English Channel

Troubled Times at the Beginning of the Century （1）
Entering the 20th Century

	On the first day of the 12th month of the 25th lunar year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu, it was quiet as usual in the Forbidden City. Emperor Guangxu was so ill that he didn’t pay respects to Empress Dowager Cixi, which was an act against the rule. He hadn’t held court in the morning for two years. It was New Year’s Day, 1900 in the Gregorian calendar.

Troubled Times at the Beginning of the Century （2）
The Dark Political Situation

	This was a commanding view of Beijing obtained from the top of the Jingshan Hill. The political centre of the Qing Dynasty displayed imposing dignity in a tranquil atmosphere. The Manchus in northeast China had crossed the Shanhaiguan Pass of the Great Wall, captured the capital city and established their reign here 256 years before.

Troubled Times at the Beginning of the Century （3）
Carved Up

	Shanghai is a metropolis of highly representative significance in China. Here is the estuary of the Yangtze, the longest river in the country. It is the biggest Chinese port facing the Pacific Ocean. It was a small county unknown to the world before the middle of the 19th century. Since then it has become the largest city in the Far East.

Troubled Times at the Beginning of the Century （4）
The Yihetuan Movement

	The practice of martial arts has been popular since ancient times in the area bordering on Shandong and Hebei provinces. The Chinese Plum Flower Boxing has been handed down since the end of the Ming Dynasty more than 300 years ago.

Troubled Times at the Beginning of the Century （5）
The Invasion of Eight－Power Allied Forces

	The Chinese cannot bear to recall that period of time. The film preserved at the Library of Congress in the United States is a true record of the Eight－Power Allied Forces attacking Dagu Fort, Tianjin a hundred years ago.

Troubled Times at the Beginning of the Century （6）
The Treaty of 1901

	On October 11, 1900, Li Hongzhang, chief minister of the Qing government, came to Beijing from Tianjin under the escort of Russian troops to negotiate with representatives of the Eight－Power Allied Forces.

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