Prince Gong

Who was Prince Gong?

Aisin Gioro Yixin, commonly known mononymously as Yixin, and better known as Prince Gong, was a prince and statesman of the Qing Dynasty. He was the sixth son of the Daoguang Emperor and a half brother of Daoguang's successor, the Xianfeng Emperor. He served as regent during the reign of Xianfeng's son and successor, the Tongzhi Emperor. Having established the Zongli Yamen in 1861, Yixin is best remembered as a proponent of maintenance of friendly relations between the Qing government and the foreign powers, as well as for his attempts to modernise China in the late 19th century. Commonly referred to as the "Sixth Prince" in his time, Yixin was nicknamed "Devil Number Six" by conservatives in the Qing imperial court, in reference to his frequent contacts with westerners.