State Princess Duanmin

Princess Duanmin Guliunü was a princess of the Qing Dynasty. She was born on July 29, 1813, to Mian Ning and his consort, Lady Tongjia, at that time holding the title of Noble Consort. She passed away on December 7, 1819, at the age of only seven. After her death, she was posthumously bestowed the title of Princess and was buried at the primary wife of Prince Zhi’s tomb in Wangzuo Village. During the reigns of Emperor Daoguang, her status as the heir was recognized both before and after his ascension. The case of her being posthumously titled Princess Duanmin Guliunü was quite rare.

In 1820, Mian Ning ascended the throne. During the Qingming Festival, Emperor Daoguang looked northward towards Wangzuo Village while paying respects at his mother’s tomb and composed a elegiac poem titled “Feeling upon Returning from Changxindian, Looking North Past the Road” to mourn the princess. In September of the same year, she was officially posthumously crowned Princess Duanmin Guliunü, and her remains were moved to Xujia Yuanyuan Tomb. The Princess’s burial site was honored with four annual memorial ceremonies, with the altar and scale comparable to that of the Crown Prince. Later, it also housed the remains of her early-deceased second daughter, second son, and third son. The tomb’s architecture was modest: it lacked stone statues, pillars, stele pavilions, and was topped with brick-covered roofs without require for lotus bases.

Her life and deeds are recorded in the “Draft History of Qing,” Volume 166, Table 6, Princesses.