The Great Qing Dynasty

Beijing's Forbidden City is renowned throughout the world for its dazzling golden palace architecture and collection of more than 900,000 precious artifacts. Ten emperors of the Qing dynasty ruled from here. The 268-year Qing dynasty left behind a perplexing legacy and an abiding sense of melancholy. By the time of the Qing dynasty, China's feudal society had grown thoroughly decadent, like a frail old man who, after enduring a long life, was staggering into its final stretch. It was a dazzling and bewildering age: wars that toppled dynasties, emperors of extraordinary ambition, a realm of unprecedented size, a cold and insular outlook, a so-called “golden age” built on oppression, the shackling of thought and culture, the depravity of corrupt officials, invasions by Western powers, efforts by enlightened figures to save the nation, the eastward spread of foreign cultures, attempts at reform, and the revolution that overthrew imperial rule. All this offers much for later generations to learn from. This book digs deep into the legacy left by three centuries of change in the Great Qing, sifting through and examining it all. Everything is laid out here. In a word, this is a comprehensive account of the Qing dynasty, telling the story of its three hundred years of riddles and mysteries.