The Last Eunuch of China: The Life of Sun Yaoting (simplified Chinese: 末代太监孙耀庭传; traditional Chinese: 末代太監孫耀庭傳) is a 1992 biography by Chinese writer Jia Yinghua. This book depicts the entire real life of Sun Yaoting, the last imperial eunuch of China, from his entry into the imperial palace to his old age. As a person close to the emperor, the empress, and imperial concubines, he participated in royal court politics and witnessed extraordinary events, like the expulsion of Puyi from the royal palace, and his re-emergence as monarch of the puppet regime in Manchuria. He saw the last royal palace's extravagant lifestyle, experienced the breakdown of the last imperial dynasty, and felt the new changes brought by the new age. The Last Eunuch of China was partially translated into 15 foreign languages and published overseas. An English translation was published in 2008.
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Author | Jia Yinghua |
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Translator | Sun Haichen |
Language | Chinese |
Genre | Biography |
Publisher | China Intercontinental Press |
Publication date | 1998 |
Publication place | China |
Published in English | October 2008 |
Media type | Print (Paperback) |
Pages | 314 pp |
ISBN | 9787508514079 |
From a cross-generation friend's perspective, the author honestly tells readers about life in the royal palace, the imperial gossip, and secrets of eunuchs in the eyes of a eunuch. He also genuinely displays the mindset and destinies of this special group in that special period of time.[1][2][3]
References
edit- ^ Demick, Barbara (6 March 2009). "Last Chinese eunuch's inside view of history". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ Neville-Hadley, Peter (June 2009). "The Last Eunuch of China: The Life of Sun Yaoting: Far Eastern Economic Review". Far Eastern Economic Review. 172 (5): 66–67.
- ^ Castration and Culture in the Middle Ages. Boydell & Brewer. 2013. doi:10.7722/j.ctt2tt1pr. ISBN 978-1-84384-351-1.