Empress Dowager Cixi: The Concubine Who Launched Modern China (63 page)

The Summer Palace, which Cixi loved passionately, by a foreign artist.

Portrait of Cixi by the American painter Katharine Carl, for the St Louis Exposition in 1904.

Katharine Carl, in Chinese costume selected – possibly designed – by Cixi.

In snow in winter 1903-4. Slightly in the background is Cixi’s close adviser, Louisa Pierson, half-American, half-Chinese, whose two daughters, Der Ling and Rongling, are on either side of Cixi.

Louisa Pierson (seated), her husband, Yu Keng (far right), China’s minister to France, their two daughters and son Hsingling (far left), here in a Paris restaurant entertaining Prince Zaizhen (seated in the middle), who had just attended the coronation of King Edward VII in London in 1902.

Rongling, their daughter, studied dancing in Paris and has become known as ‘the First Lady of modern dancing in China’.

Hsingling dressed as Napoleon at a fancy dress ball given by his parents to celebrate Chinese New Year in 1901.

A high class courtesan with a strong resemblance to Prettier Than Golden Flower, consort to Cixi’s minister to Berlin in the mid-1880s.

As part of Cixi’s modernisation programme, in the 1870s groups of young teenagers were sent to America to receive a comprehensive education.

In 1889, Emperor Guangxu took over the running of the empire whereupon Cixi retired. Here, Guangxu’s favourite concubine, Pearl.

Grand Tutor Weng, a father figure to him.

Guangxu detested his empress, whom Cixi (centre, in cape) had picked. Empress Longyu (second from left), was stooped and looked a pitiful figure in the court. Far left: Cui, the eunuch; and far right: Louisa Pierson.

CIXI’S FOES

Sir Yinhuan, Emperor Guangxu’s confidant and possibly Tokyo’s biggest agent. He helped Kang Youwei to gain influence over Guangxu. Kang plotted to kill Cixi.