Pu Ru (or Puru, honorary name Xinyu) was born in Beijing on August 30, 1896, a member of the imperial family of the Qing dynasty and a cousin of Pu Yi, the "last emperor" of China - to whom Bernardo Bertolucci's award-winning film is dedicated - before the imperial dynasty was forced to abdicate and the Republic of China was founded. Pu Ru decides to henceforth use his honorary name Pu Xinyu. Pu Ru begins his studies at the University of Beijing, then goes to Berlin to study astronomy and biology at the University. In 1922, he received his doctorate in both subjects.