On February 7, 1799, Qianlong Emperor, the 5th emperor of the Qing dynasty died.

He abdicated in favour of his son in 1795, but retained the real power behind the throne until his death. 

The Qianlong Emperor held power for the longest amount of time in Chinese history. He ruled during the Qing dynasty, also referred to as Manchu, governing from 1735 until 1796. He officially abdicated after 60 years of power out of respect for the 61-year long reign of his grandfather Kangxi, but retained actual control of the empire until his death in 1799. He came to power at the young age of 24, and enlarged the empire by almost 600,000 square miles by mounting a military campaign against the Turks and the Mongols, and subsequently gaining the land that would become the New Province (present-day Uygur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang).
The Qianlong Emperor

Seal of Emperor Qianlong
Issued in 2004 as part of 
China’s Bloodstone Seals set

Emperor Qianlong (1711–1799) wore many hats. He was a ruler who presided over one one of imperial China’s most prosperous eras. A devoted son deeply influenced by his family. And a husband whose poetry immortalised a beloved wife. His life was a blend of power and artistry, discipline and passion, military ambition and cultural refinement. From his formative years in the royal court’s residence for princes – which later became the Palace of Double Brilliance (Chonghua Gong in Chinese) – to his six-decade reign over a vast empire, Qianlong’s story continues to fascinate history buffs today.
The Emperor Who Shaped an Era | macaomagazine.net

 

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