Coronation of Yuan Shikai
Tuesday, 14 July 2009
Yuan Shikai (September 16, 1859 – June 6, 1916) was an important Chinese general and politician famous for his influence during the late Qing Dynasty, his role in the events leading up to the abdication of the last Qing Emperor of China, his autocratic rule as the second President of the Republic of China, and his short-lived attempt to revive the Chinese monarchy, with himself as the “Great Emperor of China”.
… Yuan gradually took over the government, building from the support base of his military power. He dissolved the national and provincial assemblies. The House of Representatives and Senate were replaced by the newly formed “Council of State”, with Duan Qirui, his trusted Beiyang lieutenant, as Prime Minister. Yuan quickly reorganized the provincial governments and laid down the foundations for the warlordism that would cripple China over the next two decades.
With his power secure, many of Yuan’s supporters, notably monarchist Yang Du, advocated for a revival of the monarchy, asking Yuan to take on the title of Emperor. Yang reasoned that the Chinese masses had long been used to autocratic rule, and that China’s situation longed for stability that only a monarchy would ensure. Yuan held a carefully selected political convention which unanimously endorsed monarchy on November 20, 1915. By December 12, he proclaimed his reign as Emperor of the Chinese Empire under the era name of Hongxian to begin on January 1, 1916.
These photographs of Yuan Shikai’s coronation as “Great Emperor of China” are taken by John Zumbrum:
No. 1 — September 22nd, 2009 at 1:12 pm
Tell me more about John Zumbrun, photographer to the emperor and the president!
No. 2 — July 14th, 2010 at 3:48 am
John D. Zumbrun(1875-1941) b.Hanover, PA, was the managing director of the Camera Craft Company in Peiking, China.
John served in the Spanish American War, was stationed in Manilla and from there relocated to China. He eventually bought Camera Craft.
He and his wife Louise Hoelderlin, a Red Cross nurse who he met while on the Great Wall, were married in 1917. They lived in China and raised two daughters. Later they returned to the US and lived in Oakland, CA. In June 1948, they were involved in a tragic accident when tractor trailer rammed their car killing Louise and badly injured J. D.
John David Zumbrun is my Mother’s cousin.