Yonglin

Yonglin (17 June 1766 – 25 April 1820), known formally as Prince Qing, was a Manchu prince during the Qing dynasty in China. He was a member of the Aisin-Gioro clan and the youngest son of the Qianlong Emperor. His mother was Empress Xiaoyichun, who also bore Yonglin’s full brother, Yongyan, the Jiaqing Emperor.

Born in 1766, Yonglin was the 17th and youngest son of the Qianlong Emperor. In 1775, his mother passed away due to illness, and thereafter he was raised by Noble Consort Ying in Jingren Palace. His title was first granted in 1789 when he became a beile. He was later promoted in 1799 to junwang (second-rank prince), initially bearing the title "Prince Hui of the Second Rank" and subsequently renamed "Prince Qing of the Second Rank". The Jiaqing Emperor assigned him Heshen's former residence as his personal mansion. In 1820, Yonglin was elevated to qinwang (first-rank prince), becoming "Prince Qing of the First Rank." He died in that same year and was interred in the area now known as the Baiyanggou Natural Scenic Area, located southwest of Beijing’s Changping District.

Following his death, the Prince Qing Mansion was repossessed sometime around 1851 during the reign of the Xianfeng Emperor, who eventually transferred ownership in 1852 to his sixth brother, Prince Gong. The estate is now preserved as the Prince Gong's Mansion, a public museum.

Yonglin was married twice, first to Imperial Princess Consort Qingxi of the Niohuru clan, with whom he had several children, including his first son Mianheng (died in infancy), second son, and third son Mianmin, who became Prince Qingliang of the Second Rank. His secondary consort was from the Taogiya clan, producing additional sons such as Mian Tih, Prince of the Fourth Rank, and Mianxing, Duke of the Fourth Rank, as well as daughters. He also maintained relationships with several other women, leading to additional children.

His family included children who held titles such as princes and dukes, with marriages arranged within various Manchu clans and roles in Qing aristocracy.

In fiction, Yonglin has been portrayed by actor Jonathan Cheung in the 2018 television series "Succession War."

References for Yonglin’s life and titles include the "Draft History of Qing" (Qing Shi Gao) by Zhao Erxun, published in 1928, and "Eminent Chinese of the Ch'ing Period" edited by Arthur W. Sr. Hummel in 1943.