Why were Chinese emperors' names taboo? Like popes, their titles reflected their legacy
The 1.3 billion Catholic Christians around the world welcomed Leo XIV as their new leader this month following the death of the widely loved Pope Francis.
Advertisement
It was in the middle of the last century that new popes began to choose papal names that communicate the aim of their papacy.
The new pope said he had selected his name partly to honour Leo XIII, who was pope from 1878 to 1903, for his dedication to social issues and workers' rights.
In the choice of his name, Leo XIV may be signalling the direction of the Roman Catholic Church under his reign – a church that looks out for the powerless, the poor and downtrodden.
Given the traditional name taboo among the Chinese, where addressing people by their birth names in informal settings was simply not done and even rude, Chinese monarchs were never called by their names in their lifetimes, even out of earshot.
The ruler who we now refer to as the Kangxi Emperor was born Aisin Gioro Xuanye. Anyone whose name shared the same characters as 'Xuanye' had to change their names.
During their reigns, rulers were referred to as 'His Majesty' or 'Your Majesty' and, in the late imperial period, 'the Lord of 10,000 Years' or simply '10,000 Years', as a felicitous wish that they would be as long-lived. Sometimes, 'the current emperor' sufficed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RTHK
an hour ago
- RTHK
He Lifeng to visit UK, hold trade talks with the US
He Lifeng to visit UK, hold trade talks with the US The Foreign Ministry announced that Vice Premier He Lifeng would attend the trade talks with the US in Britain. File photo: AFP The Foreign Ministry said on Saturday that Vice Premier He Lifeng would visit the United Kingdom between June 8 and June 13. The first meeting of the China-US economic and trade consultation mechanism would be held with the United States during this visit, the ministry said. The vice premier represented the country in trade talks in May. US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer would represent Washington in the upcoming talks. (Reuters/Xinhua)
South China Morning Post
2 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Ombudsman sets a new year zero by removing reports from website
The need to better protect official archives and ensure public access to them has long been recognised in Hong Kong. Unlike other parts of the world, the city lacks a law providing clear rules for the safeguarding of records. But despite a public consultation in 2018, progress has not been made. The calls for an archives law have, in the past, been supported by the Office of the Ombudsman, the watchdog tasked with supervising the government and guarding against maladministration. Last year, the body celebrated its 35th anniversary with an international conference. Ombudsman Jack Chan Jick-chi spoke of the body's mission to 'propel administrative fairness, accountability and transparency'. One of the watchdog's values is 'making ourselves accessible and accountable to the public'. It is, therefore, a concern that it has removed content dating back years, including investigation reports, from its website. New arrangements introduced last month make public access to these valuable resources much more difficult. Only records published since April 2023 remain on the website. A new year zero has been set. The watchdog said the removed records were no longer up to date and might even be misleading, adding that they 'no longer reflect the current situation'. This is not a convincing explanation. Historical records, naturally, reflect the position at the time.
South China Morning Post
3 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
China slams US ‘political manipulation' as research pair face fungus smuggling charge
China has condemned 'political manipulation' by the United States and its 'overstretched concept of national security', days after two Chinese researchers were charged with illegally importing a toxic fungus described by US authorities as a 'dangerous biological pathogen'. The Chinese Consulate in Chicago said in a statement on Saturday that it was seeking information about the case and had lodged a 'stern representation' with the US side. This comes after the US Department of Justice announced on Tuesday that Chinese citizens Jian Yunqing , 33, a research fellow at the University of Michigan, and her boyfriend, Liu Zunyong, 34, had been accused of attempting to smuggle the fungus pathogen Fusarium graminearum into the country last year. They allegedly planned to carry out research on the material at a University of Michigan laboratory where Jian worked. In its statement, the consulate said: 'The Chinese government has always required Chinese citizens abroad to strictly abide by local laws and regulations, including those related to entry and exit. 'At the same time, China lawfully safeguards the legitimate rights and interests of its citizens overseas and firmly opposes the US side's political manipulation of the case under the pretext of ideology and an overstretched concept of national security.'
