Empress Dowager Cixi (1835–1908) rose from palace concubine to the de facto ruler of late Qing China. In Jung Chang’s sweeping biography, she emerges as a visionary stateswoman who guided a medieval empire into the modern age.
Against immense resistance, Cixi introduced railways, electricity, telegraph networks, and a modern army and navy. She abolished cruel punishments, banned foot-binding and championed early women’s rights. Her reforms reshaped China’s social and political landscape.
Facing the Taiping and Boxer Rebellions, wars with France and Japan, and the invasion of eight foreign powers, the Empress Dowager navigated diplomatic crises and internal upheaval with tactical acumen.
Drawing on newly uncovered Chinese court records, letters and diaries, this biography overturns myths of Cixi as a reactionary despot. It offers a vivid portrait of her private world in the Forbidden City and the dramatic events that marked the birth of modern China.
Key Highlights
- Modernization of industry and infrastructure
- Abolition of foot-binding and brutal punishments
- Insider view of palace intrigue and diplomacy
