Traditional Culture Encyclopedia - Photography and portraiture - 10 The old photos of the late Qing Dynasty recorded the customs of old Beijing. Are retired eunuchs hiding in temples?

10 The old photos of the late Qing Dynasty recorded the customs of old Beijing. Are retired eunuchs hiding in temples?

A commercial street in Beijing. This group of old photos was taken around 1879, which recorded the local customs and urban landscape of Beijing, and was the work of China photographer Li Fang. In the late Qing Dynasty, the skills of China photographers were generally low, and Li Fang was one of the rare excellent photographers, comparable to western photographers. British photographer John? Thomson praised Li Fang for his excellent artistic accomplishment and superb artistic appreciation. ?

Commercial streets in Beijing. As the city of the Emperor, Beijing has its exquisite and gorgeous side, such as the beautiful royal garden and the elegant facade facing the street, which shows its uniqueness everywhere. At the same time, there is also a backward and depressing atmosphere, such as bumpy dirt roads and people's clothes that have not changed for hundreds of years.

A commercial street in Beijing. The street is very narrow, very deserted and looks very depressed. Let me add here. In the late Qing Dynasty, Beijing was already a metropolis with a population of one million.

Street view around Beihai. People gathered on both sides of the camera and watched curiously. Photography activities were really rare in that year.

Jin Ao archway in Xiyuan. Go across the Jin Ao archway to the bridge. Zhonghai looks left and Beihai looks right. In the corner of this royal garden, we saw a dilapidated scene. The road surface is still a dirt road, and the walls fall off in large pieces, which is detrimental to the dignity of the royal family. Perhaps Empress Dowager Cixi and the Emperor will not visit here.

A scene of Dongjiaomin Lane. Do you know what this small ditch in front of us is? This is the famous royal river, which flows through the imperial city.

Jinshan Bo Zuo Ji retired eunuch residence. Many court eunuchs in the Qing Dynasty went to temples to provide for the elderly after retirement. Bosoji is a place to go. They often contribute incense money to temples, which qualifies them to retire here. Many eunuchs, such as Liu and Cui Yugui, are buried in Bozuoji's cemetery.

Tongzhou, the northernmost pier of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. Tongzhou is a historic town bred by the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, and it is also an important place for transportation and water transportation storage. There are more paddles than fish in the waves in the east; Chifeng, Nanshan bamboo shoots are numerous? . The burning lighthouse is faintly visible in the distance of the lens. Ships going north along the Grand Canal will know that they have reached the boundary of Beijing as long as they see this tower.