The Changes In The Last Emperor
The Last Emperor is a movie about the last emperor of China. This last emperor was known as Henry Puyi, the final ruler of the Qing dynasty. The movie The Last Emperor follows the life of Puyi from the time he became emperor of China at the age of 3, to the time of his release from a Chinese communist prison. This movie presents the end of “old” China and what was being done to persevere its traditions and culture, in an interesting and dramatic way.
Background
In the 19th century, China was being pressured by the British to open up more ports for trade. However, the Qing dynasty did not want to open up more ports for trade because they wanted to limit China’s contact with the Western world. In their eyes, the people of the Western world …show more content…
were barbarians and, if allowed to influence Chinese ways, would corrupt their culture and traditions. This dilemma eventually led to the Opium War which the Chinese lost. Because of this loss the Chinese agreed to open up five more ports for trade with the British and give up the island of Hong Kong. It wasn’t long after the British ports were opened that other Western nations came and opened up ports for trade. During this time, China’s internal problems led to a revolt, known as the Taiping Rebellion, by the Chinese peasants. After putting down this revolt, and submitting to the economic and territorial desires of the Western powers, the Qing dynasty was on the verge of collapse. The Qing dynasty finally gave in and adopted some reforms, but the Western powers continued to pressure China and the Qing dynasty continued having its land taken by these powers. The Chinese then went to war with Japan over Korea and lost, and the Western powers took more land from China. The Qing dynasty, holding on to China by nothing but a thread, made more efforts at reforms. These reform efforts were opposed by more traditional Chinese who did not want their culture spoiled by western ways.
The End of “Old” China
In 1878, the Empress Dowager Cixi, placed her nephew, on the throne of China. Cixi ruled China as regent for two decades. She was a traditionalist who opposed the reforms being proposed and during her reign as regent, persecuted reformers. Eventually she saw the need for reforms and adopted a few of them, including a new educational system. This helped to save the Qing dynasty for a short period but eventually the people of China became restless. In 1911, a rebellion was launched against the government. During this time, the Empress Dowager Cixi and her nephew had died only a day apart and the throne was then occupied by 3 year old Puyi. The regent acting for Emperor Puyi called in General Yuan Shikai to suppress the rebellion that had been launched but he made a deal with the revolutionaries instead and “agreed to serve as president of a new Chinese republic” (Duiker & Spielvogel, 2017, pg. 578). The Qing dynasty had collapsed and the Republic of China was formed. Eventually, after a civil war between the nationalists and the communists of China, the Chinese Communist Party established the People’s Republic of China.
The End of “Old” China as Depicted in The Last Emperor
The Last Emperor portrays the end of “old” China in a different and more personal way than it was described above. In the movie, the boy emperor Puyi seems to be enjoying the life and privileges being emperor of China brings. His brother and mother arrive at the Forbidden City and Puyi teaches his brother about the ways and traditions of the emperor and the Forbidden City. One day, when Puyi and his brother get into a disagreement about his brother wearing imperial yellow, Puyi’s brother tells him that he is no longer emperor and that there is a new emperor. Puyi does not believe his brother and his brother then goes and shows him the “new emperor” which is really the president of the Republic of China. After this, Puyi is upset and asks his tutor if he is still the emperor. His tutor responds by telling him that he will always be the emperor inside of the Forbidden City but not outside of the City because China is now a republic governed by a president.
What Was Going Wrong in China?
As described above, the Western presence in China was a major problem that contributed to the downfall of the Qing dynasty. The Western powers wanted more ports opened for trade, but the Chinese did not want the West to interfere with and corrupt their culture and traditions. However, the Chinese had to give in to the Western powers who were more modern and had superior armies. The Western powers took advantage of China and took a lot of their land. There was also internal problems that led to the downfall of the Qing dynasty. At one point, the Chinese peasants became angry because of economic hardships caused by a dramatic increase in population. Also, “official corruption and incompetence led to the whipsaw of increased taxes and a decline in government services” (Duiker & Spielvogel, 2017, pg. 573). The Grand Canal had also silted up which interfered with grain shipment. These problems led to the Taiping Rebellion and the deaths of “more than 25 million people…the vast majority of them civilians” (Duiker & Spielvogel, 2017, pg. 573). Another thing that contributed to the downfall of the Qing dynasty was the effort taken to reform China. The Qing dynasty did not want to reform and “modernize” China when they probably should have. The few reforms that were adopted did little to change the situation in China and preserve the old order. By the time the dynasty made some serious reforms it was really too late. The revolution of 1911 put the final nail in the coffin of the Qing dynasty of China.
What Was Being Done To Preserve Old China
Before the collapse of the Qing dynasty, the Chinese tried preserving “old” China by adopting reforms and the Western ways of doing things.
For example, “the venerable civil service examination system was replaced by a new educational system based on the Western model” (Duiker & Spielvogel, 2017, pg. 577-78). However, all of these reforms were enacted too late. The damage had already been done and problems and unrest continued. In the movie, The Last Emperor, the officials of the Qing dynasty tried to preserve “old” China even after the emperor Puyi had been abdicated. They continued to uphold the traditions and ways of the Chinese concerning the emperor. Puyi continued to live in the Forbidden City and was still educated by a tutor. Puyi still wore imperial yellow and he continued to keep the queue. The fashion of all those in the Forbidden City was the same as it was before the fall of the Qing dynasty. Puyi’s food was still first eaten by the official taster to ensure that the emperor was not poisoned. Puyi and his tutor were still carried and transported in chairs. When it became clear that Puyi needed glasses the officials in the Forbidden City would not permit it because the emperor was not allowed to wear spectacles. However, Puyi did not seem to be happy living the traditional way in a modern world. He wanted to leave the Forbidden City, escape to England, attend Oxford university, and choose his own wife that was “modern”. In the movie, Puyi also got rid of the queue hairstyle and adopted a more modern one. He also got rid of the imperial yellow and adopted a more modern fashion. However, when Puyi finally had to leave the Forbidden City he realized how much he had loved living there and being “emperor”. Puyi actually wanted to be emperor again and when the chance came for him to be emperor of Manchukuo, he took it despite warnings from his wife and old
tutor.
Glory Days
The Last Emperor was a movie about the life of the last emperor of the Qing dynasty, Henry Puyi. Despite the efforts taken to preserve this dynasty it eventually collapsed due to intense pressure from the Western powers and internal unrest. Even though the Qing dynasty had collapsed, efforts were made to preserve “old” China, its culture, and its traditions. The emperor Puyi, along with his officials, were still allowed to live in the Forbidden City as a symbol of trust and stability in the midst of the unstable environment of China. Eventually, “old” China became obscured by the modern influences and problems China faced during the 20th century. The movie portrays this transition as a sad and solemn result of the collapse of the Qing dynasty. The vibrant reds and imperial yellow of old China fashion were replaced by the drab grays of communism. The Forbidden City, once a vibrant, rich, traditional, and lively city became a quiet, ancient museum. The emperor of China went from a revered ruler, to a traditional, trustworthy symbol, from a symbol to a prisoner, and from a prisoner to a forgotten old gardener. The traditions and culture of China collapsed along with the Qing dynasty.
Background
In the 19th century, China was being pressured by the British to open up more ports for trade. However, the Qing dynasty did not want to open up more ports for trade because they wanted to limit China’s contact with the Western world. In their eyes, the people of the Western world …show more content…
were barbarians and, if allowed to influence Chinese ways, would corrupt their culture and traditions. This dilemma eventually led to the Opium War which the Chinese lost. Because of this loss the Chinese agreed to open up five more ports for trade with the British and give up the island of Hong Kong. It wasn’t long after the British ports were opened that other Western nations came and opened up ports for trade. During this time, China’s internal problems led to a revolt, known as the Taiping Rebellion, by the Chinese peasants. After putting down this revolt, and submitting to the economic and territorial desires of the Western powers, the Qing dynasty was on the verge of collapse. The Qing dynasty finally gave in and adopted some reforms, but the Western powers continued to pressure China and the Qing dynasty continued having its land taken by these powers. The Chinese then went to war with Japan over Korea and lost, and the Western powers took more land from China. The Qing dynasty, holding on to China by nothing but a thread, made more efforts at reforms. These reform efforts were opposed by more traditional Chinese who did not want their culture spoiled by western ways.
The End of “Old” China
In 1878, the Empress Dowager Cixi, placed her nephew, on the throne of China. Cixi ruled China as regent for two decades. She was a traditionalist who opposed the reforms being proposed and during her reign as regent, persecuted reformers. Eventually she saw the need for reforms and adopted a few of them, including a new educational system. This helped to save the Qing dynasty for a short period but eventually the people of China became restless. In 1911, a rebellion was launched against the government. During this time, the Empress Dowager Cixi and her nephew had died only a day apart and the throne was then occupied by 3 year old Puyi. The regent acting for Emperor Puyi called in General Yuan Shikai to suppress the rebellion that had been launched but he made a deal with the revolutionaries instead and “agreed to serve as president of a new Chinese republic” (Duiker & Spielvogel, 2017, pg. 578). The Qing dynasty had collapsed and the Republic of China was formed. Eventually, after a civil war between the nationalists and the communists of China, the Chinese Communist Party established the People’s Republic of China.
The End of “Old” China as Depicted in The Last Emperor
The Last Emperor portrays the end of “old” China in a different and more personal way than it was described above. In the movie, the boy emperor Puyi seems to be enjoying the life and privileges being emperor of China brings. His brother and mother arrive at the Forbidden City and Puyi teaches his brother about the ways and traditions of the emperor and the Forbidden City. One day, when Puyi and his brother get into a disagreement about his brother wearing imperial yellow, Puyi’s brother tells him that he is no longer emperor and that there is a new emperor. Puyi does not believe his brother and his brother then goes and shows him the “new emperor” which is really the president of the Republic of China. After this, Puyi is upset and asks his tutor if he is still the emperor. His tutor responds by telling him that he will always be the emperor inside of the Forbidden City but not outside of the City because China is now a republic governed by a president.
What Was Going Wrong in China?
As described above, the Western presence in China was a major problem that contributed to the downfall of the Qing dynasty. The Western powers wanted more ports opened for trade, but the Chinese did not want the West to interfere with and corrupt their culture and traditions. However, the Chinese had to give in to the Western powers who were more modern and had superior armies. The Western powers took advantage of China and took a lot of their land. There was also internal problems that led to the downfall of the Qing dynasty. At one point, the Chinese peasants became angry because of economic hardships caused by a dramatic increase in population. Also, “official corruption and incompetence led to the whipsaw of increased taxes and a decline in government services” (Duiker & Spielvogel, 2017, pg. 573). The Grand Canal had also silted up which interfered with grain shipment. These problems led to the Taiping Rebellion and the deaths of “more than 25 million people…the vast majority of them civilians” (Duiker & Spielvogel, 2017, pg. 573). Another thing that contributed to the downfall of the Qing dynasty was the effort taken to reform China. The Qing dynasty did not want to reform and “modernize” China when they probably should have. The few reforms that were adopted did little to change the situation in China and preserve the old order. By the time the dynasty made some serious reforms it was really too late. The revolution of 1911 put the final nail in the coffin of the Qing dynasty of China.
What Was Being Done To Preserve Old China
Before the collapse of the Qing dynasty, the Chinese tried preserving “old” China by adopting reforms and the Western ways of doing things.
For example, “the venerable civil service examination system was replaced by a new educational system based on the Western model” (Duiker & Spielvogel, 2017, pg. 577-78). However, all of these reforms were enacted too late. The damage had already been done and problems and unrest continued. In the movie, The Last Emperor, the officials of the Qing dynasty tried to preserve “old” China even after the emperor Puyi had been abdicated. They continued to uphold the traditions and ways of the Chinese concerning the emperor. Puyi continued to live in the Forbidden City and was still educated by a tutor. Puyi still wore imperial yellow and he continued to keep the queue. The fashion of all those in the Forbidden City was the same as it was before the fall of the Qing dynasty. Puyi’s food was still first eaten by the official taster to ensure that the emperor was not poisoned. Puyi and his tutor were still carried and transported in chairs. When it became clear that Puyi needed glasses the officials in the Forbidden City would not permit it because the emperor was not allowed to wear spectacles. However, Puyi did not seem to be happy living the traditional way in a modern world. He wanted to leave the Forbidden City, escape to England, attend Oxford university, and choose his own wife that was “modern”. In the movie, Puyi also got rid of the queue hairstyle and adopted a more modern one. He also got rid of the imperial yellow and adopted a more modern fashion. However, when Puyi finally had to leave the Forbidden City he realized how much he had loved living there and being “emperor”. Puyi actually wanted to be emperor again and when the chance came for him to be emperor of Manchukuo, he took it despite warnings from his wife and old
tutor.
Glory Days
The Last Emperor was a movie about the life of the last emperor of the Qing dynasty, Henry Puyi. Despite the efforts taken to preserve this dynasty it eventually collapsed due to intense pressure from the Western powers and internal unrest. Even though the Qing dynasty had collapsed, efforts were made to preserve “old” China, its culture, and its traditions. The emperor Puyi, along with his officials, were still allowed to live in the Forbidden City as a symbol of trust and stability in the midst of the unstable environment of China. Eventually, “old” China became obscured by the modern influences and problems China faced during the 20th century. The movie portrays this transition as a sad and solemn result of the collapse of the Qing dynasty. The vibrant reds and imperial yellow of old China fashion were replaced by the drab grays of communism. The Forbidden City, once a vibrant, rich, traditional, and lively city became a quiet, ancient museum. The emperor of China went from a revered ruler, to a traditional, trustworthy symbol, from a symbol to a prisoner, and from a prisoner to a forgotten old gardener. The traditions and culture of China collapsed along with the Qing dynasty.