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Puyi (Xuantong Emperor)
Beijing, China
Archival Overview
Twelfth and final monarch of the Qing dynasty and the last emperor of China, whose abdication marked the end of over two millennia of imperial dynastic rule.
Biographical Record
Puyi (1906–1967), courtesy name Yaozhi, was enthroned as the Xuantong Emperor at age two in 1908 and became the final reigning emperor of China. His formal abdication in February 1912 following the Xinhai Revolution ended the Qing dynasty and dissolved the Chinese imperial system established by Qin Shi Huang in 221 BC.
Allowed initially to reside in the Forbidden City, Puyi was expelled in 1924 and fled to Tianjin under Japanese protection. In 1934, he was installed by the Imperial Japanese Army as Emperor of the puppet state of Manchukuo in northeast China. Captured by the Soviet Red Army in 1945, he was repatriated to the People's Republic of China in 1950, underwent ideological reform at Fushun War Criminals Prison, and spent his final years living as a private citizen and botanical gardener in Beijing.
Key Life Milestones
End of Imperial China
Issued the historic imperial abdication edict drafted by Yuan Shikai, peacefully terminating over two millennia of imperial monarchy in China.
From Sovereign to Citizen
Granted a special presidential amnesty by Chairman Mao Zedong after a decade of re-education, beginning life as a common citizen and archival researcher.
Memorial Guestbook & Tributes
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Final Resting Place
Perpetual MemorialYixian, China