History

This Order was instituted by Emperor Kuangsi in recognition of exceptional service to the throne and the Qing court. Originally, it was only awarded to foreigners, but in 1908 it was expanded to include Chinese citizens as well.

The I Class, III Grade was conferred upon Ministers, General Ministers, and I rank Diplomatic Envoys.

The Republic of China replaced the Imperial Orders following its establishment in 1912.

The obverse central Manchu inscriptions translate to "Great", "Great Qing", "Empire" or "Country", and "First Class, First Grade". The other characters translate to "Double", "Dragon", "Precious", "Star", "Imperial [or] Emperor", and "To Award".