Jin Xinru – The wandering Princess

Princess Yunhe (also known as Jin Xinru) was the second younger sister of Puyi, the Last Emperor of China. However, her life was very turbulent. She was forced to flee the Forbidden City. She also witnessed her brother become the puppet Emperor of Manchukuo. After the fall of Manchukuo, Princess Yunhe was forced to wander and often begged for food. She was finally allowed to return to Beijing, where she lived the rest of her life as an ordinary citizen. Princess Yunhe’s story chronicled the rise and fall of the imperial family as they tried to adjust to a new China.

In 1911, Princess Yunhe was born in Beijing. She was the second daughter of Zaifeng, the Prince of Chun and the half-brother of Emperor Guangxu. Her mother was Gūwalgiya Youlan. She had two older brothers, one older sister, two younger brothers, and five younger sisters. Her eldest brother, Puyi, was the Emperor of China.

In 1912, the Qing Dynasty had fallen, but the imperial family was allowed to keep their titles. Emperor Puyi still lived in the Forbidden City. When Princess Yunhe was a young child, she went to the Forbidden City to live with Emperor Puyi.^[1] Emperor Puyi and Princess Yunhe had a close relationship.^[2] Princess Yunhe continued to live in the Forbidden City after Emperor Puyi married both Empress Wanrong and Imperial Consort Erdet Wenxiu.^[3] When the Emperor was forced to leave the Forbidden City on 5 November 1924, Princess Yunhe followed him.^[4] She lived with Emperor Puyi in Tianjin. In 1932, Emperor Puyi moved to Changchun to become head of the Japanese state of Manchukuo, and Princess Yunhe followed him.^[5] He would later become the puppet Emperor of Manchukuo in 1934.

Shortly after Princess Yunhe’s arrival in Changchun, Emperor Puyi arranged her marriage to Zheng Guangyuan, the grandson of Zheng Xiaoxu (the former governor of Hunan and the Prime Minister of Manchukuo).^[6] The wedding was a grand affair and made news headlines in China.^[7] Emperor Puyi even presided over the wedding.^[8] Over the next ten years, the couple split their time between Changchun and England, where her husband studied abroad.^[9] Princess Yunhe first arrived in London in 1933.^[10] Their marriage was very happy.^[11] Princess Yunhe gave birth to one son and three daughters.

On 18 August 1945, the state of Manchukuo collapsed. Princess Yunhe no longer lived a life of luxury. Instead, Princess Yunhe, Zheng Guangyuan, and her children wandered throughout northeastern China.^[12] They often starved and begged on the streets.^[13] This earned her the nickname of the “Wandering Princess.”^[14] It was not until the founding of New China in 1949 that they were finally allowed to return to Beijing.^[15]

Upon her arrival in Beijing, Princess Yunhe changed her name to Jin Xinru.^[16] Zheng Guangyuan became a member of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.^[17] He also worked as an engineer at a post office.^[18] Princess Yunhe became a kindergarten teacher.^[19] Years later, she worked briefly at a factory that made mosquito nets.^[20] During her last years, she lived on a small pension that was given to her by her daughter.^[21] In 2000, she wrote the preface to the bestselling biography on her by Jia Yinghua called The Last Emperor’s Sister: The Life of Yunhe.^[22] In 2001, Princess Yunhe died of illness at the age of ninety.

As the sister of Emperor Puyi, Princess Yunhe enjoyed many privileges and luxuries. After the fall of Manchukuo, Princess Yunhe was never able to enjoy her luxurious life again. Instead, she experienced many hardships and quietly lived the rest of her life as an ordinary citizen. Princess Yunhe’s greatest claim to fame was that she was the subject of a popular biography. The Last Emperor’s Sister will ensure that Princess Yunhe’s story will never be forgotten.

Sources:

iMedia. (n.d.). “After the fall of the Qing Dynasty, who did the Grids marry?”. Retrieved on 13 November 2022 from https://min.news/en/history/eac5239ca183e9f1f4d82dc168e8706e.html.

iNews. (n.d.). “The seven sisters of the last Emperor Puyi are all superb, but the ending is different.”. Retrieved on 13 November 2022 from https://inf.news/en/history/a63acf578e7646fa47708dcf6f6e263b.html.

iNews. (n.d.). “What happened to the seven sisters of the last Emperor Puyi?” Retrieved on 13 November 2022 from https://inf.news/ne/history/6ba8b7d02467d0430951d4307a8d09ac.html.

Zingge, E. (June 16, 2000).“Onetime Princess recalls imperial past”. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved on 13 November 2022 from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/amp/news/world/onetime-princess-recalls-imperial-past/article1040690/.