Month: June 2018

The book “Empress Dowager Cixi” by Jung Chang really shakes me up. Before I read the book, I was under the impression (from hear-say and my grandmother’s stories) that: (1) Empress Cixi was devious and a cruel lady; (2) She wanted power for herself - so much so that she devised schemes to ensure that her reign would last a long time; (3) She killed those who disobeyed her commands; (4) She hated the Europeans and the western influences on China, including the Christian beliefs; (5) She was much too strict to her servants and subordinates; (6) She contributed heavily […]