Eunuch
Tian Yi, Servant of Emperors
A marble sculpture of a warrior.
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Throughout the ancient world, eunuchs were
a small stratum of society, most notably in China, Rome, Egypt,
Greece, and Persia. Castration was a requirement of men seeking
to work as imperial aides or entertainers. In most of these
places, the practice diminished as the slave society declined.
But in China, it lasted from the Xia Dynasty beginning in
the 21st century B.C. through to the Qing Dynasty in the early
20th century. During this time, a eunuch culture emerged,
and in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), a bureaucratic system
consisting of 12 directorates, four offices and eight bureaus
was established. A eunuch named Tian Yi (1534-1605) oversaw
the Directorate of Ceremonies, the highest office within the
administration. His legacy is perhaps the most celebrated
of all Chinese eunuchs.
Eunuchs of the Qing Dynasty. |
In line with the practice of the time, Tian
Yi was castrated at the age of nine and went to the imperial
court to wait on the emperor and his entourage. He served
three emperors -- Jiajing, who reigned from 1521 to 1566,
Longqing, who reigned from 1566 to 1572, and Wanli, who reigned
from 1572 to 1620. He was favored and promoted to the fourth
rank because of his considerateness, cautiousness, experience
and prudence. He died at the age of 72, having worked in the
imperial court for 63 years. On Tian Yi's death, Emperor Wanli
was so bereft that he suspended court meetings for three days
and later erected a memorial hall and tablet pavilions to
commemorate his good and faithful servant. In order to pay
tribute to him, eunuchs of later generations had their tombs
near his, forming the group that now constitutes the Beijing
Eunuch Culture Exhibition Hall in Shijingshan District of
Beijing. This is China's first museum to focus on the eunuch
phenomenon. Its halls have exhibits that give insight into
the history of the eunuch system, their duties, and their
marital and family lives.
The tomb of Tian Yi, a eunuch and
celebrated royal servant. |
Tian Yi's mausoleum is the main body of
the exhibition. As a favorite eunuch of the Ming emperors,
it has all the features of an imperial mausoleum, although
on a smaller scale. Behind the Divine Path Gate is a path
leading to Tian Yi's tomb. The ornamental stone columns on
both sides of the Divine Path are tall and exquisitely carved,
and the stone warriors guarding his tomb are generals. The
second entrance is Lingxing Gate, beyond which are three pavilions,
each housing a stone tablet, recording Tian Yi's merits and
achievements, and the imperial edict. Next is Shouyu Gate,
regarded as a dividing line between the temporal and the netherworld.
In ancient times this gate never opened, and sacrificial rituals
were conducted in the memorial hall outside it. The tombs
of Tian Yi and four other eunuchs are within Shouyu or the
"netherworld." The tomb mounds and most of the sacrificial
altars are carved from marble, because ancients regarded stone
as lifeless, and wood as having life. Most tomb structures
were therefore made of stone, while residences were wooden
structures.
The Beijing Eunuch Culture Exhibition
Hall pavilions, which house stone tablets. |
The most eye-catching feature of Tian Yi's
mausoleum is its stone carvings. They vividly portray auspicious
motifs, like dragons, lions and deer, and also plants like
the Asiatic plantain and Ganoderma mushroom. Marble relief
sculptures around the tombs depict ancient anecdotes, such
as Sun Kang studying by the light of snow, Su Wu tending sheep,
and Yang Xu hanging fish.
Address: 80 Moshikou Street, Shijingshan
District, Beijing
Postcode: 100041
Telephone: (86-10) 88724148, 88722585
Open time: 9:00 am - 4:30 pm daily
Admission fee: 8 yuan RMB
