A French photographer Kahn took many rare images of the Qing Dynasty . The photos have finally been exposed after more than a hundred years. I wonder what everyone will think after seeing them?
The administrative structure of the Qing Dynasty at that time
Let's first take a look at the administrative structure of the Qing Dynasty at that time, in which you will see the life scenes of some officials. In the Qing Dynasty, one had to pass through the city gate before entering the city.
The same is true for the Forbidden City , but when I saw this city gate, the editor couldn't help but feel dark. This city gate is far from as majestic and spectacular as shown in the TV series.
The city gates in TV dramas are usually two stories high, and you can climb up to the top of the city gate to see far away. In the play, the city gate is full of troops, and the soldiers are powerful and armored, which is very impressive.
But when I saw this real scene, it was far less majestic and spectacular than what was shown in the TV series. There were only a few people at the gate of the city, and there were two official servants performing official duties. They neither had a crane or a sword. But just patrolling casually.
Moreover, like the train stations in many cities today, there is a small stall next to the city gate, which is full of fireworks.
Let’s take a look at the officials at that time. The officials at that time were holding manuscripts and wearing silk official uniforms and black gauze hats. They seemed a bit foreign. Compared with the surrounding onlookers, the officials seemed to be dressed more advanced than the onlookers. a lot of.
This was taken by French officials during their investigation. Facing the camera, the chief official in the middle is still sitting upright, while the two adjutants behind him look relatively dull and dull, as if they don't know what the scene in front of them is.
The crowd of onlookers around them were even more enthusiastic. They were all watching the new product of the camera, and it was possible to comment on it.
The scene where officials enter and exit will be relatively clean and tidy, and the floor will be paved with floor tiles, which is relatively advanced for the equipment at the time.
The inner courtyard of the imperial palace of the Qing Dynasty at that time
Let’s take a look at the inner courtyard of the imperial palace. This photo is a group photo of several eunuchs in the inner courtyard of the palace. The area around the roots of the imperial city has not been repaired. The lawn was not paved with bricks and looked very dilapidated.
For the eunuchs of the Imperial City, this was a place where they smoked for leisure. The eunuchs of the imperial palace were equivalent to the current security guards of the inner court, so from this photo we can see that the temperament of today's security guards is really different from the temperament of the emperor's eunuchs at that time. up and down.
He was disheveled and looked lazy, like those security guards who don't even raise their eyebrows at the gate of the community - those security guards who only greet the powerful. During the break, the palace eunuchs gathered together, not forgetting the cigarettes in their hands.
In the summer, people simply open their skirts, and they don’t have the temperament of a royal servant at all. This also shows the decadent scene of Chinese society in the late Qing Dynasty, even in the inner courtyard of the palace, let alone the people.
In this photo, the person holding the fan is the concubine and the maid of the dynasty, and the two beside them are the old slave and the attendant. Judging from the attire of the palace maids and concubines, they are slightly more gorgeous than the eunuchs, and their manners are also more serious.
The architectural design of the inner courtyard of the palace is obviously much more high-end. The large red Roman column stands majestically and is painted with bright red paint, fully displaying the royal majesty. The imperial court is full of green plants, flower arrangements, and lotus-style screens.
When it comes to wearing clothing, women must stay neat and dignified. This was the restraint and requirement of women in the feudal society at that time.
This picture was taken during the Guangxu period. The woman in the picture is Emperor Guangxu's most beloved concubine - Empress Zhen. Concubine Zhen The Empress had a tragic ending, and was finally thrown into a well by the Empress Dowager Cixi and drowned.
In terms of appearance, Concubine Zhen is relatively round and round. Compared with most people in the Qing Dynasty who were sallow and skinny, Concubine Zhen must have spent a period of pampering in the first half of her life.
Empress Zhenfei stayed at home and was favored by Emperor Guangxu, so most of the time most of the backgrounds were taken indoors. We can see from Concubine Zhen’s expression that she didn’t seem too happy.
After all, being confined in the Forbidden City for a long time, never leaving the emperor and never leaving the harem, it was a bit depressing.
Let us see that this powerful and serious old woman is the current Empress Dowager Cixi. This photo was taken in the winter of the Guangxu period. Empress Dowager Cixi was initially opposed to photography technology. She believed that the camera was an evil thing and was not suitable for promotion in the Qing Dynasty.
But after taking this photo, I felt that I was quite photogenic, so I felt happy and gradually fell in love with taking pictures. From time to time, I would take pictures every three days and a small picture every five days. Therefore, many images of the Qing Dynasty were about Empress Dowager Cixi herself.
Even in the winter, when the snow is heavy on the green pines, the Empress Dowager Cixi would take a photo of walking in the snow with her attendants. Looking at the dress of Empress Dowager Cixi, she is indeed very graceful and luxurious, showing the dignity and majesty of an old lady.
People's livelihood in the Qing Dynasty at that time
Finally, let's take a look at the images and scenes of the people in the late Qing Dynasty. When the camera pans to the city, there are no such high-end life scenes and lifestyles. As soon as you enter the city, all the people squatting in the imperial city are migrant workers.
Everyone was wearing cotton-padded jackets and sheepskin hats, holding bowls in their hands, and had their lunch for the day just like the migrant workers waiting to be recruited at the bridge in the city.
These idle people also existed in large numbers in the society of the Qing Dynasty. Therefore, if the late Qing Dynasty showed the fatigue of society, then these migrant workers were a true reflection of the social hardships of the late Qing Dynasty.
However, for wealthy young men, they are still in the mood to visit the lake and enjoy the scenery. This back view is a photo of a wealthy young man on a spring outing at that time. It looked like it was raining lightly that day. The young man was in a leisurely mood, leaning on the bridge and watching the scenery under the bridge.
I don’t know whether the scenery under the bridge is beautiful women or lotus flowers, or dragonflies flying and butterflies flying. But looking at the man's posture, he seemed to be weak and unsteady.
This can also be seen from the weak mentality of aristocratic princes in the late Qing Dynasty. However, the whole society shows a tired attitude, so for people in the current society, there are many people who are in a loose mood and behave improperly.
This was the scene when women were shopping on the streets at that time. It was also a popular social lifestyle at that time to invite a few girlfriends to buy the fresh rouge and gouache together and take a photo with their girlfriends.
Compared with men, these women have a more positive outlook on life. After all, dressing up to look better is a supreme spiritual enjoyment for women in every period.
Even the old lady next to me was smiling broadly. The camera was initially accepted and promoted by women, because for them, it was the best tool and medium to retain their youthful and beautiful looks.
At that time, there were some snack stalls in the street corners of the Qing Dynasty, just like the existence of Malatang in the bustling city today. It seemed that the two chefs were making pasta at the time, and there were a few flatbreads that were not sold.
However, looking at the dilapidated street scene, the editor feels very sorry for the decline of the Qing Dynasty. The rulers of the late Qing Dynasty did nothing and did not think about corrections, which brought great misery to the people at that time.
And this photo is of people working at that time, most of them did not have formal jobs. The idle citizens had no choice but to work as part-time workers or coolies in small workshops to earn some meager money.
The place where he works is not a regular factory. At that time, the industrial economy in the late Qing Dynasty was not very developed. In comparison, it was not as prosperous as the industrial development in the Ming Dynasty.
looked at the dilapidated workshop. The walls were already rusty and the bricks on the roof were crumbling. Working in such an environment, it must be said that there are hidden dangers to personal and life safety.
Conclusion
After reading these life scenes, do you have any thoughts? Time-travel dramas are now popular, and many people have a fascination and desire to "time-travel". But if you really travel to the late Qing Dynasty, you will complain that the sky is not responding, and the earth and the earth are not working.
These real pictures show the dilapidated life and social atmosphere in the late Qing Dynasty. By then, there would be no fourth elder brother, nor any eighth elder brother.
There are only ruins and decayed expressions. Walking through the streets of the late Qing Dynasty, you will feel a strong sense of decadence and loneliness.
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