History Lecture Series · Empress Dowager Cixi

Author: Zhang Yan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: Experts review historical figures, authoritatively interpreting the 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 people wish 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 in a simplified way to readers, incorporating history into rational thinking and humanistic reflection. Thus, history is no longer merely about the past; it also helps us pay attention to the future. Her life was full of legends, from a favored concubine to a powerful Empress Dowager, truly a "divine beauty" ruling with absolute power. Her life was also filled with pain—losing her father in childhood, her husband in youth, and her son in middle age. She experienced the lowest points in her life. Empress Dowager Cixi, the ruler of a declining dynasty, her image obscured by lies and legends, gradually faded into history. What is true? What is false? What was the real Empress Dowager Cixi like? Professor Zhang Yan, the author of this book, provides a meticulous description of 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; Cixi was not entirely against the Hundred Days' 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 touch to portray Cixi's emotional side, showing readers a multifaceted Empress Dowager. In terms of personality, she had both benevolent and cruel aspects; in politics, she had both conservative and innovative sides; similarly, in diplomacy, she had both resistant and compromising sides. As a historical figure, Empress Dowager Cixi was complex and multifaceted. —Commentary by Cixi expert Wang Daocheng
Experts review historical figures, authoritatively interpreting the 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 people wish 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 in a simplified way to readers, incorporating history into rational thinking and humanistic reflection. Thus, history is no longer merely about the past; it also helps us pay attention to the future. Her life was full of legends, from a favored concubine to a powerful Empress Dowager, truly a "divine beauty" ruling with absolute power. Her life was also filled with pain—losing her father in childhood, her husband in youth, and her son in middle age. She experienced the lowest points in her life. Empress Dowager Cixi, the ruler of a declining dynasty, her image obscured by lies and legends, gradually faded into history. What is true? What is false? What was the real Empress Dowager Cixi like? Professor Zhang Yan, the author of this book, provides a meticulous description of 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; Cixi was not entirely against the Hundred Days' 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 touch to portray Cixi's emotional side, showing readers a multifaceted Empress Dowager. In terms of personality, she had both benevolent and cruel aspects; in politics, she had both conservative and innovative sides; similarly, in diplomacy, she had both resistant and compromising sides. As a historical figure, Empress Dowager Cixi was complex and multifaceted. —Commentary by Cixi expert Wang Daocheng