The most precious series of old photos of the late Qing Dynasty: The Forbidden City and people's lives are clearly depicted

Taken 150 years ago, this series of photos is one of the most valuable and authentic documents about the feudal era of Chinese history.

The photos below are of great historical value because they were among the first photos taken when photography was first introduced to China. They were taken about 150 years ago, at the end of the reign of Emperor Xianfeng and the beginning of the reign of Empress Dowager Cixi.

A Guangzhou official took a photo of his wife in a studio. Because the breastplate on the front of his shirt was blurred, it was impossible to determine what the photo was about, nor could it determine the official's rank. His wife was given the title of Cao Menh Phu Nhan by the imperial court. The photo was taken between 1981 and 1864.

The bozi (abbreviated as bozi) can also be called "hung boi" or "quan bo", is a square or round piece of cloth attached to the chest and back of the official uniform of the Ming - Qing dynasties. Different ranks will use bozi with different patterns.

Based on the string of beads that the official in the photo above is wearing around his neck, it can be inferred that he is a civil official of the fifth rank or higher. Civil officials of the fifth rank and military officials of the fourth rank or lower cannot use string of beads. This string of beads is called "Trieu Chau".

A large commoner family. Photo taken after 1862.

A classroom in Guangzhou in 1863.

After the Second Opium War, more and more Western photographers brought cameras to China to take pictures, such as Felice Beato, Milton Miller, William Sanders,. The photos in this article were all taken by them.

The Wall of Anding Gate, Beijing's inner city in the 1860s. The Wall of Anding Gate is a small wall outside the city gate. To the left of the Wall of Anding Gate is the City Tower, to the right is the Jian Tower.

Ngo Mon Gate, Forbidden City in 1860. When this photo was taken, Emperor Ham Phong had fled to Rehe (an old province in China).

This photo of the Forbidden City was taken from Bach Thap Son in 1860.

The two panoramic photos of the Forbidden City and Ngo Mon Gate above are the earliest photos recording the entire Forbidden City, and have important historical value. It is known that 2020 is the 600th anniversary of the completion of the Forbidden City.

Photo of the Summer Palace in 1860. This is the first photo taken after the Summer Palace was looted and burned by the British and French colonialists in October 1860.

A photo of Chiem The Sai and a Western man in 1864. Chiem The Sai was 23 years old when the photo was taken. Because he was over 2m tall, he was taken by an art company to perform around the world. He later settled in England and married a local woman.

A photo of a fortune teller taken in 1868. He was invited into the studio by a Western photographer to take this photo.

An old street corner in Shanghai in 1863.

Two beggars show off their "results" after coming out of a house. One is beaming with a "harvest smile" on his face, while the other has nothing. Both have dark faces and haggard figures from wandering around the alleys and alleys in the middle of nowhere begging for food. During the last years of the Qing Dynasty, society was in chaos, people lived in poverty, many people were so desperate that they had to go begging everywhere.

In the cold wind, the faces of the mother and two children were filled with sadness. The clothes on all three were old and torn, having not been washed for many years. Notably, the mother and the girl's feet were bound according to the foot-binding custom of that time.

The two men in the photo are sitting shirtless enjoying tea. They are holding strings of beads in their hands, indicating that they are both wealthy. Qing Dynasty men shaved half their heads and wore their hair in pigtails, a custom that had existed for hundreds of years during the dynasty.

This photo was taken in the yard of a family of 5. Looking at the way the 3 children are dressed, you can see that this family is very wealthy. Their clothes are new, clean and intact, very different from the 3 mother and children in the photo above. Thus, the rich-poor distinction between the people is still very strong.

Two well-dressed men, one playing a guitar and the other a flute. They seemed to be enjoying their free time with their hobbies.

A prisoner was paraded through the streets in a wooden cage for his crimes. But looking at the photo, he did not seem to be afraid of this punishment. On the contrary, this prisoner looked into the camera lens and smiled despite the many eyes watching his actions.

The photo shows a Qing Dynasty official and next to him is another foreign official. The Qing official is wearing a fur coat, a feathered hat, and a jade necklace, while the other is wearing a military uniform looking at him.

As soon as a young master of a noble family stepped out of the door, a servant holding a birdcage helped him onto a carriage. People like this young master were born at the "finish line", not having to worry about food or clothing, inheriting the wealth left by their ancestors. However, during the Qing Dynasty, there were too many people like this young master, and later, because they refused to work, they fell into a tragic situation when the feudal system ended.

An official's family had both a wife and concubines, as we often see in historical dramas. In reality, during the Qing Dynasty, only wealthy families could afford to have five wives and seven concubines, while it was very difficult for poor families to find wives.

A photo of a rickshaw driver carrying two wealthy women. Rickshaws or pushcarts were considered "taxi" in Shanghai in the 1870s.

A photo of three women wearing a collar around their necks. This was a punishment for minor crimes during the late Qing Dynasty. The photo was taken around 1880.

A trial in 1866. The photo shows a trial scene in the late Qing Dynasty.

Barbers on a street corner in 1875. During the Qing Dynasty, people had to shave half their heads and wear their hair in pigtails. Therefore, barbering became popular.

Two men holding umbrellas sat on a cart. The cart driver pushed them on the cart from behind.

Ladies of a wealthy family in the late Qing Dynasty. The photo was taken around 1880. The women in the photo all have kind faces. The three women sitting in chairs are dressed in elegant clothes and jewelry.

A lady from Shanghai. She came from a wealthy family. This lady had small feet due to foot binding when she was young. The photo was taken around the 1870s.

A man gets his nails trimmed on the street in 1875. This was a service that developed in the late Qing Dynasty, similar to haircutting. In the photo, an old man carefully trims the toenails of a young customer.

A photo of a rickshaw driver carrying people on one side and livestock on the other. During the late Qing Dynasty, rickshaws and carts were very popular. In addition to carrying people, rickshaw drivers also carried goods and livestock, if requested by customers. The photo was taken around 1875.