This bizarre method is truly something that only Empress Dowager Cixi could think of!
During the Qing Dynasty, toilet paper in roll form as we know it today was not yet popular. Instead, people in the past commonly used very coarse paper. For the poorer individuals, they even had to resort to using leaves, shells, or corn cobs…
The wealthy would use the finest quality toilet paper, and of course, Empress Dowager Cixi—who held the most power during the late Qing Dynasty—was no exception. With her extravagant lifestyle, she demanded that her waste container be made from high-quality sandalwood. Moreover, she had many other “quirky” requirements regarding this delicate matter. What were they?
THE COMPLICATED ‘PROCEDURE’ OF CIXI’S TOILET VISITS
In our era, privacy is highly valued, especially concerning sanitation activities. However, at that time, the powerful Empress Dowager Cixi of the Qing Dynasty thought differently. Each time she went to the bathroom was a grand affair!
Not only did the chief eunuch Li Lianying stand by to serve her, but he also personally “attended” to the empress. Surrounding her were many palace maids and eunuchs standing “guard.” While many would feel uncomfortable with such a crowd, Cixi felt at ease because of it!
The solemn scene when Empress Dowager Cixi went to the toilet. (Photo: Baidu)
Cixi’s ‘procedure’ for using the restroom was incredibly complicated. She had a special outfit that she would only wear for this occasion! The palace maids would assist her in changing into this outfit, after which Eunuch Li Lianying would help her sit down on the sandalwood container. However, this was not what astonished future generations. What truly shocked everyone was that the palace maids had to hold water in their mouths while waiting for the empress.
WHY DID THEY HAVE TO HOLD WATER WHILE CIXI WENT TO THE BATHROOM?
It turns out that the act of holding water in the mouths of the palace maids was so they could later use it to moisten the toilet paper, making it softer and warmer. The reason was that the toilet paper of that time was very coarse and rough, causing Cixi significant discomfort, thus she devised this peculiar method.
Cixi’s high-quality sandalwood toilet container. (Photo: Baidu)
After being moistened, the toilet paper would be handed to Eunuch Li Lianying for the empress to use. This method of using the restroom by Empress Dowager Cixi made many people feel horrified. They believed that the human mouth naturally harbors countless bacteria. Furthermore, during the feudal era, the use of toothpaste and toothbrushes was not common. Oral hygiene in that time was far from meticulous, resulting in a higher concentration of bacteria in people’s mouths.
This “special” demand of Cixi was just one of countless bizarre aspects of her life. Through this, we not only see the extravagant wastefulness but also the ignorance and absurd ostentation of this empress.
