Originally Empress Dowager Cixi

Author: Zhang Yan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: Experts review historical figures, authoritatively interpreting mysteries. Historian Lucien Febvre of France once said: "Our task is to create history, because in a turbulent world, only history can help us face life without fear." This is even more true in today's fast-paced era, where more and more people hope to understand our past to better focus on our future. The purpose of the "Great History Lecture" series is precisely this—to present the past to readers in a concise way, incorporating history into rational thinking and humanistic reflection. Thus, history is no longer just about the past; it also helps us pay attention to the future. Her life was filled with legends, from being a favored concubine to a powerful imperial empress, truly a queen of unparalleled status. Her life was also filled with pain—losing her father in her youth, her husband in her prime, and her son in middle age. She experienced the lowest points of her life. Empress Dowager Cixi, the ruler of a declining dynasty, her image obscured by lies and legends, history gradually blurred. What is true? What is false? What was Empress Dowager Cixi really like? Professor Zhang Yan, the author of this book, provides a meticulous description of Empress Dowager Cixi's mysterious background, her experiences in the palace, her political career, and her personal life, revealing many little-known details and presenting well-supported unique perspectives: the death of the Tongzhi Emperor was due to smallpox and complications from syphilis; during the Hundred Days' Reform, Empress Dowager Cixi was not entirely opposed to the reform; the funds used to build the Summer Palace were not as much as people imagine, etc. The author also uses a literary and delicate brushstroke to depict Empress Dowager Cixi's emotional side, showing readers a multifaceted Empress Dowager. In terms of personality, she had both benevolent and cruel sides; in politics, she had both conservative and innovative aspects; similarly, in diplomacy, she had both resistant and compromising sides. As a historical figure, Empress Dowager Cixi was complex and multifaceted.
—Wang Daoceng, Cixi Research Expert
This book provides a meticulous description of Empress Dowager Cixi's mysterious background, her experiences in the palace, her political career, and her personal life, revealing many little-known details.