Two Years in the Forbidden City

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"Two Years in the Forbidden City" is a book written by Princess Der Ling, who was the renowned Lady-in-waiting to the Empress Dowager Cixi in the early 20th century. Though Empress Dowager Cixi is a household name, Der Ling's point of view offers a quite unique and surprisingly intimate portrayal of the Empress and Beijing's Imperial Palace in China's last feudal dynasty.

  1. 07/28/2019

    Two Years in the Forbidden City - Chapter 20

    In this last chapter of "Two Years in the Forbidden City", Der Ling finally came to the conclusion that she could never go back to her country of origin.

    38 min

  2. 07/21/2019

    Two Years in the Forbidden City - Chapter 19

    This segment of the "Two Years in the Forbidden City", being one of the remaining chapters of the book, details how Cixi was worried about the ongoing war between Russia and Japan. A very proud Cixi confided to Der Ling, suggesting it was the only mistake of her life, in what she argued was an otherwise flawless rule of the country.

    35 min

  3. 07/14/2019

    Two Years in the Forbidden City - Chapter 18

    On this episode of "Two Years in the Forbidden City"....During the celebrations of the Chinese New Year, Cixi was flattered and indulged in festivities with her people. The humorous and joyful lady was in sharp contrast to a quiet and gloomy emperor Guangxu.

    31 min

  4. 07/07/2019

    Two Years in the Forbidden City - Chapter 17

    On this episode of "Two Years in the Forbidden City"...the hidden threat of on-going war between Japan and Russia was in the air, but deliberately played down by those that feared these uncertainties.

    29 min

  5. 06/30/2019

    Two Years in the Forbidden City - Chapter 16

    On this episode, let delve into Her Majesty's birthday celebration in great detail, which provided a rare chance for us to get familiar with the rituals and etiquette of the times.

    44 min

  6. 06/23/2019

    Two Years in the Forbidden City - Chapter 15

    Two celebrations were going on in the Imperial Palace: one was the traditional Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, and the other was an anniversary marking the start of the Manchu dynasty. Well woven into the detailed descriptions of the protocols, etiquette and activities of the two celebrations are narrations, of comparatively trivial, but interesting matters of court.

    34 min

  7. 06/09/2019

    Two Years in the Forbidden City - Chapter 13 (Part 2)

    This episode of "Two Years in the Forbidden City" will bring you part 2 of Chapter 13 "The Empress's Portrait" where The Empress Dowager Cixi had a go at the modern technology of photography.

    24 min

  8. 06/09/2019

    Two Years in the Forbidden City - Chapter 14

    On this episode of "Two Years in the Forbidden City"......Through an account of the emperor's birthday celebration we'll get a glimpse of how Emperor Kwang Hsu suppressed his curiosity toward western civilization and had to succumb to the power of Empress Dowager Cixi.

    50 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.3
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

"Two Years in the Forbidden City" is a book written by Princess Der Ling, who was the renowned Lady-in-waiting to the Empress Dowager Cixi in the early 20th century. Though Empress Dowager Cixi is a household name, Der Ling's point of view offers a quite unique and surprisingly intimate portrayal of the Empress and Beijing's Imperial Palace in China's last feudal dynasty.

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