By Mary King

A stone pavilion at the tomb of Tian Yi [file photo]

Eunuchs have existed in a number of ancient civilizations. Among them are Greece, Rome, Egypt, Persia, Turkey and India. Even 18th century Europe had eunuchs -- the castrati who were emasculated as children in order to preserve their male soprano voices. In fact, eunuchs sang in the Vatican choir up until they were banned in 1878.

But it is China where eunuchs have held the greatest historical significance. In ancient China, castration was used both as a punishment as well as a way to work for the emperor. It was believed that since eunuchs were unable to have children they would not be tempted to seize power and start their own dynasties.

Many eunuchs were therefore considered nothing more than lowly servants, but there were also eunuchs who rose to great heights in the Imperial courts. And, it was the powerful eunuchs who triggered the jealousies of high-ranking officials. Indeed, some eunuchs were even more powerful than prime ministers, so you can imagine what a threat they were to the bureaucrats of their day.

The Ming Dynasty ran from 1368 to 1644. Nearer the end of this great era there were some 70,000 eunuchs employed by the emperor. By 1912, however, the number of eunuchs had dwindled to just 470. By this time the practice of using eunuchs had started to lose favour. And, China’s last eunuch, Sun Yaoting, was just shy of 94 years old when he died in 1996 at his home in Beijing. Sun Yaoting had served as a eunuch for Pu Yi, China’s Last Emperor.

He served the Last Emperor in both the Forbidden City, as well as in the troubled puppet court run by the Japanese in the 1930s. If you are interested in learning more about eunuchs, you should check out the Eunuch Culture Museum. It is the world’s only museum dedicated to eunuchs, and you can find this amazing museum in Beijing.

The Eunuch Culture Museum is also known as Tian Yi Tomb. This is because the museum is at the same location as the tomb of Tian Yi. Tian Yi was a Ming Dynasty eunuch who lived from 1534 to 1605. The eunuch’s tomb has been looted of all its treasures, but the remains of Tian Yi -- a much respected eunuch -- still lie here.

Tian Yi Tomb is said to be the best-preserved eunuch mausoleum in China, and it makes for a fascinating day-trip if you enjoy archeological sites or are curious about the history of these sexless males who served the great emperors of China.

The Eunuch Culture Museum is easy to get to. It is located in Shijingshan District, on the west side of the capital. It is just a short taxi ride or bus ride from Pingguoyuan subway station, which is on Line 1. And, Line 1 is also known as the red line.

The museum sits on the site of what was Cixiang Nunnery. Nuns and monks once lived in this Buddhist temple. But more interestingly, eunuchs once resided in Cixiang Nunnery too.

These were the eunuchs who guarded the tomb of Tian Yi, and the tombs of four of these eunuchs can be seen here today. The tombs stand to the left and right of Tian Yi’s tomb.