The Path to Power: Eliminating Opposition

After Emperor Gaozong of Tang’s death, Wu Zetian—then empress dowager—moved decisively to consolidate power. She deposed her son Li Zhe (Emperor Zhongzong), placed another son Li Dan (Emperor Ruizong) under house arrest, crushed the Yangzhou rebellion led by Li Jingye, and executed chancellor Pei Yan. These ruthless actions effectively eliminated the Tang imperial family’s male-line descendants and key political opponents.

Yet violence alone couldn’t legitimize her unprecedented ambition: becoming China’s first female emperor. Traditional Confucian ideology held that “a hen crowing at dawn heralds the family’s ruin”—women ruling was considered unnatural. Wu needed cultural and spiritual strategies to reshape public perception.

Building Sacred Legitimacy: The Mingtang Project

Wu turned to architectural propaganda, commissioning the Mingtang (“Hall of Enlightenment”) in 688 CE. This sacred structure, mentioned in Confucian classics as where legendary emperors connected heaven and earth, hadn’t been built for centuries—partly because its design was lost. Emperor Gaozong had failed after decades of scholarly debates.

Wu bypassed traditional scholars, tasking her loyal “North Gate Scholars” to design an awe-inspiring version. Her former lover, the monk Xue Huaiyi, supervised 10,000 workers to complete the 91.43-meter structure (twice the height of Beijing’s Hall of Supreme Harmony) in just ten months. The Mingtang’s symbolism was profound:
– Three tiers representing seasons, zodiac cycles, and solar terms
– Nine gilded dragons supporting a platform topped by a golden phoenix statue
– Deliberate visual dominance over Luoyang’s skyline

When Wu conducted state rituals there in 689 CE—with Emperor Ruizong attending as her subordinate—the message was clear: divine authority now resided with the “Holy Mother Divine Emperor.”

Rewriting Language: The Power of Characters

Wu manipulated Chinese characters to reinforce her legitimacy. She introduced twelve new characters in 690 CE, including:
– 君 (jūn, “monarch”): Combining 天 (heaven), 大 (great), and 吉 (auspicious) to mean “heaven’s great blessing”
– 曌 (zhào): Her personal name, combining sun, moon, and sky to signify “shining over all creation”

While most faded after her reign, 曌 endures as her indelible mark on history—a testament to her cultural impact.

Manufacturing Divine Mandate: Omens and Buddhism

Confucian theory held that heaven endorsed rulers through omens. Wu’s officials reported countless “auspicious signs”:
– 686 CE: A “Celebration Mountain” emerged after an earthquake (interpreted as earth celebrating her rule)
– Educational officials were tested on interpreting omens rather than classics

Yet Confucianism couldn’t justify female rule. Wu turned to Buddhism, where her advisor Xue Huaiyi “discovered” the Great Cloud Sutra, prophesying a goddess transforming into a female ruler. Wu then:
– Commissioned simplified commentaries (Great Cloud Sutra Exegesis)
– Identified herself as Maitreya Buddha incarnate
– Built state-sponsored Great Cloud Temples nationwide

This created religious justification where Confucianism failed.

The Performance of Public Acclaim

In 690 CE, Wu staged three escalating “public petitions”:
1. First Petition: 300 commoners led by low-ranking official Fu Youyi (promptly promoted)
2. Second Petition: 12,000 people including foreigners and clergy
3. Final Spectacle: 60,000+ with officials joining, coinciding with “phoenix sightings”

The coup de grâce came when Emperor Ruizong himself joined, begging to surrender the throne and take Wu’s surname. On 9/9/690 (the yang-heavy Double Ninth Festival), 66-year-old Wu ascended as “Holy and Divine Emperor” of the new Zhou Dynasty.

Legacy of Contradictions

Wu’s reign (690-705 CE) left enduring paradoxes:
– Gender vs. Tradition: She adopted masculine symbols (choosing the yang-heavy coronation date) while breaking gender barriers
– Zhou Dynasty Claims: Inventing descent from the ancient Zhou to borrow its 800-year legitimacy
– Selective Memory: Destroying Tang ancestral temples but preserving shrines to Gaozu, Taizong, and Gaozong

Her story remains a masterclass in political theater—where architecture, religion, language, and staged populism combined to shatter a millennium of tradition. The Mingtang’s ruins and the character 曌 stand as silent witnesses to history’s most audacious female ruler.