The Empress Dowager (1989) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language

1989 · 90 mins · Chinese

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Directed by

Li Han-Hsiang

Starring

Tony Leung Ka Fai, Chen Daoming, Li Yan, Liu Xiaoqing, Gong Li, Chen Ye

Han Hsiang‑Li’s visually sumptuous epic dramatizes the extraordinary career of Tzu Hsi, the Manchu Qing dynasty empress who began as one of Emperor Xianfeng’s many concubines and, through shrewd political maneuvering, emerged as the de facto ruler of China, guiding the empire for almost five decades.