BOY EMPEROR OF CHINA

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 97, 14 October 1911, Page 11

BOY EMPEROR OF CHINA

HIS DAILY LIFE IN THE FORBIDDEN CITY. . Interesting'details have just been made public of the daily life of the baby Emperor of China, who is nearly six years of age, and who lives secluded from the world, even his mother only being allowed to pay him occasional privato visits.

As soon as the Emperor Kuang-Hsu died the baby Pu-Yi was taken from his mother and placed in the Forbidden City in the hands of the Empress Dowager, who was henceforth regarded as the baby Emperor's mother. Even the hide-bound etiquette of the Chinese Court had to give way. however, to the Imperial baby's grief at being separated from his mother, and arrangements had to be made for occasional visits.

The baby Emperor is addressed in the palace as Wan-Sui-Yeh (Lord of Ten Thousand Years). Every morning he is awakened at six o'clock" by the singin" of eight eunuchs, and he has three meal» a day, at 8 a.m., noon, and 6 p.m., retiring to rest at 8 p.m. The baby Emperor's diet is a simple .ine, the only rule observed being never to put any article of food on his table which cannot be procured immediately at any time of the year. The reason is that 'the Emperor is supposed to be given anything he asks for. and if this is impossible the unfortunate official responsible is liable to severe punjshment. Among other things the Emperor has never tasted fish. The Emperor is said to be wilful by nature and to revel in mischief, especially when he can induce his attendants to follow him into a flooded courtyard after a heavy shower of rain. By a decree issued recently Lu-Jan-llsiang' and Chen-Pao-Ch'en were appointed Imperial tutors, and it was directed that they should lake up their duties upon an auspicious date to be determined by the Board of Astronomy. The latter selected the eighteenth day of the seventh moon (September 10). Both these tutors are Chinese scholars of the old-fashioned type, but it is believed that a foreiga tongue, probably English, will form part of the Imperial curriculum at a latet date.