Empress Wu Zetian of China

Charlemagne is a central figure in European history. In the 700s he conquered a vast empire. He is considered the progenitor of the French monarchy, several Germany dynasties and more. He even forced the Pope to crown him Holy Roman Emperor. But while Charlemagne was busy convert ...  Afficher plus

I'm at Hampton Court Palace in the Communication Gallery to look at a very special collection of paintings, the Windsor Beauties. These portraits immortalize 10 woman said to be the most stunning members of the restoration court. They exude elegance, confidence, and more than a h ...  Afficher plus

The inculcation of Buddhism from India as the state religion in China was enabled by the violent rise of China’s only ever woman Emperor. Raised by pious Buddhist parents, Wu Zetian left a trail of bodies in her wake as she charted a path to absolute power. From a lowly ranked co ...  Afficher plus

For better or (mostly) worse, Jiang Qing left her mark on the 20th century.

Even before she was married to Chairman Mao, Jiang was a charismatic actor, and her passion for culture helped her spearhead the Cultural Revolution as part of the Communist Party in China, l ...

Having garnered absolute power through bloody means, Empress Wu Zetian begins seeing apparitions, haunted by her violent schemes. With her husband incapacitated, the Empress at first held counsel on his behalf from behind a curtain. But she soon officially proclaimed herself a di ...  Afficher plus

As both the Qianlong Emperor's extensive reign and the Eighteenth Century itself comes to a close, the Qing Empire faces - in spite of its outward posturing of timeless grandeur and invulnerability - an ever more uncertain future. By this time his successor, the Jiaqing Emperor, ...  Afficher plus