Page 97 - A Re-examination of Late Qing Dynasty Porcelain, 1850-1920 THESIS

celebrations associated with the Empress Dowager Chongqing, cultivating another

connection to the past glory of the Qing dynasty.

th
During the planning of her 60 birthday, Cixi requested that gifts should be given
to her in multiples of nine. The term jiu meaning nine is a homonym for longevity

indicating a wish for Cixi to have a long life. The party was meant to generate rare gifts

and to be filled with symbols of auspiciousness. This effect required the building of

numerous structures including ceremonial gateways, devotional altars, and pavilions.

Just as Cixi had commissioned paintings earlier in her life to establish her claim to China,

she harnessed her birthday as a means to further emphasize her power and control. A

handscroll from the Palace Museum, Beijing, depicts the anticipated processional route

that showcases the decorations throughout city (Figure 25). 101 The street has several

identifiable structures including the Xihua Gate 西華門 (xihua men) and the Xizhi Gate

西直門 (xizhi men), both detailed by colorful banners flying in the wind. The road

passing through the gates to the palace was designed to hold destinations along the route,

including performers and devotional areas. The painting was completed in 1893 prior to

the actual celebration, but the documentary value of the imagery alludes to the immense

grandeur associated with Cixi.

The cost of the overall birthday celebration to China was approximately

2,190,000 taels of silver. 102 The sum was so large that Cixi had to appropriate the funds

for the birthday celebration from the Chinese navy, a decision that left China susceptible

101 Hong-qi, 104.
102 Hong-qi, 103.

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