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CHINA -

The Last Brother in Law

4 mins 10 sec - August 1996

Visuals - The Forbidden City as  sun comes up..

Reporter:

Jane Hutcheon

v/o: When the Ming Emperor Yong made Beijing the capital of the Middle Kingdom five hundred years ago, he set about constructing a palace with the proportions of a city. For almost five centuries, the most powerful men and women lived within these walls. The Forbidden City is now Beijing's principle tourist site. Foreigners can now mingle the Chinese masses for a dusty glimpse into China's imperial past. Before they couldn't enter on pain of death. Here Emperors, eunuchs and concubines lived a life of opulence isolated from the grinding poverty outside. I've got the best guide of them all, a man who knows the Forbidden City like a child knows a playground. And his playmate was none other than the Last Emperor Pu Yi.

Guobuluo Runqi:

We ran up that hill.

Reporter:

Really.

Runqi:

When we were young we thought it was very big. Now it looks very small.

Reporter:

You played with Pu Yi?

Runqi:

Yes, I played with Pu Yi. We ran up the hill from the back.

V/o: Guobuluo Runqi became part of the imperial household at the age of seven when his sister married the Last Emperor, Pu Yi in the early 20s. He didn't like it. Pu Yi realised at an early stage that he didn 't enjoy the lifestyle. He wanted to escape with his brother to Britain.

v/o: Runqi and the household remained in the Forbidden City until 1924 when the Nationalist government drove them out closing the gates on imperial rule. At 86 the last brother-in-law has a burning ambition to open a clinic. He's already a traditional medicine practitioner, treating patients like Ms Fang for free.

Runqi:

Still haven't had your period?

Ms Fang:

No, not yet.

Runqi:

Not yet, okay.

V/o: Although she's in her early 50s, Ms Fang believes traditional medicine can prolong her youth.

Reporter:

It's not painful.

Ms Fang:

No, no pain.

Runqi:

I have photos which were taken before hand. You can have a good look when she stands up. Just like a young person. So 1 say, my method should be studied and promoted.

v/o: And the after treatment results are looking good too for the man who hides an amazing life story under his stethoscope.

Reporter:

What's been the most rewarding period of your life?

Runqi:

I think now is the best time. I can give full play to my special skills and make some contribution to people. Now 1 do not have a job. But 1 can use my 'Guo-sty/e treatment' to treat patient and to become a person who is useful to people. I am well pleased. But the clinic is not yet established. The characters on the signboard aren 't finished yet

V/o: For Runqi the past is something for the history books. Socialist China has unwound the trappings of his imperial upbringing. Any momentos or photos he once had have been lost. But the playground of his childhood remains in tact .. open for the whole world to see.

ABC Australia