Emperor's New Year wishes on display

An exhibition showcasing 64 archives of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) concerning his wishes for Chinese New Year kicked off at The First Historical Archives of China in Beijing on Wednesday.

The handwritten pieces were penned on the first day of Chinese New Year each year from 1736 to 1799, spanning the entire process of his reign. After writing, he always put the pieces in boxes without showing others. This is the first time the archives will be opened to the public.

According to staff from the archives, in the early hours of the morning, Emperor Qianlong rose early to hold a ceremony at the Yangxin Dian (Hall of Mental Cultivation) in the Forbidden City. He first wrote a line of vermilion characters in the center of a yellow scroll, followed by characters in ink on both sides, all expressing wishes for a year of favorable weather, peace, and harmony in governance and among the people.

On the same day, the archives presented specially customized lucky bags to the audience containing paper with the fu (good fortune) character and Spring Festival couplets, which can be pasted at home as a custom of the festival. They are all drawn from the imperial writings of emperors from the Qing Dynasty with the wish of the visitors bringing home joy and harmony.