Qing dynasty military delivered grit and fortune in times of need
Artefacts show the might of the Qing dynasty military
The Art of Armaments – Qing dynasty Military Collection
190 artefacts are included in The Hong Kong Palace Museum exhibition: The Art of Armaments – Qing Dynasty Military Collection from the Palace Museum.
The Ming dynasty spanned 276 years before falling to the Qing, which lasted 268 years. The rise and fall of these dynasties offer lessons about the governance of societies.
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Both dynasties’ emperors resided in the Forbidden City, which was repurposed as the Palace Museum in 1925. With 1.86 million artefacts collected over a half-millennium, the museum offers tangible objects to help understand and better appreciate Chinese history.
Nurhaci Khan of the Jin dynasty
The merit of this exhibition presents itself as you connect artefacts to history. The first item on display is a Qianlong-period replica of the helmet used by Nurhaci.
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Nurhaci (1559-1626) was the founder and first khan of the Later Jin dynasty, which his son, Hong Taiji (1592-1643), expanded and rebranded as the Qing dynasty in 1644.
1783 Iron, gold, silver, deer leather, satin, velvet, Qing Dynasty Military
He united the Jurchen tribes and challenged the rule of the corrupt and collapsing Ming dynasty by creating the Eight Banner system of military and social organisation.
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This system elevated the financial and social status of the professional army and provided an efficient system for the emperor to rally troops quickly and maintain discipline in battle.
Ming dynasty collapse
As a result, Ming generals and many troops defected to Nurhaci’s army, allowing him to effectively scale up.
On display are examples of the uniforms used under this system, including the Armour and helmet of the Plain Yellow Banner troop and the Armour and helmet of the Bordered Yellow Banner troop.
10 Qing dynasty military objects
The exhibit has artefacts representing most of the ten Qing emperors, but the most interesting were from the two longest-serving emperors, Kangxi (1654-1722, r.1662-1722) and Qianlong (1711-1799, r.1736-1795).
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Emperor Kangxi’s bow, case and quiver are part of the exhibition; the bow tension of the materials indicates he was an exceptionally strong archer.
Emperor Kangxi
He was also open to foreign influences and hosted Jesuit missionaries in the Forbidden City.
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Jesuit Ferdinand Verbiest (1623-1688) taught the emperor mathematics, assisted in the manufacture of cannons and likely taught gunners how to use an artillery quadrant commissioned from Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) in 1597.
Italian Giuseppe Castiglione (Lang Shining; 1688-1766) became China’s first European court painter.
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He played a significant role in designing the Western-style palaces and gardens within the Old Summer Palace. Castiglione lived in the Forbidden City from 1715 until the end of his life.
Qing Dynasty Military
The Qianlong Emperor is credited with growing the Chinese empire to unprecedented size, encompassing Tibet and parts of Central Asia.
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To celebrate his success, he commissioned Western court painters, including Giuseppe Castiglione, to create sixteen preliminary drawings.
Drafted by Joannes Damasceuns Salusri (d.1781), Qing Dynasty Military
They were sent to Paris, worked on by a team of French artisans, and engraved onto copper plates for printing as copperplate engravings. The result was the Great Victory at Qurman.
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Other relics of Emperor Qianlong’s rule include the helmet mentioned earlier and some of the thirty swords and thirty sabres he commissioned in 1748.
Their exquisite designs and intricate use of materials represent the pinnacle of premodern Chinese cold weapon artistry.
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The exhibit also includes swords and sabres gifted by foreign nations in tribute, including the Sabre-like knife from Isfahan gifted by Palden Yeshe (1738-1780), who was the Panchen Lama Erdeni [second highest ranking Buddhist from Tibet] when he visited Beijing in 1780.
Swords and sabres of the Qing dynasty military
The Daoguang Emperor (1782-1850, r.1821-1850) commissioned the Shenfeng zhisheng commemorative swords, which he presented to his fourth son, the future Xianfeng Emperor (1831-1861, r.1851–1861) and sixth son, Yixin.
He also commissioned The Battle at Yangi-arbat, depicting a 1927 battle with the Qing army advancing in three columns, supported by troops with jingal firearms (large calibre, mounted, muzzle-loading rifles).
The details were based on official military reports and meticulously rendered, the poem in the top right recounting the bravery and tactical prowess of the commanders.
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The Xianfeng Emperor (1831-1861, r.1851–1861) did not have an easy start because the Taiping Rebellion (1851-1864) started at the same time his father died.
Tongzhi period (1862-1874). Copper, gold.. Qing Dynasty Military
This massive civil war in southern China devastated the country.
The rebellion was fuelled by factors such as overpopulation, widespread poverty, famine, corruption within the Qing government, and increasing pressure from Western powers.
While this was going on, so too was the Second Opium War (1856–1860), which ended with the destruction of Yuanmingyuan (the Old Summer Palace) and the cession of the Kowloon Peninsula to Britain.
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Xianfeng died when his only son was five years old, leaving Dowager Empress Cixi (1835-1908) as regent.
Dowager Empress Cixi
My favourite exhibition section was Images of History, which includes paintings commissioned by Dowager Empress Cixi during the rule of the Guangxu Emperor (1871-1908, r.1875-1908).
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The Suppression of Rebels in Zhenxiong Prefecture in Yunnan consists of twelve battle paintings showing the suppression of rebels in Yunnan and Guizhou during the Xianfeng (1851-1861) and Tongzhi (1862-1874) periods.
It is this part of the exhibition that takes more time to take in. This painting and the others are large and have intricate details; understanding them requires watching the accompanying videos that identify the time, place, and characters of each painting.
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Studying history can be a challenge, but being near and seeing objects that were part of people’s lives encourages a relatability that brings history alive and makes it more memorable.
While the initial impression of some artefacts might be underwhelming in our technologically advanced age, the exhibition’s true power lies in connecting these objects to the pivotal figures and events that shaped China.
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From the personal effects of emperors like Hong Taiji and Kangxi to the swords commissioned by Qianlong and the poignant imagery documenting the tumultuous era of Xianfeng and Cixi, each artefact is a living link to the past.
By offering a glimpse into the lives and legacies of those who wielded power and navigated extraordinary challenges, the exhibition fosters a greater appreciation for Chinese history and the enduring impact of the Qing dynasty.
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It demonstrates that history can be memorable and relevant when brought to life through tangible objects and thoughtful curation.
Text Martin Wray / Photos Cammy Yiu
