Tailor of the Last Empress

Author: Zhou Jin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: He is the exquisite and refined royal tailor; he is the earliest designer of the Eastern beauty garment – the cheongsam. He knows the elegance and taste of Wanrong, and also knows her loneliness and sorrow. This book is richly illustrated, offering a perspective on the turbulent transition of late Qing and early Republican China from the perspective of a small figure – the personal tailor of the last empress, Wanrong. It provides a detailed and vivid portrayal of the talent, demeanor, and fate of Wanrong in the Qing court and the puppet Manchukuo inner court, especially in the mysterious and obscure aspects of her life. When our interest shifts to the historical witnesses hidden behind the dazzling figures, we discover that history itself is far more complex, delicate, and thought-provoking than the narrative left for later generations. This book is richly illustrated, offering a perspective on the turbulent transition of late Qing and early Republican China from the perspective of a small figure – the personal tailor of the last empress, Wanrong. It provides a detailed and vivid portrayal of the talent, demeanor, and fate of Wanrong in the Qing court and the puppet Manchukuo inner court, especially in the mysterious and obscure aspects of her life. This is a work of documentary literature, telling the life story of Li Chunfang, a commoner who once served as the personal tailor of the last empress, Wanrong.