Why You’d Never Want to Live in a Chinese Harem

Imagine, just for a second, that you're not you. You're a young girl living in ancient China thousands of years ago. And today, your family receives an order. You must be prepared and sent to be inspected for the Emperor's harem. If you think this means power, influence, and a privileged life, you're mistaken. Before that, you must endure a degrading selection, a harsh and unforgiving harem hierarchy, and a shocking ritual, a night with the Emperor. And even after all of this, survival is far from guaranteed. So today, we're talking about exactly why you'd never want to end up in a Chinese imperial harem. Welcome back to Female Tales. I'm Yulia, and together on this channel, we explore the stories of remarkable women from history. If history speaks to you, like the video, join our community, and let's head straight into the depths of the past. It's a clear spring morning. You are standing in line at the northern gates of Divine Might in Beijing, together with thousands of young beauties from all across China, all hoping to enter the Emperor's harem. Such a summons usually took place once every three years. And during different periods of Chinese history, both girls from noble families and ordinary commoners could be called. Sometimes, families dreamed of their daughters taking a place in the harem. And sometimes, they deliberately disfigured their girls, just to make sure they would never reach the Emperor. Because to be selected among thousands of candidates, you had to be virtually perfect. Even the smallest scar on your body could immediately cross you off the list. For centuries, the ideal of beauty in China was pale skin, thick long hair, small feet, and a slender figure. As a rule, girls were chosen for the harem at a very young age. They were examined thoroughly. Their arms and legs were measured, their posture was assessed, and gynecological examinations were also conducted. Because one of the most important expectations was childbirth. There was also a test of smell. Specially trained eunuchs would smell the girls in the most intimate places, because anyone with an unpleasant odour had absolutely no place in the palace. If you passed the first stage of selection, which focused exclusively on appearance, you were allowed to move on to the second stage. Self-presentation. You also had to possess refined manners, modesty, the ability to hold a conversation, to dance, and to honour traditions. And if you proved to be perfect in every way, you would find yourself in the most dangerous and brutal place in all of China. The harem of the son of heaven, where you would have to compete for his attention with 20,000 other women. Here, I want to pause for a moment and say this. Chinese history is incredibly ancient, and it includes many different dynasties. Traditions changed from dynasty to dynasty. But despite this, there were recurring patterns. And those are exactly the patterns I am describing. So, you've crossed the threshold of the palace. But don't celebrate just yet. You begin at the very bottom of the harem ladder. Essentially as a palace servant, with no real power or privileges. The class system at court was extremely rigid. Again, it differed from dynasty to dynasty. But one thing remained unchanged. At the very top stood the empress, the emperor's only principal wife. She was the one who ruled the entire harem. This is interesting because, for example, in the Ottoman Empire, the harem was ruled by the sultan's mother. While here, that role belonged to the wife. Below the empress were four imperial consorts, each with a very poetic title. Noble consort, pure consort, virtuous consort, and worthy consort. Next came the concubines, many of whom were also granted special titles such as Lady of Bright Deportment, Lady of Bright Countenance, or Lady of Bright Beauty. If you ended up in the harem, what title would you want? Personally, I think I'd be Lady of Endless Scrolling on Instagram. Or Lady of Infinite Shopping. Further down the hierarchy were the court ladies. These were usually women who had once caught the emperor's attention. And only after them came the ordinary servants. This hierarchical system determined absolutely everything in a woman's life. From where she lived in the palace, to how much meat she was allowed to receive for meals, how large her monthly allowance was, whether she was entitled to servants, and even what colours she was permitted to wear. For example, bright yellow was closely associated with the emperor and the empress, especially on ceremonial occasions. High-ranking consorts wore golden yellow robes, while the rest of the harem was dressed in different colours, making rank easier to distinguish. So now that you have at least some understanding of how the harem worked, and that you currently stand at the very bottom of it, it's time to move on to training. Because before a girl was ever allowed into the emperor's bedroom, she underwent long and intensive education. And this is another interesting parallel with the Ottoman harem. Notice that nowhere and never was everything based solely on female beauty. Yes, they weren't taught physics or mathematics, but even thousands of years ago in China, people understood that a pretty face alone meant nothing. All the women who managed to build some kind of career within the harem and whose names have survived in history were, above all, women of sharp intellect. So, what exactly would you be taught in a Chinese imperial harem? And what would a typical day look like? You would wake up with the first rays of the sun and live according to a strict schedule. Every morning began with hygiene rituals. After all, you remember how important it was that you smelled pleasant. Then came lessons in the four arts, painting, calligraphy, traditional music and dance. You would be taught how to bow correctly, how to pour tea without spilling a drop, how to speak only in a polite tone and how to use a fan modestly, all under the watchful eyes of the empress's strict instructors and eunuchs. Every single movement was analysed. The tilt of your head, the way you held your chopsticks, even your sleep was monitored. In some cases, the final tests for candidates included spending the night near the emperor's mother. So, if you snored or talked in your sleep, you could forget about ever reaching the top of the hierarchy. After all this preparation, the decisive moment arrived. One evening, you might notice eunuchs turning over name tablets on a board inside the emperor's private chambers. It was a kind of ancient Chinese tinder, where the emperor chose a woman for the night by drawing a clay tablet with her name. If you were selected, the first thing awaiting you was a meeting with the emperor's physicians and a preliminary examination. Not exactly a romantic beginning. Then, after ritual bathing, you would be wrapped in a blanket and carried to the bedroom. This was done for reasons of security, to ensure that a woman could not bring poison or weapons into the ruler's private quarters. And if you've ever watched Chinese historical dramas, your imagination is probably painting a romantic scene right now. But in reality, there was not a single trace of romance in this rendezvous. It was nothing more than duty. Legend has it that some concubines later joked that in the darkness, the emperor could barely make out their faces. Then, with a casual gesture of his hand, he would remove the blankets. If he was gentle, you were lucky. If not, prepare yourself for awkwardness and cold indifference. There were no fireworks on a love night. Sometimes other servants or eunuchs could be present in the room. And sometimes even the emperor's mother, who might offer advice on conception. Afterward, eunuchs would usually immediately ask the emperor how it went and whether he liked you. In short, you were being rated from one to five stars. Of course, if you were somehow special and managed to truly catch his attention, you might be granted another meeting. But the fate of most women was very similar. They received some kind of gift. And if they did not become pregnant after that single encounter, they remained within the walls of the harem forever, forgotten. Yes, we know the names of the women who changed history from within the harem. But just think for a moment about how many thousands of women were simply forgotten. Aging, fading, and dying behind palace walls. And if you happened to outlive the emperor, all that awaited you was confinement in the Qingning Palace. Literally, the palace of widows. Your head would be shaved, and you would spend the rest of your life living like a nun. Agree, it is a deeply tragic fate. To enter the harem as a young girl, never be given a real chance, and die in isolation. But even with such a fate, there could still be small joys and simple pleasures. So what entertained these women thousands of years ago? For example, you could spend long hours walking through beautiful gardens. Women could fish in palace ponds or play snowballs during the winter months. Intellectual games were also popular. Shang-Chi, Chinese chess, or the game of Go. And of course, the timeless traditions of painting and embroidery. You could also keep pets. At one point, more than 100 cats and dogs were kept inside the imperial palace. Each animal had assigned caretakers responsible for its diet and health. No one was left unattended. But among all the women who ever lived in the harem, there were those who managed not only to win the emperor's heart, and find a path to his bedroom, but to truly change the course of imperial history. Sometimes for the better, and sometimes leading an entire dynasty to its end. It is no secret that when an emperor fell in love with a woman, she gained special influence. And that made the court a place of extremely dangerous intrigue. This is why, at times, real spies were sent into the palace. One such woman was Xi Shi, one of the four great beauties of Chinese history. Her story took place at a time when China was not yet a unified state, but was divided between the rival kingdoms of Yue and Wu. Xi Shi was deliberately trained in the state of Yue, and then sent to the ruler of the state of Wu. Her task was simple, to occupy his mind so completely that he would no longer be able to govern. For ten years, she wove intrigues at court, gradually removing everyone close to him, and weakening his power. And when the state of Yue finally attacked, the ruler of Wu was defeated and forced to take his own life. According to legend, Xi Shi then left the palace together with her former lover, the very man who had devised this plan in the first place. Thus, the story of a single love affair led to the collapse of an entire dynasty. Among all the women who managed to rise to the very top within the harem, one story stands apart. The story of Wu Zetian. She did not simply become a favourite. She became the first and the only woman in Chinese history to officially take the title of emperor and rule China alone for 40 years. And paradoxically, she was the beloved of not one, but two Chinese emperors. Intriguing, isn't it? Wu Zetian entered the harem of Emperor Taizong when she was only 13 years old. She quickly gained the status of a talented concubine and became known for her devotion to education. In practice, she even performed secretarial duties for the emperor. But soon, Taizong died and Wu Zetian, along with his wives and concubines, was sent to a monastery where she was expected to spend the rest of her life. However, the young woman caught the eye of his son, the new Emperor Gaozong. He took her out of the monastery and made her his concubine. This caused a massive scandal because the same woman was not allowed to be the beloved of both father and son. Even today, in our modern society, this would seem deeply unsettling. But the young emperor was so infatuated that he was willing to ignore centuries-old traditions. Wu Zetian was extremely intelligent and cunning. She quickly pushed all other women in the harem away from the emperor. When her newborn daughter died, she accused the empress of murdering the child and took her place. Some historians have suggested that Wu Zetian may have killed the baby herself to eliminate her rival. However, modern historians believe the child most likely suffocated in a poorly ventilated room. The later part of her life strongly reminds me of the story of the Ottoman Sultana Kosem, when a mother driven by power was willing to sacrifice her own children. Her sons ruled only as long as they obeyed her and remained convenient. If one disappointed her, another son would simply take his place. Eventually, Wu Zetian overthrew her second son altogether and declared herself Emperor of China. And despite being heavily demonized in later historical accounts, her reign was actually a golden age for China. She carried out numerous reforms, expanded territory into Korea, strengthened culture and actively promoted Buddhism. Like Kosem, her rule eventually ended with her overthrow, but she managed to keep her life and died with the title of Empress Dowager after 40 years of political dominance. So yes, if you were intelligent and ambitious enough, you really could have had a chance. The imperial harem existed for more than 2,000 years from the Qin Dynasty in 221 BCE to the Manchu Qing Dynasty, which ended in 1912. But the harem finally collapsed with the fall of the monarchy. The last emperor, Puyi, officially abdicated the throne in 1912 and the harem of the Forbidden City ceased to function. The last women of the harem were granted pensions and released into freedom. Thus ended a tradition that may be romanticized in films. But in reality was deeply cruel. A system that ground tens of thousands of women's lives through its relentless machinery. So tell me, would you want to spend even a single day in the harem of the Dragon Emperor? Would you be able to survive among constant intrigue? As for me, I still prefer our present time. When each of us is free to live her life as she chooses and with the person her heart chooses. Share your thoughts on Chinese harems in the comments and come up with the title you'd want for yourself. Maybe Lady of TikTok Obsession or Lady Queen of Shopping. See you in the next video.