英会話教室で、最近興味を持っている中国の清朝、特に西太后の時代を宦官とのストーリーとして書いてみました、
参考にしたのは、浅田次郎さんの「蒼穹の昴」講談社、「宦官」尾鷲卓彦訳、徳間書店です。
Because of lack of my English skill, this diary has many errors in English. But I believe you can guess what I want to say.

Theme: Chinese history.

Theme: Chinese history　Part 1
Because of its unique and mysterious history and social policy, China is watched by all the world with interest. China is still a developing country but sometimes they appear in political seen and courses some troubles with western country.
In spite of Japan and China is a neighboring country, we know few things on China and it seems to have great difference in culture also in thought What's the origin of their unique culture? Why can China have strong influence to the world? That why I had interest in Chinese history especially end of the "Shin" dynasty.

Now I would like to begin to write on it.
About 4000 years ago China appeared in world history but was a one of the country in Asia and called "Yin". About 2200 years ago, the age was Sh'ing dynasty, the emperor brought many countries under controlled and made a biggest country in the world. He claimed himself '"The first emperor of Sh'ing" and established a base of china. He carried out monetary reform, standardized weights and measures, etc, and made the country advanced one in the world.　After then, successive emperors enlarged their territory and collected treasures from the whole world.
After the battle age, China had peaceful and quiet days over a thousand years. But the country was getting old gradually.　Emperors lost interest in politics and bureaucrats did nothing except offering a bribe and exploitation.　While western country developed steam machine and their military power was increasing at high speed. They were looking for the country to own. An extensive plain, great number of people and the emperor knew nothing about the world. They found that China was just a country for them. So they picked a quarrel with China over a trifle and enlarged their territory little by little. And Sh'ing dynasty collapsed in 1912.


Theme: Chinese history　Part 2.
After then, a civil war occurred throughout China again and again. A large number of revolutionaries leaded people and the country was covered with storm of revolution. Many educated people, professors, engineers, politicians, many important person for the country were purged to far place under the pretext of cultural revolution and died as a result of the hard work. People could not believe their friends, co-workers, neighborhoods and even relatives. Moreover the executive members could not have relax time, telephones were listened, all ways they were watched by spies from other executive members.
These revolutionary movements continued for 10 years. Maybe this movement was the worst revolution in the world history. But, because of Chinese information operation, we could not know exact occurrences in the age. After the civil war, China decided to change their policy and now is going to open the country step by step. But is a still mysterious country. It's a summary of Chinese history.

In my opinion, much attention should be placed on their culture, especially on existence of eunuchs.
A eunuch itself was not rare case in the world. Their appearance dates back to the fifth to thirteenth century BC. They lived in various old countries in Europe, the Greece, Roman Empire etc, also in India. The specialty of China was their existence even in 20th century and the number of them.
In the age of dynasty in China, emperors owned huge number of empresses. According to history book, the emperor had empresses most in the world was a king of Solomon who had 700 wives and 300 mistresses. But, to my surprise, a Chinese emperor had over 7000 mistresses!!
(Of course not for all kings)
So emperors needed huge number of servants to take care of them. These servants were needed heavy work, but man cause sexual troubles with empresses always. Therefore emperors needed to hire a servant who never cause any sexual trouble with empresses.
That why many eunuchs worked in the palace and it continued until 20th century, the end of Ch'ing dynasty.


Theme: Chinese history　Part 3.
Eunuchs were provided from the countries they coquetted in early stage of Chinese dynasty. They made prisoners eunuchs. But it was difficult to keep supply constantly. So the authorized merchants appeared in Chinese history as a natural result and they began to produce eunuchs, bought kids from poor families with cheep money and made them eunuchs to satisfy emperor's request.
Since eunuchs believed that if they die without having the parts they would be a mule in his afterlife. Therefore the merchants never transferred the parts to them and treated them as a follower. Chinese government employed all of eunuchs and paid some money to their family, so some of kids born in a poor family cut it by himself to earn little money to save their family from starving as well as to avoid the control of the merchant.It was a pity that man became a eunuch by himself.

Now I would like to focus our mind on the two people, " Empress CiXi" and "Eunuch Li" in the age of "Sh'ing"(20th century).
Empress CiXi was believed as a heroic woman who exterminated Ch'ing. She was a mistress of the emperor of Ch'ing and really wanted power. So, she did many political maneuverings and became a guardian for the young emperor
After then, she did not leave the position until the end of Sh'ing and conducted various misgovernment. She did everything to keep the power, purged political enemy and assassinated them even if her son she killed. It was sufficient to threaten politicians; all politicians feared her strong power and no one could express their opinion at a formal place. They fawned on her.
Li was born in poor family lived in local area far from Beijing. His job was to pick up dung. He made dried dung and sold it to a rich family as a fuel. One day, he met a fortune-teller. She said, " You will work beside CiXi and will get all money of China" Of course he did not believe it, and forgot it.
A few years latter, his older brother died. Because they were terribly poor, could not buy any medicines, could not have nutritious foods.
Then he realized his helpless life, and decided to be a rich man to help his family. The only way to grant his request was to be a eunuch. He cut his parts by himself without any hesitations.


Theme: Chinese history　Part 4.
Li left the village and went to Beijing at the age of 10. In those day, Beijing was controlled by CiXi and had a lot of troubles. Western country had been watching for China, and waiting for the opportunity to cut off it. They fed Chinese opium and planed to make them all an addict. Chinese government worried about it but could do nothing. Because China had been closed the country for long time, government officers had no knowledge about foreign country. China was at the mercy of the foreign country. Li went to Beijing, but since he did not depend on an eunuch making merchant, he had no connection to the palace. One day, Li met an aged eunuch who had purged from the palace before. The aged eunuch heard his history and decided to help him. He took Li to an old temple where many purged eunuchs lived in, and taught him various techniques he would need in the palace, reading, writing, cooking, and so on.
Three years later, Li entered to the palace, and had a chance to show CiXi dancing. It was certain that CiXi was a dictator but had been felt strong loneliness, and wanted someone she could talk to.
She was fascinated by his performance and decided to own Li as an attendant at a glance. These three years was enough to change Li from a dirty kid to an intelligent and good-natured kid, in spite of his history.

After then, Li worked without sparing himself, and became a most important person for CiXi. It meant that he was a behind-the-scenes strong man who could have strong effect on Chinese history.
The great power of the world never stopped the action of cutting off the country. They constructed big buildings in suburb of Beijing and conducted continued political maneuvering continuously.
The government of Sh'ing allowed United Kingdom to keep Hong Kong for 99 years. Portugal and German controlled Macao and Qingdao, and Japan controlled northeast area of the country. Sh'ing was no longer an independent country. All the country of the world was watching the dying country. Because Li was an eunuch, not politician, didn't appear on the surface of the political scene, but worked as a secret messenger for both CiXi and sensible officers. He had secret meetings with government officers, sometimes with foreign reporters.


Theme: Chinese history　Part 5.
Then there were two groups in Sh'ing, one insisted on importance of open of the country, the other advocated to close the country. So there were many assassins to kill their political enemies. Therefore they important person could not appear in front of people. Li had a meeting with government officer and discussed what to do for the future of Sh'ing. I don't know Li's thought, open or not to open the country, but almost all members insisted open the country were caught and killed by the army. Unfortunately, the leader of the army was a greedy man and wanted only came to power. He was mere a shrewd schemer. He had no political sense and knowledge, therefore Sh'ing collapsed just after the civil war. It was year 1912.
After the civil war, CiXi noticed that the mind of people left from the palace and realized she could not control the country. She convinced Sh'ing would collapse soon. So she recommended Li to go out the palace having treasures for his own use. Remember, when he was a child a fortune-teller said, " You will work beside CiXi and will get all money of China" Li made it but he declined the offer. He requested nothing. He went out the palace and did not appeared in Chinese history. Some eunuchs made important work in Chinese history. Li was a typical case in China. But was rare case in the world.

Long history, an extensive plain, a large number of people, a wall　newspaper, too many condemned criminals, closed world, mysterious culture, different world but interesting country.

I have never been to China, but have much interest in the country.
So we are planning to visit China sometime in the near future and would like to feel their real culture. Of cause Chinese food too.
We are looking for it.

I'm going to the USA and Canada on business trip in this month. My plan is to visit a research center in the USA and a University in Canada. I attend a meeting and discuss our technology with professors. Since it is a solitary journey, I 'm a little nervous now. But I believe it will be a good opportunity for my English. Maybe I able to have a time to go sightseeing and shopping, so will enjoy the tour and buy a lot of souvenirs.
I'm A little nervous but waiting for it with pleasure.

This is the end of long diary related to China.
Here goes. Let's have a beer! Today is my Uchiage day!
This has ensued that I will have a heavy hangover tomorrow!!
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