Princess Changping
Encyclopedia
Princess Changping birth name Zhu Meicuo , was a princess of the Chinese
Ming Dynasty
.
and Consort Wang Shun. As Consort Wang died from illness not long after Changping's birth, the princess was raised by Empress Zhou. Changping had an older sister, Princess Kunyi (坤儀公主), and a younger sister, Princess Zhaoren (昭仁公主).
When Changping was 16, her father arranged for her marriage to Zhou Xian, a military commander. However, their wedding was suspended as the rebel army was approaching Beijing
. When the capital eventually fell to Li Zicheng's rebel force, Chongzhen became disillusioned and started killing members of the royal household, including Princess Zhaoren. He shouted at Changping, "Why must you be born in this family?", and slashed his sword at her, cutting off her left arm in the process. Changping fainted due to blood loss, but regained consciousness five days later and survived, while her father committed suicide by hanging himself on a tree.
In 1645, Changping asked the Shunzhi Emperor
of the Qing Dynasty
for permission to be a nun. Shunzhi refused and arranged for her to marry Zhou Xian. The couple treated each other with respect after their marriage. Changping died of illness a year later and was buried outside Guangning Gate.
One tale tells that Changping became a nun after the fall of the Ming Dynasty
. She practised martial arts and became a leader of the resistance movement against the Qing Dynasty
. She was nicknamed "One Armed Divine Nun" (獨臂神尼) for her formidable prowess in martial arts. One of her disciples was Lü Siniang (呂四娘), the heroine who assassinated the Yongzheng Emperor
in folklore.
Changping appears as a major character in Louis Cha's novel Sword Stained with Royal Blood
. She is called A'jiu in the novel and has a romantic relationship with the protagonist, Yuan Chengzhi. However at the end of the novel, after losing an arm, she decides to become a nun and changes her name to Jiunan. She has a minor role in The Deer and the Cauldron
, another of Louis Cha's novels that is regarded as an unofficial sequel to Sword Stained with Royal Blood. In The Deer and the Cauldron Jiunan becomes a martial arts teacher to the protagonist, Wei Xiaobao
.
The love story of Changping and Zhou Xian was adapted into a Cantonese opera
, titled Di Nü Hua (帝女花; literally: Emperor's Daughter Flower). The opera was later further adapted into film and television drama.
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
Ming Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
.
Biography
Changping was born to the Chongzhen EmperorChongzhen Emperor
The Chongzhen Emperor was the 16th and last emperor of the Ming Dynasty in China. He reigned from 1627 to 1644, under an era name that means "honorable and auspicious".- Early years :...
and Consort Wang Shun. As Consort Wang died from illness not long after Changping's birth, the princess was raised by Empress Zhou. Changping had an older sister, Princess Kunyi (坤儀公主), and a younger sister, Princess Zhaoren (昭仁公主).
When Changping was 16, her father arranged for her marriage to Zhou Xian, a military commander. However, their wedding was suspended as the rebel army was approaching Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
. When the capital eventually fell to Li Zicheng's rebel force, Chongzhen became disillusioned and started killing members of the royal household, including Princess Zhaoren. He shouted at Changping, "Why must you be born in this family?", and slashed his sword at her, cutting off her left arm in the process. Changping fainted due to blood loss, but regained consciousness five days later and survived, while her father committed suicide by hanging himself on a tree.
In 1645, Changping asked the Shunzhi Emperor
Shunzhi Emperor
The Shunzhi Emperor was the third emperor of the Manchu-led Qing dynasty, and the first Qing emperor to rule over China, which he did from 1644 to 1661. "Shunzhi" was the name of his reign period...
of the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
for permission to be a nun. Shunzhi refused and arranged for her to marry Zhou Xian. The couple treated each other with respect after their marriage. Changping died of illness a year later and was buried outside Guangning Gate.
In popular culture
Changping had a great impact on folklore and popular culture than history, with various stories revolving around the concept that she survived her early death.One tale tells that Changping became a nun after the fall of the Ming Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
. She practised martial arts and became a leader of the resistance movement against the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
. She was nicknamed "One Armed Divine Nun" (獨臂神尼) for her formidable prowess in martial arts. One of her disciples was Lü Siniang (呂四娘), the heroine who assassinated the Yongzheng Emperor
Yongzheng Emperor
The Yongzheng Emperor , born Yinzhen , was the fifth emperor of the Manchu Qing Dynasty and the third Qing emperor from 1722 to 1735. A hard-working ruler, Yongzheng's main goal was to create an effective government at minimal expense. Like his father, the Kangxi Emperor, Yongzheng used military...
in folklore.
Changping appears as a major character in Louis Cha's novel Sword Stained with Royal Blood
Sword Stained with Royal Blood
Sword Stained with Royal Blood is a wuxia novel by Jin Yong. It was first serialized in the Hong Kong Commercial Daily between January 1, 1956 and December 31, 1956...
. She is called A'jiu in the novel and has a romantic relationship with the protagonist, Yuan Chengzhi. However at the end of the novel, after losing an arm, she decides to become a nun and changes her name to Jiunan. She has a minor role in The Deer and the Cauldron
The Deer and the Cauldron
The Deer and the Cauldron, also known as The Duke of Mount Deer, is a novel by Jin Yong, and was the last of Jin Yong's works. The novel was initially published as a serial, and ran between October 24, 1969 to September 23, 1972 in Ming Pao.Although the book is often termed as a wuxia novel, it is...
, another of Louis Cha's novels that is regarded as an unofficial sequel to Sword Stained with Royal Blood. In The Deer and the Cauldron Jiunan becomes a martial arts teacher to the protagonist, Wei Xiaobao
Wei Xiaobao
Wei Xiaobao is the fictional protagonist of Jin Yong's wuxia novel The Deer and the Cauldron . He is a witty, sly and illiterate teenager, born to a prostitute from a brothel in Yangzhou during the Qing Dynasty. He bumbles his way into the Forbidden City and has a fateful encounter with the young...
.
The love story of Changping and Zhou Xian was adapted into a Cantonese opera
Cantonese opera
Cantonese opera is one of the major categories in Chinese opera, originating in southern China's Cantonese culture. It is popular in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore and Malaysia. Like all versions of Chinese opera, it is a traditional Chinese art form, involving music, singing,...
, titled Di Nü Hua (帝女花; literally: Emperor's Daughter Flower). The opera was later further adapted into film and television drama.