1830 – 1912
The end of the Qing Dynasty was a time of great upheaval in China. The Boxer Rebellion saw Chinese citizens fighting against foreign influence and the ruling Qing government. The last Chinese emperor, Puyi, abdicated, marking the fall of the dynasty. This period also saw the end of the Forbidden City’s role as the emperor’s palace, symbolizing a significant shift in Chinese history and the start of a new era.
Picture books
Ming’s Adventure in the Forbidden City: A Story in English and Chinese
Cute bilingual story of a time-traveling boy who meets Pu Yi in the Forbidden City
Buy
Chapter books
Boxers
Exciting graphic novel about a boy who joins the Boxer Rebellion
Buy
Rebels of the Heavenly Kingdom
Adventure story of a boy who joins the Taiping Rebellion
Buy
Dragons of Silk
Interweaving story of four girls across time
Buy
The Forbidden Orchid
Novel about an English girl traveling in Qing Dynasty China
Buy
Non-fiction books
You Wouldn’t Want to Be in the Forbidden City!: A Sheltered Life You’d Rather Avoid
Humorous description of life in the Forbidden City
Buy
Biographies
The Last Emperor
Accessible picture biography of Pu Yi, the last Chinese emperor
Buy
Cixi (A Wicked History)
Biography of Cixi, focused on the dark side of her time as empress
Buy
Pirate Queen: A Story of Zheng Yi Sao
Exciting true story of a pirate queen, for younger readers
Buy
Dragon of Heaven: The Memoirs of the Last Empress of China
Fictional memoir of Cixi and her life in the Forbidden City
Buy