Translator: Katherine Tse; editors: Wu Haiyun and Kilian O’Donnell. (Header image: Left: A painting of Shangguan Wan’er by Hua Sanchuan. From @国画挂历专营店 on Kongfz.com; Right: A portrait of Wu Zetian.

[Photo/Artron.net] It is guessed that Zhang Xuan was a court painter and had met Wu Zetian before, so the portrait by him is quite reliable.

If feminism is a movement by all, for all, Wu Zetian’s achievements belonged to her and her alone. Translator: Lewis Wright; editors: Wu Haiyun and Kilian O’Donnell; portrait artist: Wang Zhenhao.

In 690AD, she forced him to step down, declaring herself the founding emperor of a new Zhou dynasty, and taking the name Wu Zetian. But as brutal as her rise to power undoubtedly was ...

This week, we’re bringing you a look at Wu Zetian, who fought for women’s rights and created her own dynasty.

The tomb of Shangguan Wan'er (664–710), an influential female politician and poet during the regime of Empress Wu Zetian (690-705), was found in Xianyang city, Shaanxi province, according to the ...

Rana Mitter tells the story of Empress Wu Zetian, who grew up a humble lady of the court, but became the only woman in 2,000 years to rule China in her own right. Show more Rana Mitter tells the ...