Pu Yunyu -The Qing Dynasty Princess who became a famous painter

Princess Yunyu was the sixth sister of Puyi, the Last Emperor of China. Out of all of Emperor Puyi’s seven sisters, Princess Yunyu’s life was the happiest. After the fall of Manchukuo in 1945, Princess Yunyu did not suffer as much as her other sisters did. Instead, she is considered to be the happiest of Emperor Puyi’s sisters.^[1] Princess Yunyu married a famous painter and became a highly successful artist. Her artwork has been praised for her unique and elegant style.^[2] For almost seventy years, many people around the world still continue to admire Princess Yunyu’s paintings.

In 1919, Princess Yunyu was born in Beijing. She was the sixth daughter of Zaifeng, the Prince of Chun. Her mother was Lady Denggiya, who was Prince Zaifeng’s concubine. She had four older brothers, five older sisters, and one younger sister. Her eldest brother, Puyi, was the deposed Emperor of China. At an early age, Princess Yunyu developed an interest in paintings.^[3] Because she was a Princess of the Qing Dynasty, Yunyu had access to paintings from the Song and Yuan dynasties.^[4]

In 1943, Emperor Puyi arranged for Princes Yunyu to marry Wang Ailan (the twenty-seventh descendant of Emperor Shizong of the Jin Dynasty and a descendant of King Sejong of Joseon Dynasty).^[5] Emperor Puyi chose him because of his royal heritage from both China and Korea.^[6] Even though the marriage was arranged, they were very compatible with each other.^[7] Their marriage was affectionate and blissful. Wang Ailan was also a painter. Both Princess Yunyu and Wang Ailan pursued their passions for painting and often competed against each other.^[8] In 1947, Princess Yunyu and Wang Ailan held an art exhibition in Beihai Park in Beijing. This established the couple as renowned painters.^[9] The couple also had one son and four daughters.

After the founding of New China, Princess Yunyu and Wang Ailan did not have any struggles. They continued to pursue their love of painting.^[10] Wang Ailan was hired as an instructor at the Beijing Academy of Fine Arts.^[11] Princess Yunyu became a member of the China Artists Association.^[12] She was also an art teacher at a middle school.^[13] Princess Yunyu participated in national art exhibitions.^[14] Princess Yunyu and Wang Ailan became very famous and successful. Her style was said to be “unique, light and elegant, and rich in business”^[15]. Princess Yunyu once said that even though she did not get to enjoy the wealth of the royal family, she was still the happiest.^[16] Princess Yunyu was the second shortest living princess among all of Emperor Puyi’s sisters.^[17] In 1982, she died of illness at the age of sixty-three.

Princess Yunyu briefly enjoyed the life of an imperial Princess of the Qing Dynasty. However, she was happy to be an ordinary citizen because it allowed her to pursue her passion for painting. Under the new government, Princess Yunyu was able to become a successful and famous artist in her own right. It is no wonder she is considered to be the happiest among all of Emperor Puyi’s seven sisters.^[18] Due to her stunning artwork, Princess Yunyu’s story will never be forgotten.

Sources:

DayDayNews. (October 16, 2020). “What is the final outcome of Pu Yi’s seven sisters? Three people live to the 21st century”. Retrieved on 17 November 2022 from https://daydaynews.cc/en/history/amp/856197.html.

iNews. (n.d.). “The seven sisters of the last emperor Puyi are all superb, but the ending is different.”. Retrieved on 17 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 17 November 2022 from https://inf.news/ne/history/6ba8b7d02467d0430951d4307a8d09ac.html.

Laitimes. (December 17, 2021). “The last emperor Puyi had seven younger sisters, and what was the final fate of these sisters?”. Retrieved on 17 November 2022 from https://www.laitimes.com/en/article/1a79d_1bjoj.html.

Laitimes. (December 20, 2021.). “The last emperor Puyi had seven younger sisters, and what was the final fate of these sisters?”. Retrieved on 17 November 2022 from https://www.laitimes.com/en/article/1b6sa_1ckqe.html.

Laitimes. (December 20, 2021). “Who are the seven sisters of the last emperor Puyi? What kind of ending do they all have in the end?”. Retrieved on 17 November 2022 from https://www.laitimes.com/en/article/1ajym_1bx3j.html.