Empress Dowager Cixi: The Concubine Who Launched Modern China

By Jung Chang

From the beloved, internationally bestselling author of Wild Swans, and co-author of the bestselling Mao: The Unknown Story, the dramatic, epic biography of the unusual woman who ruled China for 50 years, from concubine to Empress, overturning centuries of traditions and formalities to bring China into the modern world.

A woman, an Empress of immense wealth who was largely a prisoner within the compound walls of her palaces, a mother, a ruthless enemy, and a brilliant strategist: Chang makes a compelling case that Cixi was one of the most formidable and enlightened rulers of any nation. Cixi led an intense and singular life. Chosen at the age of 12 to be a concubine by the Emperor Xianfeng, she gave birth to his only male heir who at four was designated Emperor when his father died in 1861. In a brilliant move, the young woman enlisted the help of the Emperor's widow and the two women orchestrated a coup that ousted the regents and made Cixi sole Regent. Untrained and untaught, the two studied history and politics together, ruling the huge nation from behind a curtain. When her boy died, Cixi designated a young nephew as Emperor, continuing her reign till her death in 1908. Chang gives us a complex, riveting portrait of Cixi through a reign as long as that of her fellow Empress, Victoria, whom she longed to meet: her ruthlessness in fighting off rivals; her curiosity to learn; her reliance on Westerners who she placed in key positions; and her sensitivity and desire to preserve the distinctiveness of China's past while overturning traditions (she, as Chang reveals--not Mao, as he claimed--banned footbinding) and exposing its culture to western ideas and technology.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Oct 29, 2013
• ISBN: 9780307363121

Jung Chang

Jung Chang was born in Yibin, Sichuan Province, China, in 1952. She was briefly a Red Guard, and then a peasant, a ‘barefoot doctor’, a steelworker and an electrician. She came to Britain in 1978, and became the first person from the People’s Republic of China to receive a doctorate from a British university. Her books include ‘Wild Swans’, which won the 1992 NCR Book Award and the 1993 British Book of the Year, and sold over 10 million copies. She lives in London.

Reviews for Empress Dowager Cixi

[montzaleew · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Empress Dowager Cixi: The Concubine Who Launched Modern China by Jung Chang reads so smoothly like a novel but is strictly historical. I haven't read a history book so well done in a long time. Well done that keeps to the facts, not adding speculation, but adding what the what the surroundings/clothing/jewelry/etc would look like. So well done I felt like I knew the society of the times, dress, politics, dress, etc. Very different culture but interesting. I got this from the library and it was the audio book.

[tronella_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Interesting and very readable, even though I knew basically nothing about this period of history beforehand. The author often mentioned that most historians disagreed with her on any point, which made me think that her views are probably somewhat exaggerated too. Still, I feel like I learned a lot.

[scapegoats · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This is a terrible history book. It isn't bad for historical fiction, but should never be used as a basis for understanding the Empress Dowager Cixi or the late Qing Empire. The author takes a great subject and distorts it beyond recognition, somehow claiming that Cixi was a benevolent reformer. To sum up the main points, Cixi did everything she could to save China. When she made mistakes, they were understandable, but she didn't make many.There are two big problems with this book. The first is that the author seems to think she knows Cixi's mind. It is fine to look at someone's actions and speculate on what they might be thinking, but she repeatedly makes claims about Cixi's thought process that are simply not born out by the evidence. She has decided that Cixi's every thought and move was for the benefit of the empire.This leads to the second problem. She tries to rewrite history to make Cixi into a tragically misunderstood figure. That might be a worthy endeavor, because Cixi's historical reputation is probably overly harsh. But the author does it in a way that is more like historical fiction than history. Here are a few examples:1) Cixi apparently built up the Chinese army so it could defend the country, but Emperor Guangxu undid that in only a few years, leading up to the Sino-Japanese War. In fact, had Cixi been in charge at the time, China was won the war. Even if it lost, she never would have agreed to the Treaty of Shimonoseki. That is what really ruined China, not her decades of rule.2) Cixi was also responsible for the reforms of Kang Youwei, even though she eventually reversed them.3) Cixi led China into the modern era with the "real revolution" of the last eight years of her life. The author cites Cixi's progressive open-mindedness as the reason, without discussing the political expediencies involved. It was all about Cixi's vision, including picking an incredibly weak emperor, regent and empress-dowager to succeed her.All in all, the author appears to have made up her mind about her subject and then twisted the facts to fit the picture she wanted to paint. If a student turned this in to me, I would applaud the effort of something so broad but give it an F for historical analysis.

[yooperprof · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I learned an incredible amount of Chinese History reading this fascinating and well-written biography.Cixi was one of the Chinese Emperor Xianfeng's favored concubines when she gave birth to his only surviving son in 1856. This gave her increased prominence at his court and made it possible for her to obtain the powerful position of Dowager Empress upon Xianfeng's death in 1861.For the next half century - until her death in 1908 - Cixi was at the center of dynastic, internal, and imperial politics in China. She seems to have played a central role in an attempt to modernize the Chinese economy, but she also made severe miscalculations resulting in war and occupation by foreign powers at the time of the Boxer Rebellion of 1900. I don't know enough about China and its history to comment critically on most of the arguments advanced by Jung Chang in her book. But the central thesis is certainly plausible: that the character and accomplishments of the Dowager Empress have been consistently minimized, maligned, and slighted by generations of historians and political leaders because of her gender.

[aidclu06 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Interesting autobiography on an otherwise quiet member of history. Seems to have been an important person.

[hfglen · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What a character! In 1852 the 16-year-old "woman of the Nala family" was selected as a sixth-class concubine for the Emperor of China. She had considerable intelligence and determination, which she used to rise to being Empress, and when the Emperor Xianfeng died, Dowager Empress. In this capacity she blindsided the Grand Council who acted as regents to the new child-emperor, and ran the country for 40 years, until her death in 1908. Whereupon the place erupted into chaos that it's still recovering from. In more detail, Ms Chang has used a mountain of archival material only recently released for study (in Beijing), and contemporary Western accounts, to paint a picture of Cixi totally at odds with the one we're used to. No, she wasn't a bloodthirsty dragon; she "only" compassed the demise of some two dozen people (even if one of them was her adoptive son), rather than the 70 million that Mao chalked up. No, she wasn't a narrow-minded traditionalist; half the book details the steps she took to thwart the mandarins and bring China into the 19th century (at all times having to hasten slowly because the person a French diplomat apostrophised as "the only [proper man in China" was the wrong sex to be listened to). The book is occasionally heavy but mostly the pages turn themselves easily; the overall effect is riveting. And the thesis chimes in well with the Cixi-ana on public display to this day in the Summer Palace. Item: she was given a car (I'm sure the guide said she bought it, which would seem to have been in character), but only when it was delivered did someone realize there was a protocol problem: everybody had to kneel (or, with her permission, stand) in the presence of the Empress Dowager, and neither position is exactly conducive to safe driving. So she never got to try it out, and today it is parked in a museum hall in the Summer Palace.I see this is Ms Chang's third book, and the library has one of the others. I can't wait go grab it.

[busterrll · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Enjoyable read - except in latter chapters where the author turns apologetically feminist. Additionally, the last Chapter had me wondering if the author had access to "alternative" facts. Unfortunately, my personal knowledge is sufficiently weak that I need to do more homework before I complain..

[podocyte_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An interesting book about a very interesting historical figure. I wish the book contained more discussion about the widely felt negative view of Ci Xi in China today and the very positive view of Ci Xi presented by this book. Does the author have a bias as she presents the empress dowengeri in such a positive way?

[bookbrig-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is SO GOOD. (The audio was also great.) I feel like I actually got to know the empress intimately, as well as getting a sweeping look at Chinese history and its role in the geopolitical landscape. I found the ways she had to work within the dynastic system fascinating, and I can't imagine the intelligence and unwavering will she had to have to get things done and see them through. I looooooved this.

[opinionated_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It is really impossible to review this book without access to the original sources (which I don't have) or the ability to read Chinese (which I don't have). This is clearly a revisionist biography, but whether the very positive reappraisal of Empress Dowager Cixi as a founder of modern China is based on a realistic or an optimistic view of the Empress is impossible to say. Its clear that Jung Chang wishes to show the Empress in the best possible light, and readers should be aware that this is close to a hagiography - but, as I say, that doesn't necessarily make it untrue. As a reader, you have to willingly suspend any disbelief that she may have been more despot than reformer, more xenophobe than xenophile, more tyrannical than kindly, as the constant flow of subjects to the execution grounds might suggest, and accept the author's word, and let her tell her storyAnd what a great story it is; Cixi rises from 6th rank concubine, to mother to the heir, to ruling "behind the screen" as joint regent, then the power behind the throne to the somewhat feckless Emperor. In all, close to 50 years in effective control. During this period, there are times of relative peace and harmony in the Empire; at other times the complete opposite, as China loses a disastrous war with Japan and the Boxer rebellion leads to an occupation of the Forbidden City by foreigners, and the Imperial Family has to go into internal exileAs such the tone of the book wobbles between relatively sober assessment of court life and administrative duties, and tele-novela style treason and plot. Still, its entertaining stuff, and for people such as myself, who only knew the basics of the end of the QIng Dynasty, its a good way to fill in the gaps and join the dots. Its well worth reading - but with a sceptical attitude

[jerhogan · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Interesting take on Cixi who seems to have been a remarkable woman who made China what it is today.

[zumbanista · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A long and elaborately detailed story of China's last Empress, Cixi. Chronicling her rise from a concubine to the Emperor to her incredibly long rule as Dowager Empress. Cixi was a progressive ruler but always hampered by her gender. She was devious and ruthless too, resorting to murder in order the foster her plans. I believe the author attempts to revise history in this book, but If you take it at face value, it will reward you with a thorough education of China's political, social and international status during Cixi's lifetime. I had a little trouble keeping the many characters straight and the sheer length of the book wore me out at the end. Excellent photos appended and obviously a huge amount of research done. I will seek out more books about China's recent past.

[zeborah · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I seem to be giving lots of books five stars recently, and I'm not going to stop until I read a book that isn't fantastic.This had me from the first paragraph. Going from girl, to concubine, to mother of the heir, to mother of the emperor, to "Oh god if we women don't do something the men are going to screw everything up; I know, let's run a simple dodge on them that'll work because they think we're just women," to bam! (co-)ruler of a third of Earth's population for the majority of the next half a century.And a damn good one too. The author is possibly overly sympathetic to her, but then most of history has been overly antagonistic to her, with a lot more ulterior motive. Reading the Wikipedia article after this book is a surreal experience. But it is hard to really credit a theory of Cixi that says with a straight face "Ironically, Cixi sponsored the implementation of a reform program more radical than the one proposed by the reformers she had beheaded in 1898" (really, 'ironically'? do they think she did this by accident? or that she was the world's first hipster?) and "Cixi may have known of her imminent death and may have worried that Guangxu would continue his reforms after her death" and generally fails to recognise that just possibly it wasn't his reforms that she was opposed to, actually?Likewise, apparently some people think she didn't get on with the Empress Dowager Ci'an, but I see no way a co-ruling arrangement could last for twenty years omg in that environment if they didn't.So, though I think the book could have been more critical of the mistakes Cixi did make, as a read I don't much care. It's a riveting story with a powerful character achieving amazing things against tremendous odds.

[briandrewz · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fascinating insight into the life of the woman who changed China. The Empress Dowager Cixi seemingly dragged her country from the Middle Ages into modernity. Her under rule the painful practice of footbinding was outlawed, as was the torture and mistreatment of prisoners. Cixi established relations with foreign countries and innovative technology was introduced under her reign. This book is recommended reading for anyone interested in royalty, women's studies, or just a good biography.

[bjmitch_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the biography of Empress Dowager Cixi, the woman who at the age of 12 became a concubine of Emperor Xianfeng which is a great honor even though she was initially only a low level member of his harem. Fortunately for her, she gave birth to the emperor's first son, and was therefore elevated to #2 concubine. She and #1 were both mothers to Cixi's son.When the emperor died, Cixi and #1 managed a coup which made them regents over the four-year-old new emperor. The two women acted on Cixi's ability to keep her eye on the big picture as she instituted gradual reforms to pull the country out of abject poverty. Later her son died young and she got her sister's young son designated as the heir. Once again Cixi was the regent, keeping China on a steady course toward power, respectability, and prosperity.Unfortunately that nephew undid much of the good Cixi had accomplished and he mismanaged relations with Japan so badly that the country was once again plunged into dire poverty. Only when he admitted Cixi into negotiations and political dealings did things improve.Cixi was virtually a prisoner in the emperor's harem most of her life and yet was able to maneuver the men in power to her way of thinking. When they listened to her, China prospered, when they didn't, the country failed. She died in 1908.The author was born in China, coming to Great Britain in 1978. This is a work based on scholarly research and the book will have footnotes, bibliography, photographs, and an index. However, it is accessible to the general reader. I didn't know anything about her, so I learned not only her story but quite a bit I had forgotten or didn't know about Chinese history. I come away from my reading with a great admiration for Cixi and for the journey China traveled from a closed country to the power it is today.Highly recommended especially for women's historySource: Amazon Vine

[mimal_5 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

bookshelves: autumn-2013, china, biography, history, nonfiction, published-2013Recommended to Bettie by: LauraRead on September 28, 2013BBC BLURB: Jung-Chang's ground-breaking biography reassesses the reputation of this formidable 19th century stateswoman who single-handedly dragged China into modernity. Based on newly available documents, this biography comprehensively overturns the conventional view of the Dowager Empress as a deeply conservative and cruel despot.Jung Chang vividly describes how Cixi fought against monumental obstacles to change China. Under her the ancient country attained virtually all the attributes of a modern state: industries, railways, electricity, telegraph, and an army and navy with up-to-date weaponry. It was she who abolished gruesome punishments like 'death by a thousand cuts' and put an end to foot-binding. She inaugurated women's liberation, and embarked on the path to introduce parliamentary elections to China.A fast-paced and gripping story which takes us inside the mind of a brilliant political strategist.Read by Pik-Sen LimAbridged by Sara DaviesProduced by Gemma Jenkins.Airbrushed into diplomatic terms, this did not engage me. How could anyone have made this history such bland fayre.5* Wild Swans2* (2.5) Empress Dowager Cixi

[artheart-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Solely, if you are reading for pleasure, one would find Jung Chang’s book interesting. However, please do not take every sentence as written truth. The historical mistakes in this book are painful to read. Empress Dowager Cixi has not been portrayed in a balance way. Also, from a historical research perspective, there are more reliable resources available.

[sriram_shankar_8 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is an excellent book!The story of the last days of the Qing empire is a very riveting one of human failings and of people trying to do the best they can, only to realize the best is not good enough. The book brings out very beautifully the human side of the Celestial Emperor and the Empress Dowager. They may be 'mandated' by Heaven, but they were still only too human.