The Meaning of Etiquette in China and Its Evolution (II)

(Minghui.org) Dramas centered on the intrigue and power struggles of Qing Dynasty imperial palaces were once among the most popular television series in China. Notable examples like “The Legend of Zhen Huan” and “Story of Yanxi Palace” achieved such widespread popularity that they were broadcast in Southeast Asia, Taiwan, and Japan. These stories reinforced the stereotype that palace life was dominated by relentless scheming and frequent, violent power struggles.

Power struggles were a constant reality in the imperial palaces because good and evil, loyalty and treachery have always coexisted. At times, evil prevailed and darkness ruled the country. Still, ancient Chinese people maintained a steadfast belief that Heaven observes and governs all, and any deviation from the Heavenly Way would not last. For example, Emperor Jie of the Xia Dynasty became infatuated with his concubine Mo Xi, which led to the collapse of the Xia Dynasty. Similarly, Emperor Zhou of the Shang Dynasty was bewitched by his consort Daji, ultimately leading to his overthrow and self-immolation in his palace at Lutai.

People revered Heaven and followed a system of etiquette in the palaces. The empress was expected to embody the ideal qualities of a traditional woman—gentleness, kindness, and virtue. She played an essential role in important rites and presided over the Imperial Rites of Sericulture, including the Silkworm-caring Rite and Mulberry Leaf Picking Rite.

The Rites of Sericulture aimed to highlight the importance of women’s role in an agricultural society, where men farmed and women wove.

An empress should exemplify virtue and kindness, serving as a role model for other consorts and concubines, and as “the mother of etiquette for the country.” The famous virtuous empresses in Chinese history include Empress Xiaozhuang of Emperor Taizong of the Qing Dynasty; Empress Xiao Chuo of Emperor Jingzong of the Liao Dynasty; Empress Dou Yifang of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty; Empress Liu of Emperor Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty; Empress Yin Lihua of Emperor Guangwu of the Han Dynasty; Empress Zhangsun of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty; Empress Ma Xiuying of Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty.

During the Qing Dynasty, filial piety was regarded as the most important virtue. The empress was expected to serve the empress dowager and keep her company while the emperor attended to his state duties. On a typical day, the empress led the other consorts and concubines in greeting the empress dowager twice daily, at dawn and dusk. When Empress Dowager Chongqing, mother of Emperor Qianlong, visited the Old Summer Palace (now Yuanming Yuan in Beijing), she would reside at Empress Xiaoxian’s Changchun Palace, where Empress Xiaoxian set an example of filial piety, personally attending to and serving the empress dowager.

None of the etiquette mentioned above appeared in the imperial palaces depicted in Chinese television series. Instead, these stories portrayed the imperial palaces as places filled with hatred, where consorts and concubines schemed against each other to become an empress, all striving to become the ultimate winner.

In these television series, there were scenes of higher-ranking concubines executing low-ranking concubines. However, this portrayal is purely fictional, as only the emperor held the authority to punish concubines or even maids.

The Draft History of the Qing Dynasty recounts an incident involving Emperor Qianlong and his punishment of a concubine for killing a maid. In his 60s, he sired a daughter with a young concubine named Dun, whom he deeply adored. He bestowed upon his youngest daughter the title Princess Hexiao of the First Rank. Empowered by the emperor’s favor, Dun grew arrogant. One day, she beat a maid over a trivial matter, resulting in the maid’s death. Enraged by the news, the emperor wrote a long edict instructing the handling of the matter. He declared, “There has never been an incident in which a concubine beat and killed a maid. Dun’s case must involve severe punishment to be just—legally and emotionally.”

The emperor wrote that when maids or eunuchs angered him, he would order them to be struck 20 times with a cane, or at most 40 times in the most serious cases. The emperor considered Dun’s crime so severe that it warranted abolishing her title. However, he only lowered her rank because the princess was still young. He dismissed the eunuchs involved and fined them one to two years’ salary. He also compensated the maid’s family with 100 taels of silver. From this story, we learn that throughout the Qing Dynasty, up until Emperor Qianlong’s reign, no one in the imperial palace had killed a maid. Life was greatly valued.

The Legend of Zhen Huan features implausible plots about concubines having affairs with imperial doctors. In reality, there was no possibility this could have happened. During the Qing Dynasty, strict protocols were in place when an imperial doctor had to see a patient in the “Back Palace,” where empresses and concubines resided. An imperial doctor was always accompanied by at least two other imperial doctors and escorted by a eunuch from the imperial pharmacy, ensuring there were never any private moments. Furthermore, doctors were prohibited from physically touching the patients, even during a pulse diagnosis. There have been stories about imperial doctors taking a pulse by feeling the string that was tied around the patient’s wrist. Most of the time, an imperial doctor would put a handkerchief on the patient’s wrist before taking a pulse. The other two doctors would also take her pulse to avoid mistakes or misconduct.

Some viewers who had certain knowledge of traditional Chinese culture said after watching the TV drama, “These imperial dramas on television twisted the Chinese history so much that they twisted the audience’s brains and made them crazy.”

In official Chinese textbooks, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has replaced virtues such as “gentleness, kindness, respect, frugality, and modesty”—qualities traditionally valued in Chinese history— with negative traits such as “meanness, violence, arrogance, wastefulness, and fights.” As a result, many people raised in this environment came to believe that their ancestors embodied those characteristics. Furthermore, the textbooks rarely introduce ancient Chinese culture comprehensively and systemically. Instead, they promote the modern history of Marxism, Leninism, and modern culture. These shifting trends have distanced the Chinese people from their orthodox culture and moral traditions.

Throughout China’s 5,000 years of civilization, etiquette and music have been prioritized to cultivate the mind and virtue, enabling one to return to his or her true self and elevate to a higher realm. Don’t miss the opportunity when this beautiful tradition is once again taught in China.