The Mystery of Empress Dowager Cixi's Funeral: A Strange Scene that Shocked Foreign Journalists at Empress Dowager Cixi's Funeral

In the vast procession for the funeral of Empress Dowager Cixi, a large number of paper soldiers, paper sedan chairs and paper horses appeared, the size of which is as real as the original, and it is really unclear if you don't look carefully. These paper men will serve Empress Dowager Cixi in the underworld. The number and scale of its paper men are unprecedented and shocking!

After Empress Dowager Cixi died of illness at the Yiluan Hall in Xiyuan, Beijing, her funeral was scheduled for 1908 1 1.9. At that time, many foreign journalists in Beijing recorded the whole process of this super-luxury funeral in detail. Henri Bonaire, then a reporter of Amsterdam Telegraph in Beijing, attended the grand funeral of Empress Dowager Cixi, and left quite detailed records.

According to the records left by Dutch reporters, it was a cloudy winter day on June 9, 0908, 165438. Empress Dowager Cixi's coffin will be carried from the Forbidden City in Beijing to the Qing Dongling, which is more than 0/00 kilometers away from Beijing/KLOC. At the forefront of the funeral procession is a group of cavalry dressed in new military uniforms and armed with spears. They are all neatly dressed and well behaved. Followed by a line of servants leading horses. Further behind, there are hundreds of servants wearing scarlet satin and yellow feather hats, who take turns carrying Cixi's coffin.

Behind the coffin, there are two teams of cavalry, one with a spear and waving a long red flag; A group of cavalry were armed with long guns and dressed in gray uniforms with red edges. Behind the guards marched rows of servants dressed in red, holding flags of various colors such as green, red, purple and yellow and drooping silks and satins. HenriBorel was deeply shocked by such a huge funeral scene. He said: The ranks of servants with flags are endless. It seems that they have prepared all the flags in the palace for the funeral of the late Queen Mother.

On a small mound outside Dongzhimen, officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs set up a covered booth for foreigners in Beijing introduced by embassies of various countries. There is also a separate exhibition hall near Dongzhimen, which is built for diplomats, outstanding business dignitaries and journalists from all over the world. At the gate of the foreign affairs department, some serious English-speaking officials are receiving guests and collecting tickets. You are not allowed to go in and watch without the tickets issued by the legation.

Most of the funeral roads coming out of the city are downhill, and there are small mounds on both sides of the road. You can see the funeral procession very clearly from the pavilion. Headed by a group of spear light cavalry in modern military uniforms, they are neatly dressed and behave correctly; Next, there are ponies led by servants in a row; Then a large group of servants wearing scarlet satin and yellow feathers in their hats, about several hundred people, took turns carrying the coffin of Empress Dowager Cixi.

When Empress Dowager Cixi died, it was the time when modern scientific civilization had arrived in China. However, after her death, an ancient ceremony with thousands of years history was held at her funeral. As early as August, a lot of paper hidden wealth had been burned. These things represent her beloved possessions, beautifully made and lifelike. There are clocks, dressing tables, cigarette sticks, and a large group of paper dummies who will serve Empress Dowager Cixi in the underworld. Soon you can see the faint flags on the downhill road between the mounds in the distance. Hunting red flags set off the sky, and rows of cavalry came at us; More yellow sedan chairs came from top to bottom. Behind these sedan chairs, dazzling golden flames are shining, which are scary in size and high from the ground. Empress Dowager Cixi's coffin moved forward very slowly. There was a huge golden ball on the square coffin, covered with a wide brocade. It was carried by 100 people carrying long bamboo poles, held high above their heads, and marched solemnly forward. As early as an hour and a half ago, the sun had already risen, making the yellow satin on the coffin burn like a golden river in the air.

China Mounted Police in modern military uniforms came here on Mongolian ponies. As if by magic, thousands of onlookers on the road were all involved in the mound. Without struggle and quarrel, it may take half an hour to solve the problem in Europe. It only takes an instant effort here. The policeman rode a swift pony and ran smartly on the road. After a while, they cleared the road and let everyone stand on the top of the mountain.

The tall camels from the Gobi Desert are fluffy and strong, just like ancient monsters. They walked in two rows on both sides of the road. They are burdened with the necessities of building tents wrapped in yellow silk, because this funeral procession will take five days to reach the Qing Dongling. How oriental this team is! First the colorful sedan chair covered with yellow silk, then the white pony, and now the tall and majestic camel. How far this scene is from our time.

The huge coffin was covered with yellow brocade, and the behemoth was burning like a fire, shining and releasing bright golden yellow. This is the yellow I have never seen before. It represents the royal family in China, and only the emperor should wear it. Anyone who breaks the rules will be beheaded. It was carried by more than a hundred porters and moved slowly forward. Its journey is so difficult and complicated, just like Huang Chengcheng's coffin is a heavy piece of pure gold, and its clothes seem to be metal instead of brocade. In the sun, it looks like a golden waterfall. In this royal gold coffin lived a creation symbolized by Lan Fenghuang and safflower. Soldiers along the road all raised their guns and saluted, and the guards of the foreign minister also saluted the coffin.

Rows of servants dressed in red are holding banners in various colors such as green, red, purple and yellow and drooping silks and satins. There is an endless stream of servants holding bright flags. It seems that they removed all the flags in the palace for the funeral of the late Queen Mother.

However, at this super-luxury funeral, there was an amazing scene that made people feel very strange. Foreign journalists also recorded these strange scenes that shocked them in detail in the book Image of the Late Qing Dynasty.

Empress Dowager Cixi's coffin will be carried from the Forbidden City in Beijing to the Qing Dongling Mausoleum, which is more than 0/00 kilometers away from the city. In the vast funeral procession, a large number of paper soldiers, paper sedan chairs and paper horses appeared, the size of which is as real as the original, and it is really unclear if you don't look carefully. In fact, as early as August, the palace had burned a lot of paper treasures. These things represent the beloved property of Empress Dowager Cixi. They are beautifully made and lifelike. They include clocks, dressing tables, cigarette sticks and a large group of paper dummy zombies. Paper men dressed as eunuchs will serve Empress Dowager Cixi of the Qing Dynasty in the underworld, while paper soldiers in European military uniforms will all be sent to hades as advance teams. The number and scale of its paper men are unprecedented and shocking!

The funerary objects in the coffin of Empress Dowager Cixi are extremely luxurious. Empress Dowager Cixi's confidant eunuch Li once participated in the coffin burial ceremony. He and his nephew wrote "Notes on Love Moon Xuan", saying: Before the body of Empress Dowager Cixi entered the coffin, the bottom of the coffin was covered with three layers of gold beads and a layer of pearls, which was one foot thick. Empress Dowager Cixi wore a jade lotus leaf, and the largest pearl on the crown was as big as an egg, worth 65438+ 1 100 million taels of silver. Pink tourmaline lotus flowers are placed at her feet, watermelons, melons and cabbages made of jadeite are placed on both sides, and there are more than 200 peaches, plums, apricots and dates made of precious stones. There are 27 Buddha statues carved with gold, precious stones, jade and jade beside her, with a Yu Lian on the left and a jade coral tree on the right. In addition, eight jade horses and 18 jade arhat were placed in the coffin. After the funeral, 4 liters of pearls and 2,200 precious stones were poured into the coffin.

Unexpectedly, 20 years later, because the tomb of Empress Dowager Cixi was bombed by warlord Sun Dianying, not only the bones of Empress Dowager Cixi in the Qing Dynasty were exposed and humiliated, but also the treasures buried with her were looted. Lafayette, who enjoyed the glory of the world, left only a lonely wasteland for future generations to comment on. The prosperity of this century is a thing of the past.