Page 47 - A Re-examination of Late Qing Dynasty Porcelain, 1850-1920 THESIS

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chaos. Cixi was forced to flee the capital for her life. In a desperate effort to finance
her departure, she put up porcelain from the imperial collection as collateral with the

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Yuin Yeh Bank (裕業銀行). Although Cixi’s support of the Boxer Rebellion does

exemplify a moment of anti-Western sentiment, it is critical to note that Cixi did

champion a variety of ideas that modernized China. She attempted to allow officials to

carry out a series of reforms, many of which were similar to those that Guangxu had

previously undertaken, but the attempt was small and ultimately achieved little.

In November of 1908, the Guangxu Emperor died. His death remains historically

suspicious, with many scholars speculating as to Cixi’s potential involvement, especially

after the two had clashed so visibly. The empress dowager herself died one day after

Guangxu’s death. This coincidence heightened the existing suspicion that Cixi, knowing

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that her reign was almost at its end, poisoned Guangxu. Cixi made a decree that left the

throne to Guangxu’s three-year-old nephew, Puyi, who reigned briefly as the Xuantong

Emperor 宣統 皇帝(r. 1908–1911). Under Cixi’s orders, Puyi also had a woman

overlooking his regency: the newly appointed Empress Dowager Longyu 孝定景皇後.
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Despite efforts to maintain traditional imperial rule, Xuantong was forced to abdicate on

October 10, 1911, officially concluding the 268-year Qing dynasty.

23 The eight nation alliance was comprised of Japan, Russia, Britain, France, Germany, Italy,
Austria-Hungry, and the United States.
24 Anthony Lin Hua-Tien, “An Interview with Lady David,” Orientations 23, no. 4 (1992): 56–
63. The Yuin Yeh Bank is also referenced as the Salt Industry Bank.
25 A Chinese study from 2008, claims the Guangxu was poisoned with arsenic, although this
evidence does not help identify the individual behind the poisoning.
26 Empress Dowager Longyu (1868-1913) had previously been a consort of the Guangxu
Emperor. Upon their marriage she took the title Empress Xiaodingjing. The wedding ceremony
is analyzed in later chapters. Throughout her life in the Forbidden City, Longyu directly reported
to Cixi on the movements of Guangxu.

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