Zetian's journey to the throne started when she was 13 or 14 years of age. Emperor Taizong took her as a concubine. She gradually rose in influence within the royal palace, eventually giving birth ...

Well, this was one of the most horrific stories told about her: as the emperor’s concubine, she killed her own newborn child (the Emperor’s child too, of course), and then accused the Empress ...

He died three years later. Here also is a reminder of the darker side of palace life -- the well where Emperor Guangxu’s Concubine Zhen was drowned. Having supported him as he strove for reform ...

Like the Western Qing Mausoleums are the sacred burial grounds of Qing emperors, empresses and imperial concubines. Situated to the west of Malanyu Village in Zunhua County, Hebei Province ...

"Empress Dowager Cixi is a fascinating figure because she represents a contradiction — she wielded immense power in a world ...

Wu Zhao - noble, beautiful and well-educated - became the concubine of the elderly Emperor Taizong at the age of 14. She soon attracted the attention of the Emperor's heir, Li Zhi, who made her ...

Maomao directs her curiosity towards an old, oddly-shaped building.