In this short History of China documentary, I explain how the Qing dynasty's harem system was set up, functionned, and came to an end. Using historical examples, I expose the differents ranks of the imperial concubines.

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♫ MUSIC ♫
Joy and Peace (Guzheng)
Chinese Traditional Bamboo Flute Music
Civilization V Wu Zetian Peace Theme
The Han Palace under the Autumn Moon (Erhu)

VIDEO CREDITS
The Legend of Zhen Huan (2011)
Choosing a Chinese Emperor’s Bride Required Intense Scrutiny (Smithsonian Channel)
The Story of Yanxi Palace (2018)
The Burning of Imperial Palace (1983)
The Last Emperor (1987)

MAIN SOURCES
Empresses of China’s Forbidden City, 1644–1912, Daisy Yiyou Wang & Jan Stuart, (2018)
Life inside the Forbidden City: how women were selected for service, Marcelo Duhalde, (2018)

TAGS
qing dynasty concubines
qing dynasty harem
chinese imperial harem system
chinese harem system
china harem documentary
imperial concubines documentary

Introduction: (0:00)
History: (00:55)
Selection process: (02:07)
Ranks: (04:20)
Promotion: (09:35)
Daily life: (10:35)
Emperor's death: (11:28)
End of the system: (12:06)