Empress Wu Zetian

Empress Wu Zetian is the only woman in Chinese history to rule in her own name, but, similarly to Empress Theodora, her story is steeped in rumors, political agendas, and missing documents. There is no way for people today to truly know the truth of her story or the accuracy of her legacy. The legend paints her as a murderous, vindictive, power-hungry vixen. In recent years some historians have called for her to be recognized as a proto-feminist. A woman who “broke the glass ceiling” and rose higher than any female before or after her in Imperial China. Empress Wu was a woman far ahead of her time, but her legacy has been blighted and silenced over the centuries.

Featured Guests: Jonathan Clements, a historian, professor, and TV presenter who specializes in the history of East Asia, and Mike Dash, a New York Times bestselling author and historian.

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