Yongqi (23 March 1741 – 16 April 1766),

courtesy name A courtesy name (), also known as a style name, is a name bestowed upon one at adulthood in addition to one's given name. This practice is a tradition in the East Asian cultural sphere, including China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.Ulrich Theo ...

Junting,

art name An art name (pseudonym or pen name), also known by its native names ''hào'' (in Mandarin), ''gō'' (in Japanese), ''ho'' (in Korean), and ''tên hiệu'' (in Vietnamese), is a professional name used by East Asian artists, poets and writers. The ...

Tengqin Jushi, formally known as

Prince Rong Prince Rong of the First Rank, or simply Prince Rong, was the title of a princely peerage used in China during the Manchu-led Qing dynasty (1644–1912). As the Prince Rong peerage was not awarded "iron-cap" status, this meant that each successiv ...

, was a

Manchu The Manchus (; ) are a Tungusic East Asian ethnic group native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. They are an officially recognized ethnic minority in China and the people from whom Manchuria derives its name. The Later Jin (1616–1636) an ...

prince of the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...

. He was the fifth son of the

Qianlong Emperor The Qianlong Emperor (25 September 17117 February 1799), also known by his temple name Emperor Gaozong of Qing, born Hongli, was the fifth Emperor of the Qing dynasty and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigning from 1735 ...

. Arguably the most outstanding among the Qianlong Emperor's sons, he was, at one point, considered by his father as a potential heir to the throne. However, he died prematurely at the age of 25.

Life

Yongqi was born in the

Aisin Gioro The House of Aisin-Gioro was a Manchu clan that ruled the Later Jin dynasty (1616–1636), the Qing dynasty (1636–1912), and Manchukuo (1932–1945) in the history of China. Under the Ming dynasty, members of the Aisin Gioro clan served as ch ...

clan as the fifth son of the

. His mother was

Noble Consort Yu Noble Consort Yu (15 June 1714 – 9 July 1792), of the Mongol Bordered Blue Banner Keliyete clan, was a consort of the Qianlong Emperor. She was three years his junior. Life Family background Noble Consort Yu's personal name was not recorded i ...

(愉貴妃), who was from the

Mongol The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal member ...

Keliyete (珂里葉特) clan. Yongqi was studious and diligent from a young age. Every day, of all the princes, he was the earliest to reach the palace study to attend classes. He had a close relationship with his younger brother, Yongyan. Yongqi was talented - he was fluent in the

and

languages, he was versed in

astronomy Astronomy () is a natural science that studies celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and evolution. Objects of interest include planets, moons, stars, nebulae, g ...

geography Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, an ...

and calendrical calculation. One of his works was the ''Jiaotong Tenggao'' (蕉桐幐稿). Yongqi was versed in

poetry Poetry (derived from the Greek '' poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meani ...

painting Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and a ...

, and

calligraphy Calligraphy (from el, link=y, καλλιγραφία) is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instrument. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined ...

. He was also skilled in horse-riding and mounted archery. His talents earned him the favour of his father, the Qianlong Emperor. In 1763, a fire broke out in the

Old Summer Palace The Old Summer Palace, also known as Yuanmingyuan () or Yuanmingyuan Park, originally called the Imperial Gardens (), and sometimes called the Winter Palace, was a complex of palaces and gardens in present-day Haidian District, Beijing, China. ...

, and Yongqi carried his father on his back and brought him to safety. Two years later, the Qianlong Emperor conferred Yongqi the title " Prince Rong of the First Rank", making Yongqi the first of the Qianlong Emperor's sons to officially receive a princely title. Besides the Chinese character "Rong" (榮) in the title literally means "glory" or "honour", which showed that the Qianlong Emperor had high hopes for Yongqi. Yongqi died in 1766 after suffering from bone

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, ...

for several months. He was already ill when he was made "Prince Rong". He was granted the

posthumous name A posthumous name is an honorary name given mostly to the notable dead in East Asian culture. It is predominantly practiced in East Asian countries such as China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, and Thailand. Reflecting on the person's accomplishm ...

"Chun" (純; "pure"), so his full posthumous title was extended to "Prince Rongchun of the First Rank" (榮純親王).

Tomb

Yongqi was buried with the Qianlong Emperor's eldest son, Yonghuang (永璜; 1728–1750), who also died in his 20s. The tomb, sometimes referred to as the "Crown Prince Tomb" (太子陵), is located in northern part of eastern

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), Chinese postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the Capital city, capital of the China, People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's Li ...

near Bulaotun Town (不老屯鎮). In 1958 the tomb was demolished to make way for the construction of the Miyun Reservoir (密雲水庫). Its contents were carefully excavated and transferred to the

Capital Museum The Capital Museum ( Chinese: 首都博物馆) is an art museum in Beijing, China. It opened in 1981 and moved into its present building in 2006, which houses a large collection of ancient porcelain, bronze, calligraphy, painting, jade, sculpture, ...

Former residence

Yongqi and his descendants were merged under the

Bordered Red Banner The Bordered Red Banner () was one of the Eight Banners of the Manchu military and society among the lower five banners during the Later Jin and Qing dynasty of China.General annals of the Eight Banners.vol 30 Members * Cuigiya Lianyuan * C ...

of the

Eight Banners The Eight Banners (in Manchu: ''jakūn gūsa'', ) were administrative and military divisions under the Later Jin and Qing dynasties of China into which all Manchu households were placed. In war, the Eight Banners functioned as armies, but the ...

. Yongqi's house later became the residence of Prince Chun in the later part of the

. A Prince Rong Residence is located in the southwest of present-day

at Xuanwu Gate on the west side of Taiping Lake.

Appraisal

Yongqi's mother was not one of the highly ranked consorts of the

, but yet Yongqi was instated as a Prince of the First Rank, and there were signs that the emperor had considered designating Yongqi as his heir. Another two princes, Yonglian and Yongcong, became first-rank princes because they were born to

Empress Xiaoxianchun Empress Xiaoxianchun (28 March 1712 – 8 April 1748), of the Manchu Bordered Yellow Banner Fuca clan, was a posthumous name bestowed to the wife and first empress consort of Hongli, the Qianlong Emperor. She was Empress consort of Qing from 17 ...

. As such it was believed that the Qianlong Emperor truly favoured and loved Yongqi. Yongqi was the most outstanding of the Qianlong Emperor's sons and the best choice to succeed his father, but it was unfortunate that he died at a young age of 25. In 1793, when the Qianlong Emperor met British envoy George Macartney he told the latter that he regarded Yongqi highly because of his many talents, and that it was a pity that he died early.

Family

Primary Consort * Imperial Princess Consort Rongchun, of the Sirin Gioro clan (榮純亲王妃西林覺羅氏) ** ''Sixth son'' (9 November 1765 – 29 November 1765) Secondary Consort * Secondary consort, of the

Socoro Socoro ( mnc, ''Socoro Hala''; ) is a Manchu clan and surname in China. Socoro clan is a branch of Hešeri clan. The surname Suo (索), Cao (曹) and Shi (石) have been used for short for generations. Notable figures Males Females Imperi ...

clan (側福晉索綽羅氏) ** ''First son'' (4 July 1759 – 7 July 1759) ** ''Third son'' (12 January 1762 – 19 August 1763) ** ''Fourth son'' (10 September 1764 – 4 November 1764) ** Mianyi, Prince Rongke of the Second Rank (榮恪郡王綿億; 10 September 1764 – 14 April 1815), fifth son Concubine * Mistress, of the Hu clan (胡氏) ** ''Second son'' (3 March 1760) ** Lady of the Second Rank (縣君; 16 June 1762 – 9 December 1780), first daughter *** Married Wangqinbanba'er (旺親班巴爾; 1755–1804) of the Alxa Borjigit clan in January/February 1780 ** ''Second daughter'' (3 February 1764 – 14 January 1765) * Mistress Ru (d. 1766)

Ancestry

In fiction and popular culture

* Portrayed by Alec Su in ''

My Fair Princess ''My Fair Princess'', also known as ''Return of the Pearl Princess'' or ''Princess Returning Pearl'' (), is a 1998–1999 Taiwanese television costume drama jointly produced by Yi Ren Communications Co. (怡人傳播公司) in Taiwan and Hunan ...

'' (1998) * Portrayed by Leo Ku in '' My Fair Princess III'' (2003) * Portrayed by Zhang Rui in '' New My Fair Princess'' (2011) * Portrayed by Chen Youwei in ''

Story of Yanxi Palace ''Story of Yanxi Palace'' () is a Chinese historical series recounting the struggles of a palace maid in the court of the Qianlong Emperor. It was created by Yu Zheng, with original screenplay written by Zhou Mo, and later developed into a novel ...

'' (2018) * Portrayed by Qu Chuxiao in ''

Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace ''Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace'' (, lit. ''The Legend of Ruyi'') is a 2018 Chinese television series based on novel ''Hou Gong Ru Yi Zhuan'' by Liu Lianzi. Starring Zhou Xun and Wallace Huo, the series chronicles the relationship between Em ...

'' (2018)

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Yongqi Qianlong Emperor's sons Manchu Bordered Red Bannermen Manchu politicians 1741 births 1766 deaths Qing dynasty politicians from Beijing Qing dynasty calligraphers Qing dynasty poets Qing dynasty painters Painters from Beijing Poets from Beijing 18th-century Chinese writers Qing dynasty imperial princes Prince Rong