This group of Tsai Yi funeral photos is a set of 12 postcards printed by the Shanghai Commercial Press. Behind the postcard are 12 precious photographs titled "General Cai's Funeral Portrait" (also known as "Recreating the Republic Cai Gong Funeral Portrait"). These photographs, taken by Cai's coffin at the end of 1916 when he was transported back from Japan, are now difficult to see.
The names of the 12 photographs are: I. Archway And The Shrine; II. Xinming Steamship Dock; III. Casket Landing; IV. Students of Schools; V. Scouts; VI. Preparatory Office of the Fire Fighting Federation Business Group and Commercial Representatives; VII. National Navy and U.S. Navy; VIII. Bang Lian; 9. Relics Pavilion and Command Pavilion; X. Escort Army Band and Army; 11. Guard Corps and Filial Piety; XII. Five of them are shown here. Judging from the photos, the people from all walks of life who greeted cai yi's coffin were crowded with people, and the atmosphere was warm and solemn; the spiritual hall was luxurious and solemn; the link was high and numerous; and the landscape was extraordinary. It can be glimpsed that all strata of Chinese society at that time deeply missed and respected Cai Yi.
Cai Yi (1882-1916), also known as Songpo, was a native of Baoqing (present-day Shaoyang), Hunan. In his short life at the age of 34, he mainly did two major things. First, during the Xinhai Revolution, he led the anti-Qing uprising in Yunnan, established the Military Government of Yunnan in Xinhai, and carried out a series of fruitful reforms; second, during the period of Yuan Shikai's restoration of the imperial system, he led the anti-Yuan Patriotic War and made special merits, that is, the so-called "reconstruction of the republic." These two major events laid the foundation for Cai Yi's immortal position in China's modern history.
Cai Yi is an outstanding military figure and a sincere patriot in China's modern history. He not only stood in the annals of history with his outstanding deeds, but also inspired future generations with great personality. Mao Zedong once compared Cai Yi with Huang Xing as a "model" for being a human being; Zhu De called Cai Yi and Mao Zedong a "good teacher and good friend" and "guiding light". Cai Yike was self-serving, pure in conduct, loyal to the country, and unswerving in death. Cai Yi's "depression behind him, no name and one money", "indifferent to Mingzhi, dreaming of the public", is a vivid portrayal of his life's integrity. Cai Yi was in the late Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the people, and the high wind and bright festival that came out of the sludge and did not stain it were precious. Not only was it the law of officials at that time, but it is also worth learning from today.
In June 1916, after the end of the war against Yuan and the Protectorate, Cai Yi's prestige reached its peak, he was known as the "Protector of the Country", "The Famous General of Yuan", regarded as a hero and good man who "recreated the republic", and was appointed as the Overseer of Sichuan. However, at this time, Cai Yi had been tired for a long time, and his illness had not healed for a long time, and his condition was quite serious, and he did not intend to go to Sichuan to take up his post. However, the urging of various parties forced him to take him to Chengdu and became the governor of Sichuan on July 29. On the day Cai Yi arrived in Chengdu, the national flag was hoisted throughout the city and people from all walks of life took to the streets to welcome him. For a while, "ten thousand empty alleys".
At this time, Cai Yi's throat swelling and pain intensified, his voice was completely lost, his spirit was satisfied, he was in pain day and night, and it was difficult to persist in heavy work. The Beijing government had no choice but to approve Cai Yi's resignation for medical treatment. On August 9, accompanied by General Counselor Jiang Baili, Acting Deputy Chief Li Huaying, Secretary Tang, and others, Cai Yi left Chengdu on august 9, passed through Luzhou, Sichuan, and traveled east down the Yangtze River to Shanghai. He then took a ship from Shanghai to Japan and was treated at the Fukuoka Medical University Hospital in Kyushu, Japan on September 14.
Because Cai Yi's condition was already very serious, although rescued, it was ultimately ineffective, and he died at the Fukuoka Medical University Hospital at 2:00 a.m. on November 8, 1916, at the age of 34. Before Cai Yi's death, he dictated to his attaché and sent a telegram to the people of the country on four things: First, may our people and the government work together to adopt a positive policy with hope; second, now that the various factions have many opinions and compete for rights, they are willing to serve the people and love the country with morality; third, the people who died in the battle and contributed to sichuan this time, they pleaded with Luo Peiquan (the governor of Sichuan) and Dai Jie (governor of Sichuan Province) to verify the petition for a pension; fourth, they should be buried for a short life and failed to do their best to serve the country. This is actually Cai E's last will and testament, and it also reflects Cai E's final attitude toward the world.
Cai E's death caused grief to the people of the whole country, and the Beijing government, intimidated by the pressure of public opinion, decided to allocate 20,000 yuan to Cai E's funeral, posthumously award Cai E as a general, and hold a state funeral ceremony. Li Yuanhong, then president of the National Congress of the Republic of China, sent a special envoy Yuan Huayun, along with Jiang Baili and others who accompanied Cai Yi to Japan, to escort Cai E's coffin, and returned to China by ship from Fukuoka, Japan, on December 5 of the same year.
This group of "funeral portraits of General Cai", which was taken when Cai Yi's coffin arrived in Shanghai, reflects the social style of the early Minchu and the admiration of the masses of all walks of life for Cai Yi...
Photos are selected from the Old Photos Digital Library.
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