13 moments

1. Birth in Beijing

   1835-11-29 · Beijing, Qing dynasty (now China)

   Xingzhen, later Empress Dowager Cixi, was born in Beijing. City-center coordinates represent Beijing; the cited palace-archive evidence identifies Beijing rather than a confirmed birth building.

2. Entry into the Forbidden City

   1852-06-26 · Forbidden City, Beijing, Qing dynasty (now China)

   

   Lady Yehe Nara entered the imperial palace as Noble Lady Lan, beginning her residence within the Qing court.

3. Birth of Zaichun at the imperial palace

   1856-04-27 · Pavilion of Beautiful Scenery, Forbidden City, Beijing, Qing dynasty (now China)

   As Consort Yi, Cixi gave birth to Zaichun, the future Tongzhi Emperor, at the imperial palace in Beijing. The article's caption identifies the pavilion as the birth site; coordinates represent the Chuxiu Palace area of the Forbidden City.

4. Evacuation to Rehe

   1860-09-01 · Rehe Province, Qing dynasty (around present-day Chengde, Hebei, China)

   During the Second Opium War, Noble Consort Yi traveled with the Xianfeng Emperor's entourage from Beijing to Rehe. Coordinates represent Chengde, the modern geographic reference supplied by the source, rather than an identified lodging site.

5. Residence at Chuxiu Palace

   1861-01-01 · Chuxiu Palace, Forbidden City, Beijing, Qing dynasty (now China)

   After becoming empress dowager, Cixi was known as the West Empress Dowager because she lived in the western Chuxiu Palace. The statement occurs in the account of events immediately following Xianfeng's death in 1861; its duration is not specified.

6. Return to Beijing during the Xinyou Coup

   1861-01-01 · Beijing, Qing dynasty (now China)

   Cixi and her son returned to the capital ahead of the main funeral party, an important move in the seizure of power from the Eight Regents. The source establishes the year but not a more precise return date or arrival site.

7. Regency from the Hall of Mental Cultivation

   1861-11-01 · Hall of Mental Cultivation, Forbidden City, Beijing, Qing dynasty (now China)

   

   Cixi began ruling behind the curtain from the Hall of Mental Cultivation, issuing edicts with Empress Dowager Ci'an for the child emperor.

8. Retirement residence at the Summer Palace

   1889-03-05 · Summer Palace, Beijing, Qing dynasty (now China)

   On retiring from her second regency, Cixi occupied the Summer Palace as a residence while retaining substantial influence over imperial decisions. The retirement date is exact, but the source does not specify the precise start or end date of her Summer Palace residence.

9. Sixtieth-birthday commemoration

   1894-11-01 · Forbidden City, Beijing, Qing dynasty (now China)

   Cixi's reduced sixtieth-birthday commemoration was held in the Forbidden City after larger planned festivities were curtailed by war.

10. Flight to Xi'an during the Boxer crisis

    1900-01-01 · Xi'an, Shaanxi, Qing dynasty (now China)

    As Eight-Nation Alliance forces invaded Beijing, Cixi fled with the imperial court and evacuated to Xi'an. The source establishes 1900 but does not provide a more precise arrival date or a specific Xi'an residence.

11. Boarding the return train at Chengtingfu

    1902-01-01 · Chengtingfu (present-day Zhengding), Zhili, Qing dynasty (now Hebei, China)

    Cixi and the court began the final rail leg of their ceremonious return from exile to Beijing at Chengtingfu. Coordinates represent present-day Zhengding, identified with historical Chengtingfu; the exact railhead site is not specified.

12. Ceremonious return to Beijing

    1902-01-01 · Beijing, Qing dynasty (now China)

    

    Cixi returned to Beijing with the imperial court after approximately eighteen months away following the 1900 evacuation. City-center coordinates are used because the card records the return to Beijing generally; the source separately describes the procession from the railway station to the Forbidden City.

13. Death at the Hall of Graceful Bird

    1908-11-15 · Hall of Graceful Bird, Middle Sea, Zhongnanhai, Beijing, Qing dynasty (now China)

    

    Cixi died at the Hall of Graceful Bird in Zhongnanhai, ending her long dominance of late Qing court politics. Coordinates represent the Middle Sea portion of Zhongnanhai; the hall's exact historic footprint is not independently established here.