In several birthday celebrations of Cixi's life, especially her 60th birthday celebration was the most grand. According to "The 60th Birthday of the Empress Dowager", Cixi celebrated her 60th birthday, and all kinds of expenses were quite amazing. So, how much gold and silver did Cixi spend to celebrate her birthday? Let's listen to the author's opinion:
1. In order to welcome Cixi's 60th birthday, the Celebration Department bought new clothes for Cixi, which were made by three famous textile houses in Suzhou, Hangzhou and Jiangnan at that time. They made hundreds of embroidered satin gowns with all kinds of high-grade silk, satin, leather, cotton-padded jacket and fabrics, which cost 23 1 1,000 taels of silver.
Secondly, in order to increase the festive atmosphere of Cixi's birthday, Cixi set up 60 scenic spots on both sides of the road from the Summer Palace in the suburbs of Beijing to the Forbidden City, at a total cost of 2.4 million taels of silver.
Thirdly, the sedan chair used by Cixi is Hsi Chin's sedan chair, which is autocratic on her 60th birthday and costs 769 13 silver. In addition, Cixi also has a variety of sedan chairs, which cost silver 12500 Liang. There are also various sedan chairs of Emperor Guangxu and his concubines, which are worth more than 15000 taels of silver. Another is the yellow paint car that Cixi rode, the red paint car that Emperor Guangxu rode, and the butter car that Empress Concubine rode, totaling 1 1. The maids of Cixi used to repair more than 90 old cars and 30 green cars, which cost more than 78,900 taels of silver, totaling183,000.
Fourthly, on the eve of Cixi's 60th birthday, the Forbidden City was decorated in advance, decorated with lanterns, decorated with pavilions and laid with furnishings, which cost a total of 8666 10/0, and the Summer Palace alone spent 460,878, a total of1327,488.
5. The renovation of hall of mental cultivation, Tai Chi Hall, Tiaohe Hall, East-West Six Palaces and Summer Palace cost about 414,000 taels of silver, and the project of Cining Palace alone cost about 352,000 taels of silver, totaling about 764,000 taels.
On the birthday celebration, Cixi will also wear the emblem of Empress Dowager Cixi. The jade and treasure books embroidered by Jiangsu Weaving Institute alone cost 1923 silver. The Ministry of Industry built 1 gold box, 1 gold printing pool, 1 money, and spent 243 taels of gold. Plus all kinds of jewelry and utensils, it cost 386,000 gold and silver.
Seven, Cixi's birthday celebration, the most grand is congratulations, banquets and performances, and the expenditure is quite amazing, with a total consumption of more than 62,973 taels of silver.
Eight, Cixi's greatest hobby in her life is watching the theatre. Whether in the Imperial Palace or the Summer Palace in the suburbs of Beijing, Cixi set up many stages, bought various costumes, props and other items, and hired famous dramatists to sing for herself at a high price, spending a total of 522,000 silver.
Nine, Cixi is very vain and loves to talk about ostentation and extravagance. In her birthday celebration, she burned incense and worshipped Buddha everywhere and held various banquet activities. Together with thousands of honor guards, she spent more than 28,390 taels of silver. There are more than 4,580 pieces of silver for instrument driving and riding, and two pieces of autocratic Wang Chaoyin 1 1800 worn by officials at temple fairs. Cixi's honor guard and other items cost a total of 65,438+050,000 taels of silver and 364 taels of gold.
10. During Cixi's birthday celebration, princes and officials, civil and military officials and others were also rewarded, totaling 100 handles, 500 porcelain vases, 840 hanging beads, 1000 bronze hand stoves, various python forging and 5,600 JUNG WOO. , a total consumption of silver more than two million eight hundred and ninety-seven thousand liang.
To sum up, Cixi spent no less than12 million on her 60th birthday. It can be seen how extravagant Cixi is. It is estimated that in the history of China, the extravagant way to celebrate her birthday is extremely rare.