Princess Kangxi was most heartbroken and lost her life, her tomb was broken open, and her body was left exposed in the fields.

Among more than 50 children, there was a princess that Kangxi favored so much that she broke all the rules. That was Princess Vinh Hien. From the moment she was born, she enjoyed a life of great wealth and honor.

Kangxi and the most favored princess

Emperor Kangxi was a wise and talented ruler and a loving father. He had a large number of descendants, with more than fifty children. Among his favorite concubines, Consort Rong was especially loved for her gentleness, kindness and beauty. She gave birth to four princes for Kangxi, but unfortunately, all four princes and her two eldest daughters died at a very young age.

Therefore, when Vinh Phi gave birth to her third daughter in the 12th year of Kangxi, the Emperor was extremely happy. He regarded her as a pearl, giving her all his love and special care. The little girl was named Vinh Hien, inheriting her mother's virtuous qualities, very gentle and tolerant.

The love that Kangxi had for Rongxian was rare. At the age of 18, she was given the title of Princess Heshu Rongxian – a noble title reserved for the daughter of a concubine, but for her, that was just the beginning of privileges that went beyond all rules.

Political engagement and talented son-in-law U Er Gon

According to Qing Dynasty regulations, the marriage of royal princesses was often political in nature, aiming to strengthen the relationship between the Manchu court and the Mongol tribes on the border. Kangxi, with great care and thoughtfulness, personally selected Uergun, the ruler of the Mongol Balinbu tribe, as the husband-in-law of his beloved daughter.

Wu Ergun was not only a member of the Jurchen tribe (the ancestors of the Manchus), but also a distant relative of the Qing Dynasty Imperial Family, which further strengthened the bloodline bond. He was well educated in both Manchu and Han cultures, demonstrating his understanding and reconciliation of the two great cultures. In particular, Wu Ergun was also distinguished by his heroic and heroic qualities, and was a talented warrior.

In June of the 30th year of the Kangxi reign (1691), Princess Heshu Rongxian, 19 years old, officially married Wuergon, 20 years old. After the wedding, she followed her husband to Inner Mongolia, where life was far from the lavish palace.

Married life in a foreign land and complete filial piety

Despite the geographical distance, Vinh Hien's filial piety towards her father never wavered. She often traveled thousands of miles to return to the palace to visit her father. These trips not only showed her affection but also the absolute obedience and loyalty of a daughter.

Her filial piety was most clearly demonstrated in the 48th year of Kangxi's reign, when the Emperor fell seriously ill. The princess, regardless of the hardship, rushed back from Mongolia to the capital to look after her father. Her love and devotion deeply moved Kangxi.

As for Kangxi, his love for Rongxian was also very special. He personally visited Princess Rongxian four times in Mongolia – an unprecedented event. Meanwhile, his other four daughters were also married far away in Mongolia, but he never visited them. This favor further demonstrated that Rongxian held a unique position in the emperor’s heart.

Princess Rongxian even spent her own money and effort to build the Kangxi Palace in Balin for her father. This was the only imperial palace built in the northern border of China, showing the princess's respect and affection for her father.

Extraordinary privilege: The most noble title of Princess Gu Lun

During the Qing Dynasty, the title system for princesses was extremely strict and hierarchical. According to the rules, the daughter of an imperial concubine could only be titled "Princess He Shuo". Only the biological daughter of the Empress, or princesses who were especially loved by the emperor and made exceptions, were eligible to be titled "Princess Gu Lun".

Thanks to the "devotion and filial piety, devoting all his strength to serving his father" that Vinh Hien had shown, Kangxi did not hesitate to break precedent and bestow the title of Princess Gu Lun. This was an unprecedented privilege in the history of the Qing Dynasty, affirming the supreme position and boundless love that Kangxi had for Vinh Hien.

A lifetime of glory but fate changes in old age

Princess Vinh Hien lived on the Ba Lam grasslands for 37 years, experiencing a life of wealth and honor, and most of the time was happy. However, life was not always perfect. She and her husband were often separated because her husband, U Nhi Con, was away fighting all year round, carrying out duties for the imperial court.

In the 60th year of Kangxi (1721), a tragedy struck: Wu Ergon died of illness while following Kangxi in battle. The passing of her talented and beloved husband was a great loss for Rongxian. A year later, Kangxi – her greatest and most loving father – also passed away.

The successive losses of loved ones dealt a heavy blow to the princess. Six years after Kangxi's departure, Rongxian also died of illness at the age of 56 and was later buried alongside her beloved husband, Wuergon.

Luxurious tomb and 244 years of peace destroyed in the blink of an eye

To commemorate and honor Princess Vinh Hien, her son built an extremely luxurious and massive mausoleum in Ba Lam Ta Ky, Xich Phong, Inner Mongolia. This was one of the largest princess mausoleums at that time, worthy of the noble status of "Princess Co Lun".

Inside the mausoleum, Vinh Hien was buried with the special privilege bestowed by the emperor himself: buried in a splendid pearl dragon robe, wearing a precious golden phoenix crown, and with the burial objects all being rare treasures, showing the ultimate glory and wealth when she was alive. Her tomb has gone through 244 years of peace, without any thieves or disturbances, keeping intact the secrecy and solemnity of a royal mausoleum.

The Tragedy of History: Brutal Acts and Horrific Consequences

However, that peace was brutally shattered in 1972. This was the climax of China's Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), a period of great turmoil and chaos in history, when many cultural, historical and religious heritages considered "feudal" or "backward" were destroyed en masse in the name of "destroying the four olds".

In that context, a group of extremists, possibly Red Guards or individuals inspired by extremist ideology, broke into and opened the tomb of Princess Rongxian. Surprisingly, when they opened the tomb, they discovered that she was still lying peacefully as she had been more than 200 years ago, with no signs of decomposition, and her skin still soft – a miracle in natural body preservation.

Instead of respecting or informing the authorities, the group committed an extremely brutal and inhumane act. They robbed the princess of all her treasures, jewelry, and valuable clothes and jewelry. Then, in an act of extreme disrespect, they threw her out of the cemetery, leaving her body exposed in the wilderness, exposed to the sun, rain, and the ravages of time.

After the incident was discovered, archaeologists attempted to intervene, bringing the remaining parts of Vinh Hien's body to a local medical center in the hope of preserving or restoring it. However, due to excessive exposure and decomposition, the preservation process was not favorable, and a priceless heritage of archaeology and history was lost forever.

Empress Dowager Cixi ate all kinds of delicacies but did not touch these two dishes, the reason is shocking Phi Yến20:20:31 19/06/2025Empress Dowager Cixi was famous for being the most extravagant in Chinese history. Every meal she ate was extremely luxurious and wasteful, despite the daily decline of the Qing Dynasty, but she absolutely did not contain these two dishes.