China’s Last Emperor Shares His Post—Liberation Life Story with Foreign Guests

In the early years after the founding of the People’s Republic of China， the Western world generally hostile to the socialist system， adopted a policy of economic blockade and military encirclement seeking to strangle New China. It also spread all kinds of rumors and slanders. Thus， how to tell the world the truth about New China was a historical mission of great urgency.

It was under the personal care and guidance of Chairman Mao Zedong， Premier Zhou Enlai and other leaders of the older generation that people-to-people diplomacy with Chinese characteristics emerged. The meetings China’s Last Emperor， Aisin Gioro Puyi （February 7， 1906 – October 17， 1967）， had with personages from other countries， and the sharing of his post-liberation life story with them， played an important role.

“Emperor Craze” Wins China

a Good Image

In October 1959 when the whole nation was celebrating the 10th anniversary of the People’s Republic， came a piece of breaking news that made big headlines. At the proposal of Chairman Mao Zedong， and with the approval of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress， the release of Puyi under a special amnesty was announced by President Liu Shaoqi. For a time， Puyi became the focus of people’s attention. Friendly personages of various countries who were concerned about New China and its development asked to meet him.

Politicians and media came especially to China for meetings and interviews with Puyi， resulting in much publicity. It might be said that there was a momentary “emperor craze”. During the period between 1960 and 1967， I acted as his interpreter in dozens of meetings with delegations from Europe and Latin America.

In July 1964， during a meeting with a delegation of Argentine Congressmen， one member hesitantly noted that， in many countries in the world， the day when the feudalist system was overthrown and history turned over a new leaf， the last monarch （king or emperor） was sent to the guillotine and ended up in the dustbin of history； then why， he asked Puyi， did the Chinese Government not execute you， but instead gave you a new life？

Puyi said that it was a good question. He told them that when he was jailed in Khabarovsk by the Soviet Red Army or later repatriated to the Fushun War Criminals Management Center in China’s northeast， his greatest fear was that he would sooner or later be executed for high treason. He said that， in August 1946 when testifying at the International Military Tribunal for the Far East， exposing the crimes of inhuman atrocities committed by Japanese militarists in China’s northeast， he didn’t want to consider his own guilt.

Later during rehabilitation， he came to recognize the crimes he had committed， so he would have to make thorough self-criticism so as to be able to embark on a new life. A leader in the Fushun War Criminals Management Center told him that， in transforming the world， the Communist Party， first of all， would remold people. At the Eighth National Congress of the CPC and other meetings， Chairman Mao said many times that the CPC should unite all the forces that could be united and turn negative factors into positive ones in jointly striving to build a prosperous strong socialist New China.

What Mao said made a great impression and warmed his heart， as he realized that he was not totally incorrigible， but he could even do his bit for the construction of the new society.

In his other meetings with foreign guests， Puyi talked about his personal experiences from being an emperor to becoming an ordinary citizen， the humiliation China had suffered in its modern history and the earthshaking changes in the country since the people became masters of the country after the founding of New China. His briefings not only eliminated， to a great extent， the influence exerted on those foreign friends by the Western media’s overwhelming distorted propaganda about China， but also helped them learn more about the Chinese Government’s policies and New China； even those who had been skeptics had to express admiration.

After returning home， some of them made reports to the parliaments and governments of their countries about what they had seen and heard in China， and some wrote articles in newspapers and magazines praising New China and advocating developing relations with it. In all those reports and articles， there was always a part about meetings with Puyi. I remember clearly that during that period I often received feedback from foreign friends from afar. A Chilean journalist sent his reports on his impressions of China， one with an eye-catching headline “The Last Emperor Helps Win More Friends for New China”.

From Repentance for Inhumanity

to Rebirth

In 1960， I accompanied a delegation of Bolivian Congressmen in its informal discussion with Puyi. A leftist congressman spoke first. He said straight forwardly， “In other countries people pass different judgments on you. We’d like to know how you have managed to come all the way to today and how you look at your whole life.” Puyi thought for a little while and then answered， he had gone through a process from “l(fā)oss of humanity” to “resurrection of human nature”.

In December 1908 when he was only two-and-a-half years old， he was enthroned， being carried by his father. He was so frightened that he cried without cease， which was regarded by the imperial court as a bad omen that his life would be full of ordeals. It was a superstitious conjecture， but the prophecy unexpectedly came true. Puyi remembered clearly that in his childhood when he began to learn to read， the first lesson was teachings of the sages in The Three-Character Classic， with the first sentence being “Men at their birth are naturally good” which talks innate human nature. However， it was only after he had painfully reproached and repented the grave sins he had committed to the country and nation and thoroughly cast off his old self and taken on a new self that he really understood the principles of how to “conduct oneself”.

In 1965， when Puyi met a delegation of the Peruvian-Chinese Cultural Institute （PCCI）， Antonio Fernandez Arce， a renown Peruvian journalist and leader of the PCCI， said， “To remold the last emperor into a citizen seems a fiction to us. But New China led by Chairman Mao has done it， which we admire greatly.” He hoped Puyi would write about his history so as to let the people around the world know how China’s last emperor “turned from a devil into a man” as the Chinese people often put it， thus enhancing understanding of New China.

At the meeting， Puyi reflected on himself by quoting an ancient Chinese maxim “cultivate oneself， put family in order， govern the State， and pacify the world”， saying only by cultivating his own moral character first could he then proceed to the other requirements to bring peace to the country and happiness to the people.

But what he， the last emperor， had done was just the opposite which had brought tremendous disasters and sufferings for the nation and his family. Puyi said he felt happy for the latter half of his life after rebirth， because first， he had become a citizen earning his own living， was no longer a social parasite， and had cast off the shadow of shameful life； secondly， he had become master of his own destiny and no longer a puppet manipulated by others， much less an initiator of evil bringing disasters to the Chinese people； thirdly， now he had a really warm and loving family of his own.

Loving Care From Chairman

Mao and Premier Zhou

At a meeting with a delegation of Peruvian journalists in September 1965， the head of the delegation asked Puyi “How is your relationship with Chinese leaders Chairman Mao Zedong and Premier Zhou Enlai？” Puyi said， Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou took meticulous care of him. Every meeting with them would enlighten him profoundly， which he would remember all his life.

The first experience he had of Chinese leaders’ care was in May 1956 when his uncle Zaitao and three sisters came to visit him in the Fushun War Criminals Management Center. It turned out that， when Zaitao， an elected deputy to the National People’s Congress （NPC）， attended the NPC meeting in 1954， Premier Zhou introduced him to Chairman Mao. The latter shook hands and said， “I have learnt that Puyi has been doing well and made good progress. Why don’t you visit him？ Now， the Chinese people have stood up and become the masters of the country， of whom the Manchu people as well as your Aisin Gioro family are also included.” Premier Zhou added “To stand up and be the master of the country means that the people of all ethnic groups should throw themselves into the cause of socialist construction of the country. As to Puyi， he should thoroughly remold himself， make a clean break with his past and become a useful member of the new society.”

What his uncle had said touched Puyi who said， it had never occurred to him that the two top Chinese leaders would show so much concern for an imprisoned criminal like him and encourage him to cast off his old self and turn over a new leaf. When thinking of himself spending days on scheming against others， he felt so ashamed that he wished he could sink through the ground. Ever since then， having lifted the heavy burden off his mind， to work hard to reform himself became the goal of his life.

Puyi then recalled the banquet permeated with warmth that Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou held for him in 1964. Chairman Mao asked him how he was going on with his life and how he felt about being an ordinary citizen. Puyi told the Chairman that he had started a new life. In March 1960， he began to work in the Beijing Botanical Garden of the Institute of Botany under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

In his work he learnt gardening — sowing， watering， applying fertilizer， and tending flowers. Under his care， the flowers and plants grew exuberantly. He was praised for his work and began to taste the happiness of serving the people and society. He took part in the parade in the Tiananmen Square， supporting the Japanese people in their opposition to the Japan-US Security Treaty. Marching amongst the massive parading contingents， he felt that he had finally joined the ranks of the people and was proud to fight for peace and justice.

In November 1960， he was very excited when he received the citizenship certificate enabling him to exercise his right to vote. He shared a pride of being the master of the country with 650 million of his fellows. In short， he realized the profound nature of Chairman Mao’s teaching — cast off his old self and make a fresh start in life.

Chairman Mao said humorously， you had been China’s emperor and now you began a new life， but many people didn’t believe it. They said that the Communist Party was simply a “great scourge” for it adopted the practice of sharing properties and wives. Puyi said， “Since the second half of 1956， many foreign friends and journalists have interviewed me. In recent years more and more personages in other countries want to meet me. So， I am preparing to write a book to let the world know the two entirely different experiences in my life and great changes in China.”

Premier Zhou voiced his approval and said that he should relate the transformation from an emperor to a citizen.

Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou showed great care for Puyi and also instructed to send doctors to treat his illness. During the turbulent years of the “cultural revolution”， Chairman Mao gave a special instruction to protect him， saying “We are all his subjects. He should live better than we.” This saved him from further attacks by the red guards.

The author once worked as a deputy director general of the Department of American and Oceanian Affairs of the CPAFFC， secretary general of the China-Latin America Friendship Association and was also Chinese ambassador to Bolivia and Uruguay.