A series of photos that will surprise you with the true beauty of the Qing Dynasty's Fujin and Princesses

Fu Jin and Ge Ge are characters that often appear in Chinese historical dramas. These royal women impress the audience not only with their tragic fate or extraordinary intelligence and talent, but also with their stunning beauty and lavish costumes.

But that's just in the movies, what did they look like in real life? Let's take a look at these authentic photos of the late Qing Dynasty's Fujin and Gege through the lens of photographers of that time. These photos are taken from the book "Chinese Correspondence" by Sarah Pike Conger.

The Consort of Prince Tan Ky of Khac Can

Sarah lived in Beijing, China from 1898-1905 and had close relationships with many royal women. She did not specify the source of the photos in this book, but it is speculated that many of them were taken by Sarah herself.

In many movies, the terms Phuc Tan and Cach Cach are quite common. However, in reality, who is called by what title is very clearly defined.

According to the regulations in the "Great Qing Code" , the main wife of a Prince, Prince, or County Prince is called Fujin, and the concubine is called Trac Phucjin. The main wife of a Bei Le, Bei Zi, Zhen Guo Gong, or Seit is called Phu Nhan, and the concubine is called Trac Phu Nhan. These are titles officially conferred by the imperial court, with strict hierarchy, and cannot be called arbitrarily.

Princess of Prince Jin Qi of Keqin

There have been some films that call the Emperor's daughter "Gege", but in fact this is incorrect. The King's daughter is called Princess, and "Gege" is the title given to the daughters of Princes, District Princes, Beile, Beizi, and the Duke of Zhenguo and the Duke of Fuguo. In addition, daughters of the Imperial family who have not been granted the title of "Gege" are called Zongnu.

All are Princesses but are divided into 5 different ranks: The daughter of the Prince is the Princess, the daughter of the Prince is the Princess, the daughter of Beile is the Princess, the daughter of Bei Zi is the Princess, the daughter of the Eighth Prince of Zhen Guo and the Duke of Fu Guo is the Duke of Xiang.

The blessing of Prince Su Thien Ky

The photos in "China's Trust" depict the lavishly dressed image of the royal women of the late Qing Dynasty. Although their appearance was flashy, their facial expressions were rather dull and stiff. When facing foreigners, these noble women seemed to lack liveliness and confidence.

Although the Qing Dynasty opened its doors to foreign exchanges in 1840, the members of the Imperial Family were not close to foreigners. Therefore, these women had even fewer opportunities to socialize.

Later, Empress Dowager Cixi realized the importance of foreign exchanges, so she invited the wives of foreign envoys to the Imperial Palace to visit and chat. Under the influence of the Empress Dowager, the Fujin and Princesses began to expand their relations with foreigners.

Daughter of Prince Long Can - Thien Khon Cach Cach

Sarah said that through many meetings with the royal women, they narrowed the cultural gap and gradually became friends. On December 26, 1903, Sarah invited Princess Jingfang of the Prince of Shuncheng and some of the royal women to a banquet. She said that the fact that they accepted the invitation to attend the banquet showed that these women had become more open-minded. They all wore gorgeous, luxurious clothes, beautiful makeup, and gold fake nails.

Not long after, these noble ladies invited Sarah and the 11 wives of the ambassadors of various countries to a party they hosted. Sarah recalled that at that party, everyone was elegant and had the demeanor of a royal family, creating a beautiful scene. They even said "goodbye" to the guests when they left.

But when the royal women became more and more accustomed to diplomacy, the Qing Dynasty was in decline. And those women gradually sank into oblivion…

The wife and son and daughter of Bo Lun Boi Tu

The First Consort (main wife) Tinh Phuong of Thuan Thua District Prince Not Lac Hac

Wife of Beile Yulang

The Great Princess Heng Hui of Beile Yulang

Daughter of General Duc Truong

Daughter and granddaughter of Duke Jung