This is the tomb of Empress Dowager Cixi (1835-1908). She started as a concubine of Emperor Xianfeng. Her destiny changed when she gave birth to Tongzhi, the emperor's only son. She was the de facto ruler of China for 45 years while serving as the Regent for Tongzhi and Guangxu. However, she did not declare herself as the emperor. She lived an extravagant lifestyle despite the hardship of the ordinary people; hence the fall of the Qing Dynasty.
The Stele Pavilion
Empress Cixi's stele on the back of a bixi
The stele records the virtues and merits of the tomb owner
Bixi is a mythological creature
There are 4 different creatures at the 4 corners of the plinth
A prawn
A crab
A fish
A tortoise
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