How Chinese Empress Dowager Cixi Came to Power and Stayed in Power -- Jenny Explains

Empress Dowager Cixi1 (Chinese: 慈禧太后; pinyin: Cíxǐ Tàihòu; Wade-Giles: Tz'u-Hsi T'ai-hou) (29 November 1835 15 November 1908), of the Manchu Yehe Nara Clan, was a powerful and charismatic figure who became the de facto ruler of the Manchu Qing Dynasty in China for 48 years from 1861 to her death in 1908.

Selected by the Xianfeng Emperor as a concubine in her adolescence, she climbed the ranks of Xianfeng's harem and gave birth to a son, who became the Tongzhi Emperor upon Xianfeng's death. Cixi ousted a group of regents appointed by the late emperor and assumed regency over her young son with Empress Dowager Ci'an. Cixi then consolidated control and established near-absolute rule over the dynasty. She installed her nephew as the Guangxu Emperor in 1875. A conservative ruler who refused to adopt Western models of government, Cixi rejected reformist views and placed Guangxu under house arrest in later years for supporting reformers. However, after a humiliating clash with the Eight-Nation Alliance, external and internal pressures led Cixi to attempt institutional changes and appoint reform-minded officials. Ultimately, the Qing Dynasty collapsed a few years after her death.

Wikipedia

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• Jenny
• Summer
• Palace
• Empress
• Dowager
• Cixi
• Guangxu
• Forbidden
• City

[Shakerliiia]

Wow, thanks! It was very interesting!

[iviewthetube]

@Shakerliiia You're welcome.  And thank you.

[TheShayChan]

Didn't Empress Dowager Cixi start out as a concubine?

[iviewthetube]

Apparently yes. But could only cover so much in a short period of time.

[iviewthetube]

One can only ask, what are concubines cleaning?

[shirusubemonaku]

wow, good explanation! thanks!

[iviewthetube]

I was happy to have posted this; she did a very good job. The credit goes to "Jenny" with Beijing Xinhua International Tours.

[redtony58]

Thanks for the tour. You gotta watch out for those cleaning ladies

[ilovesamsungverymuch]

Read Anchee Min's Empress Orchid and The Last Empress for another perspective of Empress Dowager Cixi's life story.

"I laugh when I hear people say that it was my desire to rule China from an early age." - Lady Yehe Nara

[FOXOF123]

cute ascent! it makes the whole touring soo much more fun and exciting when you have someone who knows the history explaining to you... i should consider a tour guide next time i visit china :)

[BlurrrPot]

i paused at 1:05. have a look. its vry interesting.