The story of a little boy who grew up as an emperor without an empire

On the 5th of November 1924 the last emperor of China, Puyi was ousted from his residence in the Imperial palace - the Forbidden City of Beijing.

General Feng Yuxiang sent in his soldiers to remove “Mr. Puyi” and in the general’s own words: “fulfil the revolution”. The young emperor had lived most of his life inside the palace, confined to an area smaller than 1 square kilometer.

Alongside the emperor, hundreds of palace servants were thrown out into the dusty streets of Beijing. Maidens, acrobats, eunuchs, guards and other palace personnel suddenly all had to make a living for themselves. Some were able to adapt while others ended their lives in misery.

Puyi’s departure marked the end of a strange 13 years when both Dynasty and Republic co-existed within the confines of the imperial compound.

The Republican government and the Imperial court had till then both wished to keep the emperor away from the public but for very different reasons. For the Republic, his very existence was a potential threat, whilst for the supporters of the Empire he was the last hope for the survival of the old dynasty and had to be protected.

The dismissal of the young bespectacled “boy” emperor in 1924 was an event of truly epic proportions: the most important institution of Imperial China had now been dissolved. Join us as we explore this remarkable event that took place at the heart of old Beijing and changed China forever.