Two Years in the Forbidden City

""Two Years in the Forbidden City"" is a memoir written by Ling, the Princess Der Ling, who served as a lady-in-waiting to Empress Dowager Cixi during the last years of the Qing dynasty in China. The book provides a unique and intimate glimpse into the daily life and political intrigues of the imperial court, as well as the customs and traditions of Chinese society at the time. Ling shares her experiences and observations of the inner workings of the Forbidden City, including her interactions with the Empress Dowager, other members of the royal family, and foreign dignitaries. She also reflects on her own identity as a Chinese-American and the challenges she faced navigating between two cultures. Overall, ""Two Years in the Forbidden City"" offers a fascinating and insightful account of a pivotal moment in Chinese history, as well as a personal story of a woman caught between two worlds.Princess Dar Ling's chronicle of life at court.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

Princess Der Ling was born in 1885, the daughter of Lord Yu Keng who served as Chinese minister to Japan and then as minister to France for four years from 1899. She received a Western education in Paris and in 1903 at the age of 18, entered the palace as a lady-in-waiting to the Empress Dowager, acting as her interpreter and helper. She left the palace in March 1905 to be with her father, who died in Shanghai that year. She married an American named Thaddeus White in 1907, published this book in 1911 and died in the United States in 1944.