22/08/2026
【清史上的今天】1861年8月22日、清咸丰十一年：清文宗咸丰皇帝病驾崩于承德避暑山庄烟波致爽殿，葬于定陵（河北遵化市清东陵），享年31岁。
咸丰皇帝即位后便勤于政事，大手笔的对朝政改革。为了挽救统治危机，咸丰帝颇思除弊求治。他任贤去邪，企图重振纲纪。重用汉族官僚曾国藩，依靠其训练指挥的汉族地主武装镇压太平天国和捻军起义。提拔敢于任事的肃顺，支持肃顺等革除弊政。同时，罢斥了道光朝军机大臣穆彰阿、耆英等。
但此时的大清帝国内忧外患不断，最后更以签定一系列不平等条约收场。咸丰朝以后也因企图重新扭转对内交外困的局面而开启洋务运动。
然而，他临终前对朝政事宜不合理的安排和权力制衡，使朝臣和后宫在有关朝政和国事方面展开逐鹿，间接导致慈安太后、慈禧太后、恭亲王奕䜣、醇亲王奕譞联手，打倒了顾命八大臣，最后慈禧掌权近半个世纪，从而也被有些史家流派认为咸丰帝没有安排好善后事宜，致使后宫干政近半个世纪的局面。
[Today in Qing History] August 22, 1861, the 11th year of the Xianfeng reign: The Xianfeng Emperor, also known as Emperor Wenzong of Qing, passed away from illness in the Yanbozhishuang Hall of the Chengde Mountain Resort. He was interred at Dingling (Eastern Qing Tombs in Zunhua, Hebei) at the age of 31.
Upon ascending the throne, the Xianfeng Emperor diligently attended to state affairs and undertook major political reforms. In an effort to resolve the crisis of governance, the emperor actively sought to eradicate corruption and restore order. He placed his trust in virtuous officials and dismissed the corrupt, aspiring to rejuvenate the imperial bureaucracy. He heavily relied on the Han Chinese official, Zeng Guofan, employing him and the Han landlord militias he trained to suppress the Taiping Rebellion and the Nian Rebellion. The emperor also promoted bold reformers like Su Shun and backed their efforts to eliminate corrupt practices. Concurrently, officials like Mu Zhang'a and Qi Ying from the Daoguang era were dismissed.
However, at this time, the Qing Empire faced incessant internal and external threats, culminating in the signing of a series of unequal treaties. Following the Xianfeng era, attempts were made to remedy the domestic and foreign crises, leading to the initiation of the Self-Strengthening Movement.
Nevertheless, the Xianfeng Emperor's last-minute arrangements concerning state affairs and the balance of power proved imprudent. It resulted in a power struggle among the court officials and the imperial harem concerning state and national matters. This indirectly led to a coalition of Empress Dowager Cixi, Empress Dowager Ci'an, Prince Gong Yixin, and Prince Chun Yixuan, who eventually overthrew the emperor's designated Eight Regents. Consequently, Empress Dowager Cixi held significant power for nearly half a century. Some historians argue that the Xianfeng Emperor's failure to properly arrange for his succession indirectly led to the situation where the imperial harem exerted considerable influence over state affairs for almost fifty years.
