Empress Dowager Cixi of China Jewelry Collection: 3000 Sandalwood Boxes of Gems

For nearly fifty years, Empress Dowager Cixi was the most influential woman in China's history during the late Qing Dynasty. Because of her beauty, Cixi, whose real name was Yehe Nara, was promoted rapidly after being selected as an imperial concubine at the age of 17.

In 1905, seven years before the end of China’s Qing dynasty, Alice Roosevelt, the daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt, visited Beijing’s Forbidden City. She met the ailing Empress Dowager Cixi, who presented her with a black Pekinese dog named Manchu. But what type of luxury did Alice see? Was the Empress adorned in gold or jade or all of them? To make this video and unveil the jewels Empress Dowager could have worn during any state visits and in her daily life, we have jumped into the real history investigation. In the next ten minutes, you will see not only the jewels she loved to stuff into her hair but also items that hold great significance in shaping her worldwide image.

From the Imperial jades to her well-known extraordinary pearl cape, you can learn more about Chinese jewelry and dive into the world of Qing dynasty. Shall we start?