![]() To bury their father, they returned to Beijing, his birthplace.Īfter the burial rites, the family moved in with a distant relative who arranged for Orchid’s marriage to a cousin. His disappointment ate him, inevitably leading to his untimely demise and leaving Orchid, her mother and two siblings in destitution. Young Manchu girl Orchid Yehonala’s story begun in the far flung village of Wuhu where her father was assigned as governor, a demotion resulting from his failure to temper the Taiping Revolution. The ascent to the throne is a long and arduous journey. The last Chinese monarch to hold residence in the grandiose Forbidden City is Empress Dowager Cixi whose story was captured by Anchee Min in her novel Empress Orchid. As scarlet as its fabled halls is the blood that they are bathed in. ![]() Beyond its grandiose facade, its long and cavernous halls echoes the painful screams of execution, witnesses to the harrowing passage of time. The official seat of the Chinese Empire, it laid witness to many victorious returns. Its grand palaces were once homes to the Emperor and to wife and concubines. ![]() In the present, it is one of the most visited tourist spots in the Chinese capital but it has a very long and colorful history that is pervaded by different personalities. It is also one of the most fabled and the most storied. Beijing’s Forbidden City is one of the most sacred royal halls in the world. ![]()
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