperor, so she ordered that all the photos of the Guangxu Emperor be destroyed. And there is only one photo he has passed down:
The Guangxu Emperor in this photo does not look much like an emperor at all, but is just a young child. After Guangxu left, Cixi let Puyi succeed to the throne, and Puyi became the last emperor of China, but Puyi's appearance was really too flattering to be complimented, and it can only be said that he could still see it, but there was no "king's domineering spirit".
Puyi's life drifted to zero, although he had the name of an emperor, he did not have the reality of an emperor for a day. First he was forced to step down in 1912, and by 1917, he had a few days of emperor addiction, and as a result, he was ousted by Duan Qirui not long after. In 1924, he was directly expelled from the Forbidden City by Feng Yuxiang.
Puyi also came to the Tianjin Concession, and since then he has taken off his heavy imperial clothes and changed into a light and cool suit, looking a lot more energetic, and his smile is also bright. And the most eye-catching thing is Puyi's empress Wanrong.
At this time, WanRong also became a modern wife, wearing a cheongsam and high heels, perming her hair and makeup, which was simply beautiful, and Puyi on the side looked quite "beautiful". And the grace of this time is the happiest, without the imprisonment of the forbidden city, she smiles like a free nightingale.
Unfortunately, after the September 18 Incident in 1931, Japan occupied the northeast, Puyi was invited to the northeast to become the emperor of the puppet manchukuo, and Wanrong was "marrying a chicken with a chicken and marrying a dog with a dog", following Puyi to the northeast, and since then living a life of being monitored by the Japanese.
And the originally beautiful modern wife also lost her vitality under this deep palace compound and heavy surveillance. Especially after being coerced by Japan and wearing a kimono, wanrong, who had an outstanding temperament, was even more depressed in her heart, and she was coldly received by Puyi, and she lost her child because of the fornication guard, and later went crazy, which was even more regrettable.
But Wanrong is still a relative of the emperor in the end, after all, life is dependent, and she has enjoyed many years of glory and wealth in her life. But the people at that time were much more miserable, and the Qing court at that time paid reparations one after another, in the end, they still drew blood from the people, and the people who were drawn blood became skinny.
Fortunately, now that we have bid farewell to that turbulent era, most people can eat and wear without worry. In the current era of peace, as long as we struggle to make our motherland stronger, our days will eventually get better and better.