China The Grand Order: Its origins, design and recipients

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The Grand Order …

The highest decoration of the early Republic.

The rarest and the most “unrepublican” decoration (by design).

Is it really rare?

With only 9 alleged recipients (one of them declined this “honor”) it makes soviet Victory Order abundant decoration.

So the proper adjective will be unique!

The original chinese name of this order

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The name of this order written by modern simplified hieroglyphs

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Word by word translation

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This Order was founded by President Yuan Shi-kai on December 6, 1912, as the highest order of the Republic. It was intended for President of the Republic and could be given also to foreign Heads of State. It had only one class, for which the holders wore a breast star and sash badge. The colour of the sash ribbon is red. Breast star wore on the left chest and badge on sash ribbon going across right shoulder.

There are only nine known recipients of this Order

Yuan Shikai (awarded as president October 10, 1912)

Sun Yat-sen (October 10, 1912 by Yuan Shikai and refused by Sun Yat-sen)

Li Yuan-hung (October 10, 1912)

Taisho, Emperor of Japan(November 10, 1915)

Feng Guozhang (July 6, 1917)

Shichang (October 10, 1918)

Duan Qirui (September 15, 1919)

Cao Kun (October 10, 1923)

Chang Tso-lin (no exact date – around 1927)

As we see sometimes this order was awarded as “special grant” to Chinese citizens that weren’t presidents.

Edited May 19, 2012 by JapanX

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The design of the Grand Order

Weird…

Yep, this will be the right word.

That is design is weird for new (and highest!) republican order.

The central medallion of sash badge and breast star (both are framed by 36 natural pearls) contained 12 traditional Chinese symbols (stars, mountains, dragons, algae, fire, rice, etc…).

Here they are.

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Why it is weird symbols for republican order?

Because these symbols were used by the last Qing dynasty.

Just take a look – these gents are certainly not republicans …

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Do you actually see these symbols?

No?

Ok.

Here comes a drawing.

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And here comes original piece – straight from museum

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Traditional composition of these symbols

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Another variant

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Why young Republic used such strange design for its highest decoration?

Maybe under its own inertia …

Or maybe Yuan Shikai from the very beginning saw himself as new Emperor?

He proved it on January 1, 1916 when (for a very short time – three months actually) he became Hung-hsien Emperor

Oh, yes, this great Hongxian (Constitutional Abundance) era was proclaimed …

He created even new flag!

Please welcome Yuan Shikai's Great Chinese Empire Flag – Five Tribes Under One Union.

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Here some interesting photos from his coronation (please note – this 12-motif emblem is everywhere).

Emperor (even short-term Emperor) don’t travel on foot

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1

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2

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3

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Close up of our man

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On second thought “judge no lest ye be judged” many of these “revolutionaries” were simply yesterday’s Qing bureaucrats… What else can you expect from bureaucrats?

But I think the real reason behind this strange design was the last order of Chinese Empire (as far as I remember it was instituted simultaneously with Order of Dragon (the last one will became a prototype for Order of Golden Grain) at the end of Qing Dynasty reign) which is also was called Grand Order.

Here. Let’s take a look at its design

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Breast star

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Badge obverse

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Badge reverse

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And now (at last ) a design of republican Grand Order

Breast star

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Reverse of badge (badge obverse is identical with imperial Order)

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As we see the only difference is the second hieroglyph on the reverse of the badge.

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In case of Imperial Order it is

which can be translated as precious/treasured.

In case of Republican Order it is

which can be translated as merit.

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And of course the ribbon colour was changed by our “revolutionaries”.

From ribbon emperor colour