Description of Figure/Doll
Chinese lady representing the culture of the Qing (Ching) dynasty. She is made from fabric and has a hand painted face. She is wearing a pink silk dress and white silk skirt. She is seated on a Chinese-style stool. Her earrings are made from small beads, and she is holding a hand painted silk fan. She is wearing a classic headpiece in the Qing dynasty fashion. This was the last imperial dynasty of China (from 1644 to 1912), which was ruled by Manchu and overthrown by revolutionaries. There are two long tassels hanging from her hat, and she is holding another tassel. The amount of jewelry and ornaments indicate the wealth and status of the woman. Stand says "Qing Dynasty"Link to higher resolution images at ClipPix
China
Location: Asia
Capital: Beijing
Main language: Chinese, Mandarin
Currency: Yuan
Figure/Doll
Construction: cloth, wire
Height in Centimeters: 20
Height in Inches: 8
The Emperor's Daughter: A Story of Life in the Forbidden City
Reading Level: 5.70
Right before Zi Wei’s mother died, she told Zi Wei that her real father was the Emperor of China. Zi Wei's mother gave her some souvenirs to prove she was the Emperor's daughter. After Zi Wei buried her mother, she traveled to Beijing to try to find her father.
She knew it would be difficult to see her father because Emperor Qiang Long lived in the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City was in the middle of Beijing. Common people were not allowed to go there.
Instead, Zi Wei decided to try to find the emperor when he was out hunting. However, on her way to the hunting ground, she was hit by an arrow. The arrow came from Qian Long, the emperor. He did not mean to hit Zi Wei, and he was very sorry.
The Emperor took Zi Wei back to the Forbidden City to find a doctor. While she was unconscious, he saw the souvenirs from Zi Wei's mother. He knew right away that she was his real daughter. He was very happy that she had returned. He decided to call her Princess Qing Zhu.
After Zi Wei recovered, she had time to explore the Forbidden City. The royal palace was very big. There were 800 buildings and 9999 rooms. The main color of the Forbidden City was yellow because that was the symbol of the royal family.
The Forbidden City was divided into two parts. The Outer Court is where the emperor performed his supreme power over China. The Inner Court was where he lived with his royal family. As a Chinese princess, Zi Wei would have to stay in the Inner Court of the Forbidden city until she married. Until then, she would learn about music and how to dress and act like a princess.