Rehabilitating the Last Empress

Overview

• Event: Presentation by Jung Chang at Asia Society-Mechanics Institute event on November 18
• Subject: Revisionist history of Empress Dowager Cixi, China's last Empress
• Speaker: Jung Chang, author of Empress Dowager Cixi

Key Themes

Empress Cixi's Image

• Conventional View: Cixi seen as cruel, ineffective, and traditionalist
• Chang's View: Portrays Cixi as a modernizer and proto-feminist

Cixi's Achievements

• Attempted to modernize China as a strong military state
• Advocated for women's emancipation from traditional constraints
• Proposed reforms similar to those in Meiji Japan
• Suggested a constitutional monarchy with universal suffrage

Cixi's Challenges and Failures

• Came to power during a period of external threats from Europe, U.S., and Japan
• Mistakes included supporting the Boxer Rebellion in 1900
• Despite efforts, failed to transform China into a modern state
• Her refusal to relinquish power paved the way for the fall of the imperial rule

Historical Context

• Cixi's period in power: Mid-19th to early 20th century
• Entered Forbidden City in 1852 as a concubine
• Used her position to maintain power by manipulating male figureheads

Reforms Initiated

• Modernized military with Western technology
• Opened China to foreign trade
• Called for an end to foot binding
• Promoted women's participation in society

Jung Chang's Research

• Utilized Chinese-language resources, official records, diaries
• Provides nuanced perspective of Cixi's role and legacy

Conclusion

• Cixi's impact was significant yet mixed
• Her radical attempts at reform set the stage for later developments, but were not entirely successful
• Chang's work challenges the traditional narrative, highlighting Cixi's contributions and complexities

Visuals

• Images of Jung Chang during the talk and book signing

Additional Information

• The book draws from a rich array of new historical resources
• Chang's narrative offers a comprehensive look at Cixi's life and ambitions