Why do banner girls shave their heads and become "tomboys" to go to the Qing palace to draft girls?

In fashion movies and TV dramas, the heroine always hangs around the royal family, princes and nobles. At banquets, she has to show off her talents with songs, dances and poems. Chanted.

On July 22, "Searching for the Literary Map of Beijing—Things You Don't Know About the Forbidden City" hosted by Qianlong.com was held at Yanchilou China Bookstore. The Forbidden City Press Palace History Book Editorial Director Wang Zhiwei showed old photos of the Qing palace draft girls. The girls in the photos were not only young, but also dressed in very "apologetic" ways.

Wang Zhiwei reported that every three years, banner men under the age of 17 come to the palace to draft girls. "We can see the details of these historical records from the inside of the photos. This is how the women were drafted in the Qing palace at that time. Wearing cheongsam is not what we imagined at all. They are very beautiful and gorgeous, filing out and entering in style." He said.

"How to choose? Just stand in a row in front of the Yanhui Pavilion in the Imperial Garden. You see, some of the adults are very young. One of them is four or five years old." Wang Zhiwei pointed to a man with a short haircut. The child said: "Look, can this be called a girl? All her hair has been shaved off. The most important thing for a Manchu man is his or her hair, which cannot be touched."

Wang Zhiwei reports on "A Visit to Beijing" Literary Map - Things You Don't Know About the Forbidden City"

Wang Zhiwei explained the reason: "When we look at "The Palace Maid's Talk", many of the parents of the banner people have a certain culture, and they can It is judged that only a handful of people are truly happy in the palace. Many people live in the palace for the rest of their lives without the emperor's favor. Legend has it that in order to prevent the emperor from choosing them, they would dress themselves up very ugly, and some of them would become ugly. He looks like a little boy with his hair shaved off.”

It is reported that the “Beijing Literary Map” is hosted by Qianlong.com, which aims to use literature as a clue to travel around Beijing and discover and display the charm and charm of Beijing’s historical books. The smell of humanity. The event combines online sharing with offline travel to lead netizens to visit the places where literary stories take place, the new residences of famous writers, the literary activities of famous literary figures in Beijing, literary sites and scenic spots, places where official legends and stories take place, literary institutions, Literary newspapers and periodicals, as well as civilized venues, etc.

In addition to today's "Things You Don't Know About the Forbidden City", Qianlong.com also successfully held two "Visiting Lu Xun's House" and "I Climbed the Bell and Drum Towers of Beijing" More than a hundred literature lovers attended the event offline. This event was broadcast live online through the official Weibo of Qianlong.com and the Weibo of Qianlong Civilization.

Now that you are tired of reading, here is a joke to cheer you up:

Why didn’t you tell me earlier?

One day, the pregnant wife asked her husband: “What do you want? Who is our child better to look like?" The husband said with inferiority, "It can be like anyone, but it must not be like me, short and ugly." After hearing this, the wife said in surprise, "Why didn't you say this earlier? It scares me."