Puyi's Past and Present Lives

《纵横》30年典藏编委会China Culture and History Press · ChinaDec 2023

3.5

Word count: 117K words
Chapters: 26

Summary

Since its launch in 1983, Zongheng has sought out the little-known stories behind well-known figures through first-hand experience, eyewitness accounts and personal testimony, surveying a century of historical change and the many facets of life and society from a broad, cross-temporal perspective. This book is a fragmented compilation of articles from Zongheng, gathering stories of events and people from the late Qing dynasty to around the founding of New China, and narrating history through their distinctive angles.

The world changes and the times transform. History loves to play tricks and make jokes at people's expense. Princes become commoners, and emperors become ordinary citizens. In the tide of the times, these former royals are like a leaf of a small boat, tossed about on the huge waves of the years, leaving one sighing, moved and lamenting.

Editor's review

This book is compiled from thirty years of articles in Zongheng. Through first-hand experience, eyewitness accounts and personal testimony, it gathers fragments of people and events from the late Qing dynasty to around the founding of New China, including the circumstances of Puyi and the imperial family amid the great changes of the times. Its value lies in historical side-narratives: rather than a complete general history, it lets readers feel the historical落差 of princes becoming commoners and emperors becoming ordinary citizens through specific recollections and stories. Its highlight is that most narrators are participants or close observers, with vivid details that give a sense of presence. It is suitable as supplementary reading for readers interested in the history of the late Qing, early Republic, Manchukuo and the reform period, and for readers who enjoy short historical reportage to dip into. Note that this book is an anthology of articles; each piece stands alone and the threads are not continuous, so it should be read as a collection of historical fragments rather than a systematic biography.

Who it's for

A good fit for

History readers interested in the late Qing, early Republic and Puyi's life
General readers who enjoy first-hand historical reportage in short pieces
Writers and teachers seeking detailed material on modern figures
Middle-aged readers who prefer fragmented reading they can pick up and put down

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking a complete, systematic biography of Puyi
Professional researchers needing rigorous academic verification and annotation
Readers who prefer coherent narrative and dislike anthologies

Reading tips

Browse the table of contents first and choose pieces by figure or event theme; no need to read in order.
When reading different pieces about the same period, use a timeline to map the connections yourself.
Read alongside a formal biography and use the details here to supplement the macro narrative.

About the publisher

China Culture and History Press China · Founded in 1980

China Culture and History Press has long devoted itself to modern and contemporary literature and culture-and-history reading matter, with publishing directions centered on classic works, social novels, prose and miscellaneous writings, and Eastern philosophy, alongside culture-and-history periodicals such as Zongheng. Among the more than 1,500 titles in the collection, representative books include Zhang Henshui's Ti Xiao Yin Yuan, Lu Xun's Complete Classic Works (10 volumes) and Wild Grass, and Lao She's Four Generations Under One Roof series and the boxed set of Lao She's Classic Works (10 volumes), while its author resources are concentrated on figures such as Zhang Henshui, Lu Xun, Lao She and Sima Qian. Its publishing character lies in solid editorial work on culture-and-history source texts and in issuing famous authors' works in sets, balancing the readability of individual texts with the systematic presentation of complete collections for focused reading and collecting. Beyond these directions, public information on the press's contemporary original publishing is limited, so it is not elaborated here.

版权信息
童年生活
溥仪的替僧
溥仪与溥杰的患难兄弟情（上）——青少年时期的“皇兄”与“御弟”
溥仪与溥杰的患难兄弟情（中）——难兄难弟纷纷落水
溥仪与溥杰的患难兄弟情（下）——亲兄亲弟的手足情深
张园里的溥仪与张挺
我伴溥仪20年（一）
我伴溥仪20年（二）
我伴溥仪20年（三）
溥仪的婚姻生活
我经手办理溥仪与文绣离婚案
我为末代皇帝做“大媒”
从皇帝到公民
最后几天的伪满皇帝
溥仪在苏联的收容生活琐记
溥仪在抚顺的改造生活
末代皇帝特赦之后——溥仪在政协文史专员室
毛泽东与溥仪（一）
毛泽东与溥仪（二）
毛泽东与溥仪（三）
毛泽东与溥仪（四）
在末代皇帝身边20年
迁移真相
溥仪骨灰迁葬始末
谭玉龄之死及与溥仪合葬始末

FAQ

Is this book a personal biography of Puyi?

No. It is an anthology of articles from Zongheng covering people and events from the late Qing to around the founding of New China; Puyi-related content is only part of it. Each piece stands alone with no unified biographical thread, so readers should not expect a complete biography.

Are the accounts in the book reliable?

The articles feature first-hand experience, eyewitness accounts and personal testimony. They are memoir-style historical sources with vivid details but personal perspectives. Read them as reference reportage; for key historical facts, cross-check with formal histories and do not treat a single recollection as the only conclusion.

Can I read it without a background in modern history?

Yes. Most articles are concrete stories of people, written plainly and short in length; no systematic modern history knowledge is required beforehand. If the late Qing and early Republic background is completely unfamiliar, however, reading a basic timeline first will make the reading smoother.

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About the author

《纵横》30年典藏编委会 Author

The Editorial Committee for the 30-Year Collected Edition of Zongheng is a collective authorship body responsible for the collected volumes associated with the magazine Zongheng. Its editing and publishing focus is on organizing, selecting, and presenting the magazine's content over the years in a collected, archival form. According to the works in the database, the committee compiled the year-by-year volumes of the "30-Year Collected Edition of Zongheng," including volumes for 1983 through 1987 and a 52-volume set, aimed at readers of historical works and centered on historical source materials. Public information is limited: the committee's specific composition, founding background, and mode of operation are unknown. It is clear, however, that its work is essentially documentary compilation and series editing, intended to preserve and disseminate the historical accounts accumulated by Zongheng over three decades. Based on the available information, the committee's output is notable for its systematic and continuous character, offering readers a relatively complete set of materials for consulting the relevant historical records.