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China: Qing Dynasty, 'A young eunuch undressed to show his castration, Beijing, 1901', K. Chimin Wong and Wu Lien-teh, History of Chinese Medicine, 2nd edition, Shanghai, 1936

China: Qing Dynasty, 'A young eunuch undressed to show his castration, Beijing, 1901', K. Chimin Wong and Wu Lien-teh, History of Chinese Medicine, 2nd edition, Shanghai, 1936

The Qing like all dynasties that ruled China made much use of eunuchs in the Imperial Palace.

In China, castration included removal of the penis as well as the testicles. Both organs were cut off with a knife at the same time.

The number of eunuchs in Imperial employ fell to 470 by 1912, when the practice of using them ceased. The last Imperial eunuch, Sun Yaoting, died in December 1996.