Charles Yu Hsingling ( zh, t=裕馨齡, w=Yü Hsin-ling, p=Yù Xīnlíng; 11 January 1879?), often referred to as Charles Hsingling, was a Hanjun Plain White bannerman who served as second secretary in the Qing-dynasty Embassy in France. He was also an engineer worked for the Qing imperial railways.

Biography

Born in an upper-class family, he was the younger son of , a high-ranking

Manchu The Manchus (; ) are a Tungusic East Asian ethnic group native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. They are an officially recognized ethnic minority in China and the people from whom Manchuria derives its name. The Later Jin (1616–1636) and Q ...

official, and Louisa Pierson, a Chinese-American woman of mysterious antecedents. He had three siblings, the elder brother John Yu Shuinling, two younger sisters, Lizzie Yu Der Ling and

Nellie Yu Roung Ling Nellie Yu Roung Ling ( zh, t=裕容齡, w=Yü Jung-ling, p=Yù Rónglíng; 188216 January 1973), also spelt Nelly, was a Hanjun Plain White bannerwoman and dancer, who is considered "the first modern dancer of China". She was the younger daught ...

. He was a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

baptised at the wish of his mother, and, like his siblings, received Western education in American missionary school. The British diplomat Sir Robert Hart described them as "a noisy family of English-speaking children, were fluent also in Japanese and French". From 1899 to 1902, he served as second secretary in the Qing-dynasty Embassy in France, where his father held a diplomatic post. The Yu siblings led a cosmopolitan life in Paris, they socialised, frequented the theatre and performed at their parents' parties. The weekly magazine reported that the four children of Minister Yu Keng "superbly performed" an English comedy in three acts at a soirée organised by their father. In March 1901, the Yus threw a fancy dress ball at the Chinese Embassy to celebrate Chinese New Year, at which Hsingling was costumed as Napoleon, his siblings Shuinling, Roung Ling and Der Ling, were dressed respectively as

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, Prince Charming and a doll in the fairy tale. He married Geneviève Deneu, a French piano teacher. The wedding took place at the on 16 October 1902. Not much is known about his later life.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yu, Charles, Hsingling 1879 births Date of death missing Qing dynasty diplomats Chinese diplomats 19th-century Chinese engineers 20th-century Chinese engineers Chinese Roman Catholics Chinese people of American descent Han Chinese Plain White Bannermen