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Kevin McSpadden

History is not solely shaped by adults, and throughout its 5,000-year history, China has seen its share of influential young figures.
From boy emperors to philosopher prodigies, pivotal events in Chinese history have from time to time been led by individuals who were still children or teenagers when they held positions of authority.
Below are three of the most notable young figures in Chinese history.
Xiang Tuo
Two famous stone carvings from the Han dynasty (206 BC-220) feature the great philosophers of ancient China. In these depictions, while eminent figures such as Confucius and Laozi are present, a young boy stands at the centre, capturing everyone’s attention.
This child is Xiang Tuo, commonly known as “the boy prodigy”, believed to have been a contemporary of Confucius in the 6th century BC. According to legend, by age seven, he was able to instruct the esteemed master on philosophical matters.

Though there is no definitive evidence of his existence, Xiang Tuo first appeared in written records around the 3rd century BC and is regarded as the earliest example of a “child prodigy” in Chinese literature. Starting in the Han dynasty, Xiang Tuo was celebrated as a quintessential model for potential child prodigies.
According to the news outlet Vibrant Dot, a folk legend recounts the first meeting between Confucius and Xiang Tuo during the philosopher’s travels in his chariot.
Confucius stumbled upon Xiang Tuo and his friends playing in a fort they had constructed. When the young boy refused to move aside, Confucius enquired about his reasoning.
To this, Xiang Tuo replied: “Wise men once said that men should know everything in the Heavens above, in the Earth below, and in men’s hearts. Since ancient times, I have only heard of carts going around forts, but never have I heard of forts moving aside for carts.”
Zheng Ying
Zheng Ying is undoubtedly more recognised by his later name – Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China.
However, before he became emperor, he ascended to the throne as the king of the Qin state at the tender age of 13.

His inaugural act as king was to execute Lü Buwei, his mother’s concubine who had effectively ruled the Qin state until Zheng came of age. At that time, there were pervasive rumours suggesting that Lü was Zheng’s biological father.
Neighbouring states regarded the Qins as barbarians, yet they had established an effective and efficient totalitarian regime.
In less than 20 years, Zheng would employ espionage, bribery, and ingenious military tactics to secure victories over the six other regional states and unify China for the very first time.
Puyi
If Zheng Ying was the first Chinese emperor, then Puyi was the last. During the waning days of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), Puyi was appointed emperor in 1908 at the tender age of two.

His reign was brief, as he was forced to abdicate in February 1912, just over a month after the Nationalist government was officially established on January 1, 1912. The Xinhai Revolution had led to the collapse of the Qing government in 1911.
Puyi returned to the throne for a fleeting month between June and July 1917.
From 1912 to 1924, he was allowed to reside in the imperial palace but was expelled when the warlord Feng Yuxiang seized control of Beijing and ousted the former emperor to bolster his own legitimacy.
Puyi did not accept his fate passively; throughout the latter half of the 1920s, he sought to regain influence in regions of China where the Nationalist government had weak control.

In 1934, following the Japanese invasion of Manchuria, Puyi was installed as the emperor of Manchukuo, a puppet state of imperial Japan. He served as a nominal leader, largely acting as a rubber-stamp authority until the end of World War II.
After the war, Puyi spent a decade in prison as a war criminal. Upon his release, he spent his final years in reflection and remorse, dictating an autobiography before his death in China in 1967.
Throughout much of his life, Puyi had no recollection of a time when he was not revered or pampered, which turned him into a tyrannical leader known for his cruelty, including acts of violence against eunuchs.


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These 3 individuals shaped ancient Chinese history during their childhood

Three individuals whose early life experiences significantly shaped ancient Chinese history. Photo: SCMP composite/Wikipedia

Two famous Han dynasty stone carvings depict great philosophers like Confucius and Laozi with a young boy at the centre capturing attention. Photo: “The Boy Prodigy: Xiang Tuo [Stone Carving],” in Children and Youth in History

Zheng Ying, known as Qin Shi Huang, was the first emperor of China, ascending to the throne of the Qin state at the age of 13. Photo: Wikipedia

Puyi was the last emperor of China, appointed at just two years old during the final days of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) in 1908. Photo: Wikipedia

In 1934, Puyi became the emperor of Manchukuo, a puppet state established by Japan after its invasion of Manchuria. Photo: Wikipedia

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People & Culture

Whether they were progeny philosophers or boy emperors, their names are stamped in Chinese history


Whether they were progeny philosophers or boy emperors, their names are stamped in Chinese history.


Archaeology and palaeontology

These 3 individuals shaped ancient Chinese history during their childhood

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Whether they were progeny philosophers or boy emperors, their names are stamped in Chinese history

Whether they were progeny philosophers or boy emperors, their names are stamped in Chinese history