The Last Emperor Of China: The Fall Of Puyi
I’ve recently watched this award-winning 1987 biographical drama film The Last Emperor, which was about the life of China’s last emperor Puyi. The movie stars John Lone, Joan Chen, Peter O’Toole, and Ruocheng Ying, and it was shot at Forbidden City in Beijing. The film was recognised as one of the classics in the film industry. If you’re interested in Chinese history or culture, The Last Emperor is definitely the movie that you must watch.
In 1908, Puyi was told by the dying Empress Dowager Cixi that he would be the next emperor. He was only nearly 3 years old when he was crowned, and he was frightened by the new surroundings. The young Puyi was not allowed to leave the Forbidden City, therefore he was called “the loneliest kid in the world.” Although he couldn’t go wherever he wanted to go, the life was still comfortable enough to keep him from wanting to escape. In 1912, China has become republic. However, not until about 1915 did Puyi know the fact that he could no longer control the country anymore.
The Scotsman Reginald Johnston was the character that changed Puyi’s life. He was hired to be the fallen emperor’s teacher in 1919. As Johnston brought the Western style into the old and stubborn Chinese palace, Puyi had become extremely interested about the life outside the Forbidden City. To achieve this, Puyi wed Wanrong with Wenxiu as a secondary consort, based on Johnston’s advice. After the marriage, Puyi soon become the master of the Forbidden City. He tried to reform the palace, whereas in 1924 he was expelled and exiled to Tientsin due to the Beijing Coup.
Being obsessed with powers, Puyi sided with Japanese as they told him they would crowned him in the new country that Japan was going to establish. During this time, Wenxiu divorced him since she wanted freedom. In 1934, Puyi became the emperor of Manchukuo (the Nation of Manchu), the puppet state of Japan in the northeast of China. Wanrong tried to make Puyi realised the fact that he was actually controlled by Japanese, but he was too fascinated with the title he had so he denied to admit the truth. She became an opium addict and was eventually driven insane. After American bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki and Soviet Union declared war to Japan, the Japanese surrendered and thus Manchukuo was over.
Puyi was caught by the communist authority as a war criminal. It was a really huge difference from the emperor of a country to an inmate, and he couldn’t put up with that so he tried to commit suicide. He was saved by the governor of the Detention Camp, and he had subsequently been imprisoned. In the first couple years in the prison, Puyi still thought he had the power to order others. The governor was aware of this and he forced Puyi to change his misbehaviours by putting him into the cell with his former subordinates. Being commanded by the guys that used to serve him in Manchukuo, Puyi finally understood that he didn’t have the power anymore. He was considered rehabilitated and was set free in 1959.
Puyi became a normal citizen and eventually turned old. In the last couple minutes of the film, he bought a ticket to visit his home — Forbidden City. He sneaked into the main palace, which tourists were not allowed to go in. Puyi died on 17 October 1967 in Beijing, and his remarkable story had marked the end.
From the emperor of China to a prisoner to a normal citizen, Puyi is definitely one of the legends in Chinese history. This article is just a brief summary of Puyi’s life. If you’re interested in more details, you can watch the film on Amazon Prime.
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