Wang Mintong (Chinese: 王敏彤; 1913 – February 28, 2003), born Wanyan Tongji, was a Manchurian noblewoman who was a member of the Bordered Yellow Banner and a cousin of Wanrong, the Empress of Manchukuo, as their mothers are direct descendants of Emperor Qianlong and members of the Aisin-Gioro clan.[1]
| Wang Mintong | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Wanyan Tongji 1913 Beijing, Qing dynasty |
| Died | February 28, 2003 (aged 90) Beijing, China |
| Father | Wanyan Lixian |
| Mother | Aisin-Gioro Henghui |
| Religion | Shamanism |
Early life and Manchukuo
edit
She was born in 1913 in Beijing under the name Wanyan Tongji, however, the nobles of the Eight Banners changed their surnames to Chinese surnames, she also changed her name to Wang Mintong.[2] At a young age she was often kept inside and not invited to important dinners, for fear of her not using proper etiquette.[3] However, she was known to be well mannered.[4]
From Wanrong and Puyi's wedding, Mintong became infatuated with Puyi and spent much of her life trying to win his affection. Her parents had arranged a marriage with another noble, although he had numerous affairs before their wedding, notably with a well-known actress.[1] In an effort to cancel the wedding, Mintong was quoted as saying "If you don't break off the engagement, I'm going to hang myself" to her mother. She was a close friend of actress Meng Xiaodong, who was also her next-door neighbor. Their friendship eventually resulted in Mintong auditioning for the Peking Opera and her starting to learn martial arts.[5]
In 1937, it was announced that Pujie, the younger brother of Puyi, was seeking a wife. Some sources close to Pujie had stated that she was his first choice, but the two never got married as the Japanese Government who dominated Manchukuo introduced Pujie to a Japanese woman, Hiro Saga.[6][7]
Later life
editIn 1959, when Puyi was given amnesty and released from prison by Mao Zedong, she invited him to her home. After showing him her cooking, he drunkenly joked "How can such a good woman not get married? She must be a good wife and a good mother".[3] Puyi later remarried in 1962 to Li Shuxian, which led Mintong's mental health to spiral. She was seen running and professing her love to Puyi and remained obsessed with him until at least 1967 when Puyi died.[8] In the 1970s, Mintong often took her sword to do morning exercises at the entrance of the Ministry of Culture and was known to despise all men, except for Puyi. However, during the Cultural Revolution, her home was seized and her mother was forced to move into a small home, with them living on less than 300 Yuan a month.[1][9]
On February 28, 2003, Mintong died after choking on dumplings in her nursing home.[9] At the time of her death, she had a valuable antique collection.[10]
References
edit- ^ a b c "「晚清最美格格」王敏彤的悲情人生". Yahoo News (in Chinese). 2023-02-18. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
- ^ 滕绍箴 (1989). 清代八旗子弟 (in Chinese). 中国华侨出版公司. ISBN 978-7-80074-194-4.
- ^ a b "清朝最美格格王敏彤却遭溥仪嫌弃". bj.sina.cn. September 2017. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
- ^ "晚清格格王敏彤，终生不嫁也不找工作，却活了将近百岁_溥仪_清朝_中国". m.sohu.com. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
- ^ "晚清最美格格王敏彤的老照片，图2让人一见难忘，图5是晚年王敏彤". k.sina.cn. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
- ^ 陳煒舜 (2017-06-14). 被誤認的老照片 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 香港中和出版有限公司. ISBN 978-988-8466-03-0.
- ^ 贾英华 (2004). 末代皇弟溥杰传 (in Chinese). 人民文学出版社. ISBN 978-7-02-004606-5.
- ^ 風傳媒 (2021-09-05). "「晚清最美格格」王敏彤：才貌雙全從小愛上溥儀 卻換來悲慘人生". 香港01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Retrieved 2024-06-20.
- ^ a b "王敏彤：晚清最美格格，迷恋溥仪，晚年凄凉，2003年去世_爱新觉罗·_婚约_表姐". www.sohu.com. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
- ^ 三联生活周刊 (in Chinese). 生活・读书・新知三联书店. 2005.
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