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A Day in the Life of a Late Qing Dynasty Concubine

Amimisu

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Qing Dynasty of Chinese History: Qing Dynasty of Chinese History
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The year is 1853, and you are a Noble Lady, a concubine of Emperor Xianfeng of the late Qing Dynasty. A life of rules, where everything belonged entirely to the palace. How would your typical day unfold alongside the women who would become Empress Dowager Cixi and Consort Li? Following a historical young woman holding the rank of Noble Lady, this video pieces together fragments of actual imperial records and Household Department ledgers to reveal the strict rules, exact food rations, and complex social isolation governing the imperial harem.

Historical Sources:
Regulations and Precedents of the Court - 欽定宮中現行則例
Notes on the Imperial Consorts of the Qing Dynasty - 清代后妃雜識
Collected Statutes of the Great Qing - 大清會典
Qinggong Houfei - 清宮后妃
Qinggong Rehe Dang'an - 清宮熱河檔案
Jin Fei Annual Financial Ledger - 瑾妃年總奏單
Qing Dynasty Reigning Dynasty Palace History - 國朝宮史
Qing Dynasty Reigning Dynasty Palace History Sequel - 國朝宮史續編
List of Meeting Dates with Relatives for Empresses and Consorts - 皇后妃嬪等位會親日期單
Memoirs of an Old Eunuch - 老太監的回憶
Gongnv Tan Wang Lu (Memoirs of a Palace Maid) - 宮女談往錄
Veritable Records of the Qing Dynasty - 清實錄
Imperial Household Department Archives - 清宮內務府檔案
Chinese Economic History Studies - 中國經濟史研究
Palace Museum Publications - 故宮博物院出版物
Journal of the Palace Museum - 故宮博物院院刊

Footage used in this video:
Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace - 如懿傳
Story of Yanxi Palace - 延禧攻略
Empresses in the Palace - 甄嬛傳

00:00 - Introduction
01:27 - Before You Open Your Eyes
05:11 - By Palace Regulation
07:09 - The Winter Solstice Ceremony
10:54 - Money That Isn't Yours
12:55 - The Gate You Can't Walk Through
15:48 - Life Between the Rules
19:58 - Passing the Cold of Winter
22:57 - Sound of Silence
24:51 - Final Thoughts

Disclaimer: Visuals used in this video are for reference/illustrative purposes and are not intended as accurate historical depictions.

#chinesehistory #qingdynasty #concubine #consort #imperialharem #harem #forbiddencity #imperialpalace #cixi

20 Comments

@Amimisu Creator 2 months ago Pinned

I've always wanted to try a second person "day in your life" kind of video! :_baobunHappy:This one was tricky to put together because we had to imagine the day based on what is said in the historical records, but I thought it would be a refreshing way to experience history. I hope you enjoy it! :_baobunSmile:And let me know if you'd like to see more of these type of second person "day in your life" stories.:_baobunEmpress: (And whose life would you like to see?) :_baobunWow:

@Olivia-iv7xj 2 months ago (edited)

Aggressively notes down for when I accidentally time travel back in time to the 1800's forbidden city

@mrjones2721 2 months ago

The earliness of a normal palace day is staggering to my night owl self. They believed the mind was clearest first thing in the morning, so even the emperor rose before dawn to be ready to start work at first light. That meant that everyone who was supposed to greet him first thing in the morning had to get up even earlier, so their servants had to get up earlier than that, and on and on it rolled down the hierarchy.

@ChinaPalaceHistory 2 months ago

It’s tragic how their lives seemed so luxurious on the outside, but in reality, it was just an endless loop of waiting, strict etiquette, and boredom. A golden cage in every sense of the word

@DewdewDC 2 months ago

it is hard to imagine being grateful to live like this, yet alternatives at the time would probably be a lot harsher. Without the luxury and beauty, it's a prison.

@oyunnbolstad 2 months ago

You know we all romanticize palace life to some degree. But the reality of the fact that you won’t have a single thing to call your own, maybe only your own needlework seems harsh to us. Every cup and plate, every table and even the silver you are allotted doesn’t really belong to you. You’re a consort but you can’t even send money home to your family. It seems like they were all property, especially when we know that many of them ended in cold palaces. Although I long for simpler times, I am very lucky and grateful to live in a time and place where men and women are equal. But I see sisters all over the world still today, that have no rights to their own bodies. ❤

@lotussong1 2 months ago

Personally, I wouldn’t trade my freedom/independence for palace life. I’m just glad to be living at a time and place where women have more options and opportunities.

@rachel_sj 2 months ago

@8:20 That powder blue fur-lined cloak is absolutely gorgeous! I can’t imagine how much the fabric would cost, but I’d pay a pretty penny to have a fancy dress or garment made with the same fabric!! 😍🤩

@Kaiheart 2 months ago

Just my thoughts during the second half of the video: God I suck at embroidery! 🤣

@WhitneyDahlin 2 months ago

I want to hear what it's like in other dynasties! You did such an amazing job I felt like I was really there! I was so invested in the drama 😂

@flowerly46 2 months ago

Amazing video! I totally felt like this was a diary of an actual day during this time. Your research and storytelling are top notch.

@meakimon 2 months ago

I think this is the first time i have enjoyed a 2nd person perspective. This was so nice to listen to.

I need to go listen to the maid memoirs in case they're in the same style.^^

@jeswicas 2 months ago

Thank you Amy for always putting in so much effort when teaching us Chinese history :_baobunSmile: I always look forward to your videos!

@kiyoshitakeda452 2 months ago

My main take away is the regimented monotonous life of court ladies. A beautiful bird confined to a cage. Imagine sharing a palace with the future Dowager Empress Cixi. Hope they had a good relationship with her. Very interesting episode. Thank you.

@spookypaladin4667 2 months ago

There are a ton of slop AI videos about this, so I am so glad you made one to show how it's done properly. Thank you for the wonderful content as always <3

@summerorchid7219 2 months ago

Even listening to it feels claustrophobic imagine having to live that life.

@cheerstar25 2 months ago

I absolutely love how much effort you put into your videos! Looking at the actual pieces helps tremendously!

@LJstudiooooo 2 months ago

I think Wanrong is one of the most tragic empresses in Chinese history....

She went from being the wife of the Son of Heaven.. the highest ranking woman in China to losing her throne, living in isolation, struggling with opium addiction, being imprisoned after World War II, and dying from illness and starvation in captivity. Her grave is still unknown.....

After Wenxiu’s divorce from Puyi.. she had the ability to divorce too. she didn't. She knew she was the Mother of the Nation, no matter what.

From Empress to an mere prisoner makes her story one of the greatest falls from power in Chinese history.... her story is sad. (same for Puyi, who was the Son of Heaven who became a nobody....)

@eldestinthemiddle 1 month ago

2:17 im guessing that all that cup-smashing and vase-throwing in cdramas is mostly artistic license then considering all of the furnishings were rentals and there would be some clerk noting every replacement even if you get them, nailing your every temper tantrum to the archives for all of posterity😅

@1tscl0udi3s 2 months ago

Super early today :) I started to squeak in happiness after getting the notification hahaha, but speaking of the video in it of itself, first of all it's beautifully made and scripted as always, awesome storytelling! Personally, whenever I think of these women, all I can feel is genuine pity. Fighting for your life, trying to win favor from a man who could discard you within seconds... It's devastating and horrifying. Cdramas tend to dramatise and romanticise the lives of palace women, but reality is not glamorous. To be a concubine is a sad fate, a boring fate, a gilded cage if you will. I can never understand, when watching CDramas and reading comments, people can have such hatred for characters who have such an awful fate as to become a concubine..Regardless, another great video, Your Majesty Amy! ❤❤❤