In this short History of China documentary, I explain how the Qing dynasty's harem system was set up, functionned, and came to an end. Using historical examples, I expose the differents ranks of the imperial concubines. ➤ Follow me on Twitter/X! https://x.com/History_ofChina ➤ If you would like to make a donation, you can do so with Super Chat or via my paypal: https://paypal.me/historyofchina Many thanks! ♫ MUSIC ♫ Joy and Peace (Guzheng) Chinese Traditional Bamboo Flute Music Civilization V - Wu Zetian Peace Theme The Han Palace under the Autumn Moon (Erhu) 🎬 VIDEO CREDITS 🎬 The Legend of Zhen Huan (2011) Choosing a Chinese Emperor’s Bride Required Intense Scrutiny (Smithsonian Channel) The Story of Yanxi Palace (2018) The Burning of Imperial Palace (1983) The Last Emperor (1987) 📜 MAIN SOURCES 📜 Empresses of China’s Forbidden City, 1644–1912, Daisy Yiyou Wang & Jan Stuart, (2018) Life inside the Forbidden City: how women were selected for service, Marcelo Duhalde, (2018) 🏷️ TAGS 🏷️ qing dynasty concubines qing dynasty harem chinese imperial harem system chinese harem system china harem documentary imperial concubines documentary Introduction: (0:00) History: (00:55) Selection process: (02:07) Ranks: (04:20) Promotion: (09:35) Daily life: (10:35) Emperor's death: (11:28) End of the system: (12:06)