Yongqi (23 March 1741 – 16 April 1766),
courtesy name
A courtesy name ( zh, s=字, p=zì, l=character), also known as a style name, is an additional name bestowed upon individuals at adulthood, complementing their given name. This tradition is prevalent in the East Asian cultural sphere, particula ...
Junting,
art name
An art name (pseudonym or pen name), also known by its native names ''hào'' (in Mandarin Chinese), ''gō'' (in Japanese), ' (in Korean), and ''tên hiệu'' (in Vietnamese), is a professional name used by artists, poets and writers in the Sinosp ...
Tengqin Jushi, formally known as
Prince Rong, was a
Manchu
The Manchus (; ) are a Tungusic peoples, Tungusic East Asian people, East Asian ethnic group native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. They are an officially recognized Ethnic minorities in China, ethnic minority in China and the people from wh ...
prince of the
Qing dynasty
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...
. 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, personal name Hongli, was the fifth Emperor of China, emperor of the Qing dynasty and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China pr ...
. 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
Manchu
The Manchus (; ) are a Tungusic peoples, Tungusic East Asian people, East Asian ethnic group native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. They are an officially recognized Ethnic minorities in China, ethnic minority in China and the people from wh ...
Aisin Gioro
The House of Aisin-Gioro is 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 chie ...
clan as 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, personal name Hongli, was the fifth Emperor of China, emperor of the Qing dynasty and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China pr ...
. His mother was
Noble Consort Yu (愉貴妃), who was from the
Mongol
Mongols are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, China (Inner Mongolia and other 11 autonomous territories), as well as the republics of Buryatia and Kalmykia in Russia. The Mongols are the principal member of the large family of M ...
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
Manchu
The Manchus (; ) are a Tungusic peoples, Tungusic East Asian people, East Asian ethnic group native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. They are an officially recognized Ethnic minorities in China, ethnic minority in China and the people from wh ...
and
Mongol
Mongols are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, China (Inner Mongolia and other 11 autonomous territories), as well as the republics of Buryatia and Kalmykia in Russia. The Mongols are the principal member of the large family of M ...
languages, he was versed in
astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that studies celestial objects and the phenomena that occur in the cosmos. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and their overall evolution. Objects of interest includ ...
,
geography
Geography (from Ancient Greek ; combining 'Earth' and 'write', literally 'Earth writing') is the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. Geography is an all-encompassing discipline that seeks an understanding o ...
and
calendrical calculation
A calendrical calculation is a calculation concerning calendar dates. Calendrical calculations can be considered an area of applied mathematics.
Some examples of calendrical calculations:
* Converting a Julian or Gregorian calendar date to its Ju ...
. One of his works was the ''Jiaotong Tenggao'' (蕉桐幐稿).
Yongqi was versed in
poetry
Poetry (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesthetics, aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning (linguistics), meanings in addition to, or in ...
,
painting
Painting is a Visual arts, visual art, which is characterized by the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called "matrix" or "Support (art), support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with ...
, and
calligraphy
Calligraphy () is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instruments. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "the art of giving form to signs in an e ...
. 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. I ...
, 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), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...
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 Personal name, name given mainly to revered dead people in East Asian cultural sphere, East Asian culture. It is predominantly used in Asian countries such as China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, Malaysia and Thailand. ...
"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, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
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.
Former residence
Yongqi and his descendants were merged under the
Bordered Red Banner of the
Eight Banners
The Eight Banners (in Manchu language, Manchu: ''jakūn gūsa'', , ) were administrative and military divisions under the Later Jin (1616–1636), Later Jin and Qing dynasty, Qing dynasties of China into which all Manchu people, Manchu househol ...
. Yongqi's house later became the residence of
Prince Chun in the later part of the
Qing dynasty
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...
. A Prince Rong Residence is located in the southwest of present-day
Beijing
Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
at
Xuanwu Gate on the west side of Taiping Lake.
Appraisal
Yongqi's mother was not one of the highly ranked consorts of the
Qianlong Emperor
The Qianlong Emperor (25 September 17117 February 1799), also known by his temple name Emperor Gaozong of Qing, personal name Hongli, was the fifth Emperor of China, emperor of the Qing dynasty and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China pr ...
, 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 an imperial consort of the Qing dynasty. She was the first wife of the Qianlong Emperor.
Life Family background
Empress Xiaoxianchun's p ...
. 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
Sirin Gioro ( mnc, ᠰᡳᡵᡳᠨ ᡤᡳᠣᡵᠣ, ) was a clan of the Manchu nobility, one of the prominent Gioro family. The other clans of Gioro Hala were Aisin Gioro, the ruling clan from 1616 to 1912, Irgen Gioro and Šušu Gioro. The clan ...
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 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)
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 Chinese-language period drama jointly produced by Yi Ren Communications Co. (怡人傳播公司) of Taiwan and Hunan Economic Televisio ...
'' (1998)
* Portrayed by
Leo Ku
Leo Ku Kui-kei (born ), founder of ChillGOOD TV, is a Hong Kong people, Hong Kong Cantopop and Mandopop singer, actor, TV host, model, cartoonist, MV director, and producer and designer. He employs falsetto as a singing technique and was nam ...
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 2018 Chinese television 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 ...
'' (2018)
* Portrayed by Qu Chuxiao in ''
Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace
''Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace'' () is a 2018 Chinese television series based on the novel ''Inner Palace: The Legend of Ruyi'' by Liu Lianzi. Starring Zhou Xun and Wallace Huo, it chronicles the marital relationship between the Qianlong Emp ...
'' (2018)
See also
*
Royal and noble ranks of the Qing dynasty
The Qing dynasty (1644–1912) of China developed a complicated peerage system for royal and noble ranks.
Rule of inheritance
In principle, titles were downgraded one grade for each generation of inheritance.
* Direct imperial princes wit ...
*
Ranks of imperial consorts in China#Qing
References
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yongqi
Qianlong Emperor's sons
Manchu Bordered Red Bannermen
Manchu politicians
1741 births
1766 deaths
Qing dynasty government officials
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