The Mystery of the Missing Manchu: Monolingual Signage at the Forbidden City

This article was aggregated from Jottings from the Granite Studio 

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Sharp-eyed visitors to the Palace Museum will note the number of signs which are written in both Chinese and Manchu.  Makes sense considering who actually ruled the Qing Empire and so many of the signs at the Forbidden City look something like this:

But the signs on the main attractions, the big gates and halls of the outer court, the ones EVERYBODY sees (even the “In 35 minutes we have to be at Badaling” package tourist) have signs only in Chinese. By way of example, check out this picture of the Hall of Preserving Harmony (Baohe Dian), in which scholars of centuries past toiled away to pass the highest level of exam.

Only Hanyu. What gives?

I’ve been wondering this for awhile, and on the off-hand chance that either Freda Murck or Geremie Barmé reads this blog they could drop me a note.  Until then, Joel Martinson, the translation machine behind the Danwei blog, tipped me off to this article from 163.com posted back in 2004 which claims to have the answer.  I’ve translated and appended it below the fold, but I’m not entirely convinced…sounds a little too neat and clean to blame old Yuan Shikai for everything.  But it’s the only explanation I’ve heard so far so I’ll leave it to readers to make up their own minds.
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Why is there no Manchu writing on the Hall of Supreme Harmony (Taihe Dian) in the Forbidden City?

Tourists who visit the Palace Museum will find that the sign boards above the Palace of Heavenly Purity, the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, the Palace of Tranquil Longevity, Shenwu Gate and other palaces and gates in the inner court are written in both Manchu and Chinese languages. Those for the main palaces, however, including The Hall of Supreme Harmony, The Hall of Complete (Middle) Harmony, The Hall of Preserving Harmony, and major gates like Wumen, Xihuamen, Donghuamen, have signs only in Chinese. Why is this?

Back in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the signboards for the palaces and gates in the Forbidden City were all in Chinese.  During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912), the Emperors were Manchu decreed their own language to be the national language and used throughout the land.  After the Shunzhi Emperor took up residence in the Forbidden City, he had all the signboards on the palaces and gates written in Manchu and Chinese side by side, with a few also including Mongolian script.  Generally speaking, Manchu was on the left with Chinese on the right in accordance with the custom of the left being superior to the right.

The 1911 Revolution ended the reign of the Qing Emperors and the Xuantong Emperor (the last emperor Puyi) was forced to abdicate but continued to live in the palaces to the north of the Gate of Heavenly Purity.  Use of the outer palaces, including The Hall of Supreme Harmony, The Hall of Complete (Middle) Harmony, and The Hall of Preserving Harmony, was ceded to the republican government. Soon after, the northern warlord Yuan Shikai usurped the accomplishments of the revolution through political chicanery became president of the Republic of China. But Yuan wasn’t satisfied being president, he wanted to restore the monarchy and become an emperor.

Forthwith, Yuan carried out his plan, proclaiming himself emperor with the reign name “Hong Xian.” No sooner had he restored the monarchical system then he began receiving the hatred and scorn of the common people, The anti-imperial feelings among the masses surged stronger by the day such that Yuan Shikai was scared to even leave the palace gates. He knew in his heart that without popular support an emperor is doomed to fall before long, but Yuan was unwilling to give up his imperial dreams, and so he called Wang Jingtai, his trusted subordinate, to his chambers to discuss what they should do.

Yuan Shikai asked Wang Jingtai to tell him what sort of slanderous talk was spreading amongst the common folks outside the palace walls. Wang told Yuan that the people were mainly grumbling about the restoration of the imperial order and the abolition of the Republic. They were saying “Oppose the Qing, Denounce Yuan!”  Yuan Shikai fidgeted nervously, trying to think of a strategy that could ease the minds of the people.  He thought and thought and thought for three days straight, and still he couldn’t come up with a good plan.  Finally, it was Wang Jingtai who had an idea.

Wang approached Yuan and said, “Your Majesty, are the people not opposed to the Qing? Let us give them something to see.  The Forbidden City has palaces and gates with signs written in both Manchu and Chinese side by side. This Manchu writing represents the Qing Dynasty. Why don’t we get rid of the Manchu script and leave only the Chinese, showing how we have no desire to restore the Qing Dynasty and that we too oppose the Qing?  Once the common folk see that the Manchu has been removed, perhaps they won’t oppose your becoming emperor.”

To Yuan Shikai Wang’s words had some merit, especially as Yuan couldn’t come up with anything else at the time. Why not give it a try? Perhaps when those who opposed Yuan heard that Manchu was no longer in the Forbidden City, the people would come around and support him.

Having thought this, he hastily wrote an “imperial edict” ordering that within 10 days the Manchu language be removed from all palaces and gates in the Forbidden City.  But the “imperial edict” had only just been issued when Yuan changed his mind. The Xuantong Emperor (Puyi) still lived in the inner palaces along with several diehard Manchu courtiers, both young and old.  They had only just been removed from power, and their influence in the country was even then not inconsiderable. “If I remove the Manchu language from the inner court as well,” thought Yuan, “don’t I risk encouraging them to rise up in opposition to me?”

Meanwhile, if the situation outside the palace failed to improve and Yuan’s court continued to suffer the wrath of the people, this would be a huge problem for Yuan. Having considered both problems, Yuan amended the “Imperial Edict” to read: “The gates and palaces in the Outer Court should have the Manchu language removed.”

“The former Qing courtiers living in the inner quarters never ventured to the outer court, and so would have no way of knowing the Manchu language had been removed and cannot raise a stink against me,” thought Yuan.

After Wang Jingtai received the “imperial edict,” the loyal official promptly took a gang of workers through the outer palace, removing all Manchu writing and replacing the signs with ones written only in Chinese.

After Yuan Shikai had removed all of the Manchu in the palaces and gates of the outer court, he sent his people to proclaim the news everywhere, from the major newspapers to the smallest rag tabloid.  But the common people weren’t buying what Yuan was trying to sell. The denunciations of Yuan became louder and even more strident.  As a result, Yuan’s imperial dream lasted on 83 days and Yuan is now known as one of history’s villains.

Although Yuan Shikai was forced to abdicate, the changes he made to the Forbidden City lasted as silent testimony to Yuan’s usurpation of the state.

Posted at 网易科技报道 http://tech.163.com on October 27, 2004.
Original publication: 千龙新闻网   不良信息举报

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