The Stage Is Set: Cixi’s Rise to Power The Eastern Warmth Chamber of the Hall of Mental Cultivation (养心殿东暖阁) became […]
The Dawn of Power: A Regent’s Rise and Routine The Forbidden City at daybreak witnessed a meticulously choreographed ballet of […]
The Imperial “Called to Rise”: A Ceremony of Absolute Authority In the rigid hierarchy of China’s Qing Dynasty (1644–1912), few […]
The Twilight of Imperial Beijing In the autumn evenings of post-war Beijing, the city bore the scars of recent upheavals. […]
The Political Significance of the Palace Empress Dowager Cixi’s choice to reside in the Palace of Gathered Elegance (储秀宫) was […]
The Rigid Hierarchy of the Forbidden City The Forbidden City during the late Qing Dynasty operated with military precision, governed […]
The Rigorous Life Behind the Golden Walls The Forbidden City, with its vermilion walls and golden roofs, has long symbolized […]
The Strict Hierarchy of Qing Palace Servants In the meticulously ordered world of the Qing Dynasty’s Forbidden City, a rigid […]