Puyi 溥仪
Puyi was a child when he was first placed on the throne, and he was still living in the Forbidden City when the empire had already ceased to exist. Later he agreed to rule Manchukuo under Japanese control. He told the story of his life after imprisonment and pardon. His memoirs became the basis for Bernardo Bertolucci's film, and in a Chinese television series Puyi at different stages of his life was played by four actors.
Puyi (溥儀) was born in 1906. After the death of the Guangxu Emperor in 1908, he was placed on the Qing throne. He was too young to rule. In 1912, following the revolution, his abdication was announced in his name. Under the terms of the agreement, Puyi kept his title and remained in the inner quarters of the Forbidden City. Court customs were still observed there, even though a republic now existed beyond its walls. In 1924, Puyi was forced to leave the palace.
When Japan seized Manchuria, Puyi agreed to head the newly created state of Manchukuo, and in 1934 he received the title of emperor. The Japanese authorities retained control over the state. Puyi hoped that his return to the throne would help his dynasty regain its former standing, but Japan decided both what territory he would rule and what powers he would hold. After its defeat in 1945, Puyi fell into the hands of Soviet troops. In 1950 he was handed over to the PRC. In 1959 he was pardoned. He worked as a gardener and later at a historical commission. He died in Beijing in 1967.
His autobiography, From Emperor to Citizen, was published after the pardon. Puyi recounted his life in it with the help of editors, at a time when he was expected to pass judgment on his own past. The Last Emperor (1987) by Bernardo Bertolucci, in which the adult Puyi was played by John Lone, also drew on the autobiography. The film takes liberties with the details of its protagonist's private life. In the Chinese television series Mo Dai Huang Di (1988), Puyi at different ages is played by different actors. The young Puyi was played by Chen Dao-Ming, and the elderly Puyi by Zhu Xu.
