Everyone in the world knows that Pu Yi is the last emperor of the mainland, but they don't know that this emperor, who has ascended the throne three times and abdicated three times, has three hobbies in private. One of them is extravagant, one is very avant-garde, and the other is even more unspeakable. It is said that in the palace back then, whenever Pu Yi mentioned this hobby, the palace maids present would blush.
What exactly are these three hobbies? Why do you make the palace maids so embarrassed? Why is Pu Yi extravagant and avant-garde? What are the little-known historical allusions in this?
When it comes to Pu Yi's extravagant hobbies, it's really staggering. The last emperor was obsessed with raising dogs. In 1908, Pu Yi, who was only three years old, ascended the throne and became the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty. sat on the dragon chair at a young age, but Pu Yi didn't care about the imperial power, but developed a strong interest in raising dogs.
It is said that Pu Yi's interest in raising dogs began when he was six years old. One day, the British minister's wife came to visit the Forbidden City with a cute puppy. At that time, as soon as Pu Yi saw this puppy, he was deeply attracted by its cute appearance. Since then, Pu Yi has started his career as a dog breeder.
Pu Yi is not satisfied with just one or two dogs, he wants to search for famous dogs from all over the world. He sent people to search everywhere and introduced various rare breeds of dogs from Europe, the United States, Japan, and other places. It is said that Pu Yi's kennel is home to British bulldogs, French poodles, German shepherd dogs, and even Lhasa dogs from Tibet. These precious breeds were rare in China at the time, and each one was worth a lot of money.
Pu Yi is very fond of these dogs. He gave each dog a name, some were called "Little White" and "Big Rhubarb", and some were named by foreign names such as "Betty" and "Jack". These dogs enjoyed all the glory and wealth in the Forbidden City, eating well-prepared dog food and living in specially built luxury kennels.
However, the good times were short-lived. In 1912, Pu Yi was forced to abdicate and the Qing Dynasty fell. Although Pu Yi still retained the title of emperor and was allowed to continue living in the Forbidden City, his life changed dramatically. The government of the Republic of China gave Pu Yi a preferential payment every year, but this money was far from enough to support his luxurious lifestyle.
Even so, Pu Yi still couldn't let go of his hobby of raising dogs. In order to maintain the expenses of these famous dogs, Pu Yi had to start pawning the treasures in the Forbidden City. Once, in order to treat a sick dog, Pu Yi even pawned a priceless piece of jade. This behavior caused quite a bit of controversy at the time, and many people believed that Pu Yi was squandering state property.
In 1924, Pu Yi was expelled from the Forbidden City. Faced with the sudden change, Pu Yi's first thought was his dogs. He begged the new government to allow him to take the dogs, but was ultimately allowed to take only a few of them. It is said that when Pu Yi left the Forbidden City, the dogs who were left behind wailed in the kennel, and the scene was very bleak.
Even though his life in the Tianjin Concession was not wealthy, Pu Yi still insisted on his hobby of raising dogs. He turned the best room in his house into a kennel and continued to spend a lot of money on expensive dog breeds. Once, he even spared no expense to buy a rare Alaskan Malamute from abroad, which caused quite a stir in the concession.
Pu Yi's extravagant behavior caused dissatisfaction among those around him. His younger brother Pu Jie tried to persuade him to moderate his spending, but Pu Yi always ignored him. In Pu Yi's view, these dogs are his only solace, a glimmer of warmth he finds in turbulent times.
Among Pu Yi's many hobbies, none is more avant-garde and striking than his obsession with bicycles. This kind of foreign gadget was still a new object in China at that time, and it is surprising that the king of a country could be so fascinated.
Pu Yi's relationship with bicycles began in 1919, when he had abdicated but still lived in the Forbidden City. At that time, Puyi's English teacher Johnston brought a brand new bicycle from England as a gift to encourage the young former emperor to exercise more. This bicycle is a product of the famous British brand "London Bicycle Company", with elegant styling and excellent workmanship.
When Pu Yi saw the bike for the first time, he was immediately intrigued by it. This novelty from the West is undoubtedly a new world for Pu Yi, who has lived in the deep palace since he was a child. Johnston patiently taught Pu Yi how to ride, starting with the most basic balance, to how to pedal, turning, and braking, every step of the way.
At first, Pu Yi often fell while riding, but he did not give up. On the contrary, he became more and more courageous, spending hours every day practicing cycling. Gradually, Pu Yi not only mastered the basic skills of cycling, but also was able to gallop freely in the courtyard of the Forbidden City.
Pu Yi's obsession with bicycles even influenced the architecture of the Forbidden City. As we all know, ancient Chinese palace buildings generally had high thresholds, which were not only for waterproofing, but also had profound cultural implications. However, these thresholds have become the biggest obstacle for Pu Yi to ride.
In order to be able to ride through the palace unimpeded, Pu Yi made a surprising decision: he ordered all the thresholds in the Forbidden City to be sawed off. This decision caused great controversy at the time. Many ministers and eunuchs considered this a blasphemy against tradition, but Pu Yi stood by his opinion. Eventually, many of the thresholds in the Forbidden City were sawn flat so that Pu Yi could ride his beloved bicycle unhindered.
Pu Yi's move not only reflects his love for bicycles, but also reflects his desire to change and pursue new things. In that era of alternation between the old and the new, although Pu Yi was a remnant of the old dynasty, he was full of curiosity and yearning for new things in the West.
As Pu Yi's cycling skills became more sophisticated, he began to hold bicycle races in the Forbidden City. The contestants included his younger brother Pu Jie, some cronies and eunuchs, and even a few bold palace maids. These races are usually held in the square in front of the Taihe Temple, and the contestants ride around the square in circles to see who can ride the fastest. It is said that Pu Yi always performed well in these competitions and often won.
Pu Yi's hobby of cycling also influenced his daily life. He began to use bicycles instead of sedan chairs as the main means of transportation in the palace. Whether it's going to class, meeting ministers, or inspecting palace affairs, Pu Yi likes to go there by bicycle. This scene was unique in the Forbidden City at that time, and it attracted sideways attention from all over the palace.
Not only that, Pu Yi also introduced the bicycle into some traditional ceremonies. Once, during the ceremony of worshiping the Taimiao, Pu Yi actually arrived at the scene on a bicycle, breaking the centuries-old tradition. The move caused controversy at the time, with many conservative ministers seeing it as disrespectful to their ancestors, but Pu Yi insisted that it was a sign of keeping up with the times.
As time passed, Pu Yi's love for bicycles grew. He continued to buy the latest bikes from abroad, including some racing models that were rare in China at the time. It is said that Pu Yi's bicycle collection was the largest in the country at that time, not only in large quantities, but also in a complete variety.
In 1924, when Pu Yi was expelled from the Forbidden City, he deliberately took some of his favorite bicycles with him. During his time in Tianjin, despite the drastic changes in his living environment, Pu Yi still maintained the habit of riding a bicycle. He often rode his bicycle around the concession and sometimes even to the nearby waterfront.
Among Pu Yi's three hobbies, the most surprising and blushing of the palace ladies is his obsession with women's underwear. This secret was well known in the Forbidden City at that time, but they did not dare to say more.
Pu Yi's interest in women's underwear began when he was fourteen or fifteen years old. As a young emperor who has lived in the deep palace since he was a child, Pu Yi has very limited understanding of the outside world, and even less about the opposite sex. However, as he grew older, he began to develop a curiosity about women.
One day, Pu Yi was flipping through a fashion magazine imported from the West when he stumbled upon an advertisement for some women's underwear. These delicate lace lingerie were completely new to Pu Yi and immediately piqued his interest. From then on, Pu Yi began to secretly collect all kinds of women's underwear, and the secret soon spread in the palace.
In order to satisfy his special hobby, Pu Yi can be described as painstaking. He ordered the eunuchs to secretly buy various styles of women's underwear from treaty ports such as Tianjin and Shanghai. Most of these underwear were imported from the West, with novel styles and fine workmanship, which was a rarity in China at that time.
Pu Yi's collection of underwear can be described as cost-free. It is said that he once spent an amount equivalent to the salary of an ordinary person for several years for a lace corset imported from France. This extravagant behavior caused a lot of criticism at the time, but Pu Yi didn't care.
As the collection grew, Pu Yi needed a dedicated place to store the underwear. So, he carved out a secret room in his dormitory dedicated to collecting and displaying the underwear. This room was called the "forbidden room" and was not allowed to be entered by anyone except Pu Yi himself and a few eunuchs who were extremely close to him.
Pu Yi's obsession with these underwear is staggering. It is said that he spends a lot of time in this secret room every day, carefully admiring the style and workmanship of each piece of underwear. He would even personally number and classify the underwear, and record the origin and characteristics of each piece of underwear.
Pu Yi's special hobby brought a lot of trouble to the palace maids. Sometimes, Pu Yi would have a whim and ask the ladies to try on his collection of underwear. This is undoubtedly a huge humiliation for those palace ladies who have received traditional education since childhood and are well versed in etiquette. However, as the emperor's orders, they had to obey them. Whenever this happened, the palace maids always blushed and did not dare to look up at people.
What's even more surprising is that Pu Yi sometimes even wears these women's underwear himself. According to the recollections of some eunuchs close to Pu Yi, they saw Pu Yi walking around the palace in women's underwear on several occasions. This kind of behavior was undoubtedly extremely abnormal in the social environment at that time, but as the emperor, no one dared to question Pu Yi's behavior.
Pu Yi's special hobby soon spread outside the palace. Some revolutionaries who opposed the Qing court took advantage of this to make a big fuss, calling Pu Yi a "pervert" who was unworthy of being the king of a country. These remarks caused great damage to Pu Yi's reputation and laid the groundwork for his later abdication.
In 1924, when Pu Yi was expelled from the Forbidden City, he deliberately took some of his treasured underwear with him. During his time in Tianjin, despite the drastic changes in his living environment, Pu Yi still maintained the habit of collecting underwear. He also set aside a secret room in his residence to house these special collections.
This particular hobby of Pu Yi continued into his later years. Even in the days when he was sent to the Soviet Union for reform, he would still recall those fine underwear from time to time. It is said that in the last years of his life, he finally realized the inappropriateness of this hobby and tried to quit the habit.
Pu Yi's special hobby reflects his complex psychological state to a certain extent. As an emperor who grew up in a deep palace and isolated from the outside world, Pu Yi lacked an understanding of the normal relationship between men and women. His obsession with lingerie may be a twisted expression of his curiosity about the unknown. At the same time, it also reflects his supreme power as the ruler of a country, allowing him to pursue his hobbies unscrupulously, without regard for the feelings of others and the moral constraints of society.
Among Pu Yi's many hobbies, the obsession with the camera can be said to be the most reflective of his yearning and curiosity for Western technology. This magical invention from the West not only became a tool for Pu Yi to record his life, but also became a bridge for him to communicate with the outside world.
Puyi's relationship with the camera began in 1912. At that time, Pu Yi, who had just abdicated, received a Kodak camera from Germany. This camera was the most advanced model of its time, with an automatic exposure function, which was a rarity in China at the time.
When he first came into contact with the camera, Pu Yi showed great interest. He tinkered with the magical box repeatedly, curious about its inner workings. In order to learn how to use a camera, Pu Yi specially invited a Western photographer as a teacher. The photographer not only taught Pu Yi basic photography techniques, but also introduced him to the process of darkroom development.
In the process of learning photography, Pu Yi showed amazing talent and enthusiasm. He quickly mastered the basic filming techniques and began to shoot around the Forbidden City. The palaces, gardens, eunuchs and palace maids of the Forbidden City, and even his own daily life have become the protagonists of Pu Yi's lens.
Pu Yi's obsession with photography is staggering. It is said that he spends hours every day taking and developing photos. In order to be able to shoot at any time, Pu Yi even set up a simple darkroom in his dormitory. In this darkroom, Pu Yi personally developed and enlarged the photos, enjoying the fun brought by the process.
Pu Yi's hobby of photography soon spread throughout the Forbidden City. Many eunuchs and court maids became models under Pu Yi's lens. At first, they were a little afraid of this magical box, but with Pu Yi's encouragement, they gradually got used to being photographed. Interestingly, these photographs taken by Pu Yi have now become valuable historical materials for studying court life in the late Qing Dynasty.
As photography continued to improve, Pu Yi began to experiment with more complex shots. He used to spend a lot of time trying to take panoramic photos of the Forbidden City. In order to find the best angle for the shot, Pu Yi even did not hesitate to climb to a high place, which was quite a dangerous move at the time.
Pu Yi's obsession with the camera is also reflected in his collection. He continued to buy the latest cameras from abroad, including some high-end models that were rare in China at the time. It is said that Pu Yi's collection of cameras was the largest in the country at that time, not only in large quantities, but also in a complete variety.
Interestingly, Pu Yi also tried to record some important historical moments with a camera. For example, during Zhang Xun's restoration in 1917, Pu Yi personally took a series of photographs to document this short and turbulent history. These photographs are now an important source for the study of this history.
Pu Yi's hobby of photography also influenced his interaction with the outside world. He often gave his photographs as gifts to foreign envoys and friends. These photographs not only show the mysterious face of the Forbidden City, but also serve as a way for Pu Yi to communicate with the outside world.
When Pu Yi was expelled from the Forbidden City in 1924, he deliberately took away some of his favorite cameras. During his time in Tianjin, despite the drastic changes in his living environment, Pu Yi still maintained the habit of photography. He often took his camera on a tour of the concession to capture the details of this new environment.
Pu Yi's hobby of photography continued into his later years. Even in the days when he was sent to the Soviet Union for reform, he would still talk about the cameras he once owned. It is said that in the last years of his life, he also expressed on several occasions the desire to pick up a camera again.
Pu Yi's photography career is not only a personal hobby of an emperor, but also a unique historical record. Through his lens, we can get a glimpse of the true face of court life in the late Qing Dynasty, and also witness the changes of an era. His photographs have become a precious bridge between the past and the present.
Of Pu Yi's many hobbies, the obsession with the camera is perhaps the most indicative of his complex personality. It shows both his curiosity and receptivity to new things, as well as his efforts to document and understand the world around him in this way. This invention from the West, in the hands of Pu Yi, has become a unique medium connecting Eastern and Western cultures.
Among Puyi's many hobbies, keeping pets is a little-known but very interesting aspect. The last emperor's love for animals not only reflects his cherishing of life, but also reflects his inner world of longing for companionship and emotional attachment to a certain extent.
Pu Yi's pet complex can be traced back to his childhood. As a child living in a deep palace, Pu Yi's childhood life can be said to be extremely lonely. In such an environment, animals became his best playmates. According to records, the young Pu Yi had a rabbit named "Xiaobai", which accompanied him through many lonely times.
As he grew older, Pu Yi's interest in pets increased. In his dormitory, a variety of animals gradually gathered. One of the most striking is a flock of birds, including parrots, thrushes, larks, and more. Pu Yi was particularly fond of these singing creatures, often feeding them himself, and even imitating their calls.
In addition to birds, Pu Yi also has a lot of cats and dogs. One of his favorites was a Persian cat named "Little Flower". The cat is said to have been a gift from a foreign envoy to Pu Yi, with snow-white fur and eyes as blue as gems. Pu Yi was extremely fond of the "little flower", and even prepared a special golden pot food vessel for it.
Interestingly, Pu Yi also tried to raise some more special animals. It is said that he once had a cub. The bear cub was brought from the northeast and was very young when it first arrived in the Forbidden City, and Pu Yi took care of it himself and nursed it. As the bear grows older, it begins to roam around the Forbidden City, often frightening the ladies of the palace. In the end, for safety reasons, the bear cub was sent to the Beijing Zoo.
Pu Yi's love for pets sometimes leads to some interesting events. Once, one of his parrots accidentally flew out of the Forbidden City. Pu Yi was very anxious about this, and immediately sent people to look around. Finally, when the parrot was found, it had flown to a common people's home a few kilometers away. In order to bring the parrot back, Pu Yi spared no expense to reward the family.
Pu Yi's hobby of pets has also affected the ecology of the entire Forbidden City. Under his influence, many eunuchs and court maids also began to raise various small animals. For a time, the Forbidden City became a small zoo with birds and flowers. This situation is unprecedented in the history of the Qing Dynasty, and it also provides a unique perspective for later generations to study the life of the Qing court.
However, Pu Yi's pet hobby was not always welcomed. Some ministers believe that it is inappropriate for a monarch to indulge too much in keeping pets. They believed that this would distract Pu Yi and affect his handling of state affairs. But Pu Yi ignored these criticisms and continued to go his own way.
In 1924, when Pu Yi was expelled from the Forbidden City, he insisted on taking several of his most beloved pets with him. During his time in Tianjin, these small animals became a rare solace in his life. It is said that even in the most difficult times, Pu Yi never treated these little lives badly.
Pu Yi's pet complex lasted until his later years. In the days when he was sent to Fushun for reformation, he often recalled the animals he once raised. It is said that during the renovation, Pu Yi repeatedly expressed his desire to have another pet, but it was not fulfilled for various reasons.
In his later years, although Pu Yi no longer kept pets, his love for animals has not diminished. He often visits the zoo and shows great interest in various animals. He is also said to have suggested that zoos improve the living conditions of certain animals, showing his concern for animal welfare.
Pu Yi's pet complex is not only an emperor's personal hobby, but also a unique historical record. Through his interactions with pets, we get a glimpse of a little-known Pu Yi - an ordinary person who is full of love for life, craves companionship and emotional attachment. These small animals, to a certain extent, have become a bridge between Pu Yi and the outside world, allowing us to see the more human side of the last emperor.