944: Puyi Becomes the Last Emperor of China
History Daily
History Daily
4.4 • 2.5K Ratings
🗓️ 2 December 2024
⏱️ 20 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
December 2, 1908. In a lavish enthronement ceremony, two-year-old Puyi becomes the Emperor of China, a title he will subsequently abdicate on three separate occasions. This episode originally aired in 2022.
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| 0:30.6 | It's December 2nd, 1908 in Peking, the capital of China, now known as Beijing. Prince Chun waits at the entrance to the Hall of Supreme Harmony, a grand building in the |
| 0:36.6 | lavish royal palace |
| 0:37.8 | known as the Forbidden City. |
| 0:39.8 | The large wooden hall is bedecked with colorful decorations |
| 0:42.7 | and packed with courtiers. |
| 0:45.5 | Prince Chun glances behind him |
| 0:47.3 | where soldiers stand to attention |
| 0:49.3 | in perfect lines throughout the courtyard. |
| 0:52.1 | Every set of eyes is cast in his direction, but they aren't |
| 0:55.6 | looking at him. They are looking at the two-year-old boy in Prince Chun's arms, his son, Pou Yi, |
| 1:02.7 | the boy who is about to be crowned emperor of China. At a signal from a nearby official, |
| 1:08.4 | Prince Chun carries Pouye into the Hall of Supreme Harmony. |
| 1:12.4 | But as he steps into the barrage of noise that echoes around the hall, Puyi yelps an alarm and begins to cry. |
| 1:20.2 | Prince Chun tries to calm Pouye as he walks past the courtiers. |
| 1:24.7 | He turns Pouye so that the royal audience can get a good view of their next |
| 1:28.5 | imperial leader. But Pouyi buries his face into his father's chest and covers his ears with his |
| 1:34.4 | hands. The drumming stops as Prince Chun reaches the dragon throne. But the sudden silence only |
| 1:41.6 | emphasizes the cries of the child. |
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