A series of photos of the imperial harem of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty: The empress with a hunched back, the concubines plump.

This collection of old photographs provides a brief glimpse into the imperial harem of Emperor Guangxu, the 11th emperor in the history of the Qing Dynasty (China).

Emperor Guangxu (Qing Dezong) was the 11th emperor of the Qing dynasty. Although Emperor Guangxu's reign marked the decline of the Qing dynasty, he implemented reforms that helped the Chinese economy recover and develop.

Emperor Guangxu did not have a harem of 3000 beautiful women; he only had one empress and two concubines, specifically Empress Longyu, Consort Zhen, and Consort Jing.

Empress Dowager Cixi (center) pictured with Empress Longyu, wife of Emperor Guangxu (far right) and Consort Jin (far left).

Empress Longyu's original name was Jingfen, and her childhood name was Xizi (according to the Aixin Gioro Family Encyclopedia). In terms of lineage, Empress Dowager Cixi was Empress Longyu's aunt, and Empress Longyu was Emperor Guangxu's cousin.

The woman in the photo is rumored to be Concubine Tran. However, the authenticity of the photo is being questioned.

Among Emperor Guangxu's concubines, Concubine Zhen was renowned for her beauty, intelligence, and chess skills, and was especially favored by the Emperor.

Empress Long Yu was said to have a weak personality, unremarkable appearance, a slightly hunched back, and lacked the dignified bearing of a queen.

After Emperor Guangxu's death, Empress Longyu (center) was honored as Empress Dowager.

Hedlund, an American missionary, wrote about Empress Longyu in his book "The Late Qing Court Through the Eyes of an American" as follows: "Every summer, we would occasionally see the Empress and her maid strolling slowly through the palace. Her face always bore an air of serenity and gentleness. She was always afraid of disturbing others and never interfered in anything."

Empress Dowager Longyu (in black) and Puyi as a child in the Jianfu Palace Garden. Disillusioned with life in the imperial harem, Empress Dowager Longyu's health deteriorated and she died of a serious illness when she was just over 40 years old.

After the fall of the Qing dynasty, Consort Jin was promoted to the rank of Grand Consort Duan Kang.

Consort Cẩn, of the Tha Tha Lạp clan, was the half-sister of Consort Trân. In the 15th year of the Guangxu reign, the two sisters entered the palace at the same time, initially being granted the title of Consort Tần. At that time, the Emperor greatly favored Consort Trân, and Consort Cẩn, thanks to Consort Trân's favor, held a considerable position in the imperial harem.

Consort Cẩn was a cautious, kind-hearted, and unassuming person. Therefore, even though Empress Dowager Cixi didn't favor her, she didn't make things difficult for Consort Cẩn.

Empress Dowager Đoan Khang (center) poses for a photo with her family.

Empress Dowager Duan Kang (left) poses for a photo with Puyi (second from left) and several others.

Empress Dowager Duan Kang and her two granddaughters, Tang Mai (left) and Tang Shihe (right), are watching fish in Yanxi Palace.

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