China The Grand Order: Its origins, design and recipients

[JapanX]

Unfortunatly Duan Qirui don`t have any photos with our precious ...

But a lot of photos with others precious ;)

[JapanX]

Duan Qirui 2

[JapanX]

Feng Guozhang

Edited May 19, 2012 by JapanX

[JapanX]

Cao Kun

1

[JapanX]

2

[JapanX]

Chang Tso-lin

1

2

[JapanX]

Looks like we have photographic evidence only for Yuan Shikai, Li Yuan-hung, Shichang and Cao Kun Grand Orders.

Cheers,

Nick

[Markus]

Hey Nick,

Another excellent thread! These Republican uniforms and order medals are just incredible!

Thanks for all this great history and eye candy.

Markus

[drclaw]

Hey Nick,

What a fantastic thread! Your research skills are amazing!

That's the first time I've ever seen an actual Grand Order of the Throne. The colours are a lot richer than the faded / washed out colours depicted in the traditional images. I wonder what other goodies are buried in tombs somewhere ...

It's also the first time I've seen the actual colour of the Warlord dress uniform - albeit in technicolor. All of the movie depictions of the uniform are a darker sky blue, but this is a very light, powdery blue.

Gavin

[JapanX]

I wonder what other goodies are buried in tombs somewhere ...

Get the shovels!

We'll call ourselves "Tomb Robbers from Alderaan"

[JapanX]

Unfortunatly Duan Qirui don`t have any photos with our precious ...

Nope. Actually he had

Check this unbelievable photo.

[JapanX]

Close up of the Grand Order

[JapanX]

Another close up

[JapanX]

Yuan Shikai`s inauguration postcards in HQ

[JapanX]

Clear picture ;)

[JapanX]

For Gavin :)

[JapanX]

Find another photos of the this unique order

Badge obverse

[JapanX]

Reverse

[JapanX]

Now take a look at this photo!!!

This dude looks familiar

As well as breast star at his chest

The Last Emperor with first Republican Order :speechless1:

[drclaw]

WOW!!! What a brilliant find Nick!

This is probably the closest we will ever come to Pu Yi wearing an Imperial Grand Order ... the Republican version.

[JapanX]

This is probably the closest we will ever come to Pu Yi wearing an Imperial Grand Order ... the Republican version.

:whistle:

[drclaw]

I stand corrected on this one. According to Chinese references, there is no record of Puyi having received the Republican Grand Order.

This original photo is dated 1934 (although he appears younger here).

It is most likely that he is wearing the Imperial Grand Order. Besides, why would he be wearing the decoration of the Republic that evicted him from the Forbidden City and repudiated the Articles of Favourable Treatment, and which in any event was abolished by the new Nationalist Government in 1929?

Puyi was made Emperor of Manchukuo on 1 March 1934 and the Orders of Manchukuo established on 19 April.

Edited May 19, 2013 by drclaw

[drclaw]

Feng Guozhang with the Grand Order.

That's five recipients we have photographic evidence for so far: Yuan Shikai, Li Yuanhong, Feng Guozhang and Xu Shichang (the first four Presidents of the Republic) and Premier Duan Qirui

Sun Yat-sen declined the award, which leaves the Taisho Emperor of Japan, Cao Kun and Zhang Zuolin.

Interestingly, the large official portrait photo of Cao Kun which has him wearing the White Eagle does NOT have him wearing the Grand Order. That photo was most likely taken when he was President as to my knowledge he is the only recipient of the White Eagle - an Order that could only be awarded for "extraordinary merits in war" but which the President was entitled to wear.

While China declared war on the Central Powers in WW1, China's contribution were the 140,000 labourers of the Chinese Labour Force. No Chinese soldier actually fought. And no Beiyang government would have impliedly recognised any of its regional rivals in the many warlord conflicts by conferring the White Eagle.

Edited May 19, 2013 by drclaw

[drclaw]

At last, not a photo of Cao Kun but his 1923 silver dollar coin.

It shows him in civilian attire wearing only the Grand Order.

[drclaw]

It doesn't show his Grand Order but this younger photo of Zhang Zuolin, the Mukden Tiger, is priceless.

Here the Old Marshall is with two of his sons, all wearing egret plume kepis! Zhang Xueliang (the Young Marshall) is standing on the right. Both boys are already festooned with decorations.

After the assassination of his father by the Japanese, Zhang Xueliang overcame his opium addiction and proclaimed for the Guomindang government. In the 1936 Xian Incident, he kidnapped Chiang Kai-shek to force him to agree to a united front with Mao's Communists against the Japanese invaders. He was arrested by Chiang at the earliest opportunity and spent the next 50 years in house arrest.