1. Prince Gong was a regent of the empire from 1861 to 1865 and wielded great influence at other times as well.
34 Facts About Prince Gong
1. 2.
Prince Gong supported figures like Zuo Zongtang, Li Hongzhang, and Zeng Guofan in their efforts to modernize military industries, procure advanced weaponry, and promote the development of modern military infrastructure.
3.
Prince Gong helped establish the Zongli Yamen, which was responsible for foreign affairs, and set up Chinese embassies abroad.
4.
Prince Gong shared his surname Aisin Gioro with the other members of the Qing imperial family.
5.
Prince Gong was posthumously known as "the Respectful and Loyal Prince of the Blood": Prince Kung-chung or Gongzhong.
6.
Prince Gong was the third son of his mother, Imperial Noble Consort Jing, who was from the Khorchin Mongol Borjigit clan.
7.
Prince Gong studied in the imperial library and practised martial arts with his fourth brother, Yizhu.
8.
Prince Gong created 28 qiang movements and 18 dao movements, which were respectively named "Lihua Xieli" and "Bao'e Xuanwei" by his father.
9.
Prince Gong's father gave him a White Rainbow Sword as a gift.
10.
In 1851, the Xianfeng Emperor established an office for Prince Gong, gave him permission to enter the inner imperial court, assigned him to be in charge of patrol and defence matters, and ordered him to continue carrying the White Rainbow Sword given to him by their father.
11.
In October 1853, as the Taiping rebels closed in on Jinan, Prince Gong was appointed to the Grand Council, which was in charge of military affairs.
12.
Prince Gong was publicly praised in May 1855 after the Taiping rebels were driven out of Jinan.
13.
When Prince Gong's mother died in August 1855, the Xianfeng Emperor reprimanded Prince Gong for failing to observe court protocol and removed him from the Grand Council and his zongling and dutong appointments.
14.
However, Prince Gong was still permitted to enter the inner imperial court and the imperial library.
15.
Prince Gong was restored to his position as a dutong in June 1856, and further appointed as an Interior Minister in May 1859.
16.
Prince Gong moved to Changxindian and called for an assembly of the troops stationed there to enforce greater discipline and raise their morale.
17.
On 24 October 1860, Prince Gong concluded the negotiations with British, French and Russian officials, signing the Convention of Peking on behalf of the Qing dynasty.
18.
Prince Gong subsequently wrote a memorial to the Xianfeng Emperor, requesting to be punished for signing an unequal treaty.
19.
In 1861, Prince Gong set up the Zongli Yamen, which functioned as the Qing government's de facto foreign affairs ministry, and placed Guiliang and Wenxiang in charge of it.
20.
Prince Gong wrote a memorial to the Xianfeng Emperor, proposing to enhance the training of Banner Troops in Beijing and let Qing troops stationed in Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces train with the Imperial Russian Army and stockpile military supplies.
21.
Prince Gong firmly declined to accept the "iron-cap" privilege, and instead sought to be concurrently appointed as zongling and put in charge of the Shenjiying.
22.
Prince Gong founded the Tongwen Guan in 1862 for Chinese scholars to study technology and foreign languages.
23.
Around April 1865, an official, Cai Shouqi, accused Prince Gong of "monopolising state power, accepting bribes, practising favouritism, behaving arrogantly, and showing disrespect towards the Emperor".
24.
The Empress Dowagers Ci'an and Cixi publicly reprimanded Prince Gong and stripped him of his position as Prince-Regent.
25.
Yishen, Yixuan, Wang Zheng, Sun Yimou, Yin Zhaoyong, Pan Zuyin, Wang Weizhen, Guangcheng and others pleaded with the empress dowagers to pardon Prince Gong and make him Prince-Regent again.
26.
Prince Gong personally thanked the empress dowagers and made a tearful apology.
27.
In March 1868, as the Nian rebels approached the suburbs of Beijing, Prince Gong was tasked with mobilising troops and managing defence arrangements.
28.
Prince Gong officially took over the reins of power from his regents in around February 1873.
29.
The Guangxu Emperor, who succeeded the Tongzhi Emperor in 1875, continued the practices of exempting Prince Gong from having to kowtow in the emperor's presence and having to write his name on memorials submitted to the emperor.
30.
Prince Gong stopped receiving his double salary and was ordered to retire to recuperate from illness.
31.
Prince Gong remained in Jietai Temple in western Beijing for most of the time.
32.
Some officials such as Baojun, Li Hongzao, Jinglian and Weng Tonghe, who previously served in Prince Gong's administration, were dismissed from office.
33.
In 1898, Prince Gong was appointed as zongling again, but he became critically ill by the end of April.
34.
In 2006, Prince Gong's life was adapted into a Chinese television series, Sigh of His Highness, starring Chen Baoguo as the prince.