All language subtitles for Chinas.Emperor.Of.Evil.2016.1080p.WEBRip.x264.AAC-[YTS.MX].english

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Narrator: IN CHINA'S
VALLEY OF THE KINGS,

THERE STANDS
A TALL CARVED STONE.

Official YIFY movies site:
YTS.MX

IT HONORS THE RESTING PLACE

OF A WOMAN WHO ROSE
FROM A LOWLY CONCUBINE

TO BECOME CHINA'S
ONLY FEMALE EMPEROR,

LEADING THE EMPIRE
FOR NEARLY HALF A CENTURY.

BUT THE STONE IS BLANK
BY HER DECREE.

SHE WANTED
THE FOLLOWING GENERATIONS

TO WRITE OF HER ACHIEVEMENTS.

Woman: TO HAVE A WOMAN
WITH SUCH POWER

REALLY THREATENED
THE ESTABLISHMENT.

Man: NOT ONLY DID
WU ZETIAN ROCK THE BOAT,

IN SOME WAYS,
SHE OVERTURNED IT.

Man: USURPING
THE TITLE OF EMPEROR

PUT HER INTO
A VERY SPECIAL CATEGORY.

Woman: IT WOULD HAVE BEEN
A VERY DANGEROUS THING

TO GET IN THE WAY OF WU ZETIAN.

Narrator: LEGEND TELLS US

WU ZETIAN WAS AN EVIL, RUTHLESS,
AND INCOMPETENT LEADER.

BUT NOW, IN CHINA'S GOLDEN AGE
OF ARCHAEOLOGY,

INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS
HAVE GATHERED

TO CRACK ONCE AND FOR ALL

THE TRUTH OF WHO CHINA'S
ONLY FEMALE EMPEROR REALLY WAS.

Man: I'VE BEEN WAITING
SINCE THIS WAS EXCAVATED.

I AM ECSTATIC!

Man: I HONESTLY
WASN'T EXPECTING THAT.

THAT IS REALLY EXCITING.

Man: SEEING THIS
WITH YOUR OWN EYES

IS AN INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE.

Narrator: SO, WAS WU ZETIAN
A POWER-HUNGRY FAILURE

OR A BRILLIANT LEADER, SLANDERED
SIMPLY BECAUSE SHE WAS A WOMAN?

♪

[BIRDS CHIRPING]

[THUNDER]

♪

THE ONLY WOMAN EVER
TO DARE CALL HERSELF EMPEROR

IN CHINA'S 2,000 YEARS
OF IMPERIAL HISTORY

WAS NAMED WU ZETIAN,
WU THE CELESTIAL.

SHE FIRST ENTERS COURT
IN 637 A.D.

AS A 13-YEAR-OLD CONCUBINE.

SHE'S PART OF THE HAREM
OF MISTRESSES

SERVING EMPEROR TAIZONG
OF THE TANG DYNASTY.

Tonia Eckfeld: TANG TAIZONG
HAD MORE THAN 100 CONCUBINES.

BY REPUTE SHE WAS BEAUTIFUL,
SHE WAS CHARMING,

SHE WAS ENTERTAINING.

SHE ALSO HAD
A REAL ZEST FOR LIFE.

Lu Yang:
WHEN SHE ENTERED THE PALACE,

SHE QUICKLY GAINED FAVOR
OF THIS EMPEROR,

AND HER RELATIONSHIP
BECAME CLOSER

AND WAS THE RISER
OF HER INFLUENCE AT COURT,

AND SHE PROVED TO BE POLITICALLY
VERY, VERY SKILLFUL,

AND SHE WAS VERY SHREWD.

Narrator:
WHEN THE OLD EMPEROR DIES,

WU ZETIAN BECOMES CONCUBINE
TO HIS SON, GAOZONG.

HE MAKES WU HIS EMPRESS IN 655,

AND AT FIRST,
IT'S A PARTNERSHIP OF EQUALS,

BUT GAOZONG IS A SICKLY MAN.

GRADUALLY IT'S WU ZETIAN

WHO IS THE REAL POWER
BEHIND THE THRONE,

UNTIL AT LAST, IN 690,
WITH HER HUSBAND DEAD,

SHE STEPS FROM THE SHADOWS

AND DECLARES HERSELF
EMPEROR OF CHINA.

YET THE ANCIENT CHRONICLES
OF WU'S ASCENDENCY

HAVE A VIEWPOINT ON HER REIGN.

THEY ARE RIDDLED
WITH CONTROVERSY AND HEARSAY.

Jonathan Dugdale:
HISTORY TELLS US

A REALLY DARK AND BLEAK PICTURE
ABOUT EMPRESS WU.

[BABY CRYING]

ONE OF THE MOST BRUTAL STORIES
WE HAVE

IS THAT SHE KILLED HER OWN CHILD

JUST TO FRAME
THE PREVIOUS EMPRESS

AND GAIN STATION AT COURT.

Norman Harry Rothschild:
WE'RE ALSO TOLD THAT WU ZHAO

HAD HER TWO RIVALS' LEGS
AND ARMS CUT OFF

AND THEN DIPPED THEM
IN A VAT OF WINE

AND LET THEM
SLOWLY BLEED TO DEATH.

SO, THIS PAINTS A PICTURE

OF A DEVIOUS, MANIPULATING,

CALCULATING, SELF-SERVING,
AND ABSOLUTELY RUTHLESS VIRAGO

HELL-BENT ON POWER.

♪

Narrator: EVEN AFTER SHE HAD
CLAIMED THE THRONE,

WE ARE TOLD WU ZETIAN
WAS RUTHLESS IN HER REIGN.

Eckfeld: THIS IS THE TOMB OF
WU ZETIAN'S SECOND SON, LI XIAN.

HE WAS A THREAT TO HIS MOTHER.

LI XIAN WAS ACCUSED OF TREASON,
AND HE WAS EXILED

TO THE MOST REMOTE CORNER
OF THE CHINESE EMPIRE,

LOCKED IN A ROOM,

AND FORCED TO COMMIT SUICIDE
BY POISONING,

SO THIS IS A MOTHER
KILLING HER OWN SON

SO THAT SHE CAN HOLD ON
TO POWER.

Narrator:
THE STORIES OF EMPRESS WU,

HOW SHE SCHEMED
AND MURDERED HER WAY

TO RULE THE GREATEST EMPIRE
ON EARTH,

WERE WRITTEN
LONG AFTER HER DEATH,

AND BY THE CONFUCIAN
MALE HIERARCHY

THAT SHE SWEPT ASIDE
IN HER QUEST FOR POWER.

[THUNDER]

[RAINING]

NOW, ON THE OUTSKIRTS

OF HER ANCIENT CAPITAL CITY,
CHANG'AN,

ARCHAEOLOGISTS ARE UNEARTHING
NEW EVIDENCE FROM WU'S ERA

THAT MAY AT LAST CHALLENGE
THIS VERSION OF HER STORY.

PROFESSOR ZHANG JIANLIN
IS THE WORLD'S

LEADING ARCHAEOLOGIST
OF THE TANG ERA.

[SPEAKING CHINESE]

Zhang Jianlin, translated:
THE FINDINGS THAT COME

FROM OUR EXCAVATION SITES

ENRICH OUR KNOWLEDGE
OF WU ZETIAN.

[SPEAKING CHINESE]

ALL OF THESE PROVIDE NEW CLUES

TO THE TRUE HISTORY
OF THE TANG ERA.

[SPEAKING CHINESE]

♪

Narrator: TODAY THE CITY
OF XI'AN HAS GROWN

TO ENCOMPASS OLD CHANG'AN,
WU'S CAPITAL.

♪

WITH A POPULATION OF 12 MILLION,
XI'AN IS RAPIDLY EXPANDING,

A MIXTURE OF OLD AND NEW CHINA.

IT'S ALSO HOME TO PROFESSOR
ZHANG'S CONSERVATION FACILITY,

FIRST STOP
FOR THE THOUSANDS OF OBJECTS

HIS TEAM UNCOVER EVERY YEAR

BURIED ALONGSIDE ROYALTY
FROM THE TANG DYNASTY.

[SPEAKING CHINESE]

HISTORIAN DR. HARRY ROTHSCHILD

HAS HEARD ABOUT SOME INTRIGUING
TOMB FIGURINES OF WOMEN

FOUND RECENTLY
THAT DATE TO WU'S REIGN.

Rothschild: WHOA!

IT'S AMAZING,
SEEING ALL THESE TANG ARTIFACTS.

I'VE BEEN STUDYING WU ZHAO,
WU ZETIAN, FOR 17 YEARS,

AND FINALLY HERE WE ARE
AT GROUND ZERO, YOU KNOW?

YOU CAN SENSE HER EVERYWHERE
HERE IN CHANG'AN.

Narrator: THE FIGURINES DEPICT

CHANG'AN'S MUSICIANS,
TRADERS, AND NOBILITY.

THEY ARE BURIED
ALONGSIDE THE DEAD

TO ENSURE A WEALTHY AFTERLIFE,
AND THEY GIVE CLUES

TO WHAT CHANGED IN SOCIETY
DURING WU ZETIAN'S ERA.

[SPEAKING CHINESE]

Zhang: HERE WE CAN SEE
A LADY RIDING ON A RED HORSE

GOING ON A TRIP SOMEWHERE.

THAT SHOWS WOMEN
ARE FREE TO DO THINGS

IN THAT SOCIETY AT THAT TIME.

HERE WE CAN SEE
THAT THERE IS ANOTHER FASHION,

WHICH IS A LADY
WEARING MEN'S CLOTHES.

[SPEAKING CHINESE]

IT IS BECAUSE AT THAT TIME WOMEN
CAN DO EVERYTHING THAT MEN DO,

LIKE RIDING, HUNTING,
OR TRAVELLING.

DURING WU ZETIAN'S PERIOD,

WOMEN'S STANDING BECAME
HIGHER THAN EVER BEFORE.

THEY WERE MUCH FREER TO DO
THINGS AND TO TALK MORE OPENLY.

[SPEAKING CHINESE]

Rothschild: SO, WE'RE LOOKING
AT AN UNPRECEDENTED BOOST

FOR THE POSITION OF WOMEN.

YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT
A FEMALE EMPEROR HERE AFTER ALL,

AND SO THAT TRANSLATED DIRECTLY
INTO SORT OF GREATER OPPORTUNITY

AND GREATER FREEDOM FOR WOMEN

IN THE LATE SEVENTH
AND EARLY EIGHTH CENTURY.

♪

Narrator: THROUGHOUT
HER NEAR 50-YEAR REIGN,

WU ZETIAN WOULD PROMOTE HUGE
CHANGES WITHIN CHINESE SOCIETY.

ANCIENT CONFUCIAN HISTORIANS
BELITTLED HER EFFORTS,

BUT RECENT TOMB DISCOVERIES
REVEAL A RATHER DIFFERENT STORY.

♪

TONIA ECKFELD IS AN EXPERT
ON TANG-ERA TOMBS.

SHE'S ON HER WAY TO SEE ONE
OF THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY FINDS,

NOT JUST IN THE 21st CENTURY,

BUT IN ALL CHINESE
ARCHAEOLOGICAL HISTORY.

♪

Eckfeld: IT'S AMAZING.

IT'S EVEN MORE FANTASTIC
THAN I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE.

Narrator: THIS IS THE PHOENIX
CROWN OF THE TANG DYNASTY,

ONE OF THE MOST PRECIOUS
ARTIFACTS FROM THE TANG ERA

THAT, UNTIL NOW, HAD BEEN
WRITTEN ABOUT IN ANCIENT TEXTS

BUT NEVER SEEN.

THIS PRICELESS HEADDRESS
IS HELD UNDER LOCK AND KEY

AND CAN ONLY BE VIEWED
BY SPECIAL APPOINTMENT.

TONIA BELIEVES IT'S A VITAL CLUE

TO THE TRUTH
ABOUT WU ZETIAN'S CHINA.

Eckfeld: THERE'S AN ENORMOUS
AMOUNT TO INVESTIGATE

IN THIS PIECE.

LOOKING CLOSELY,
THE METALWORK IS FILIGREE,

AND THERE'S
A LOT OF GRANULATION.

GRANULATION CONSISTS
OF TINY LITTLE BEADS OF GOLD.

♪

THE WHOLE CROWN IS LIKE
A PEACOCK DISPLAYING ITS TAIL.

THERE ARE
VERY, VERY FINE FLOWERS

MADE OF MOTHER-OF-PEARL
AND PEARL.

THERE ARE EVEN FINE BUNCHES
OF GRAPES MADE OF CHINESE GLASS.

SO, REALLY WHAT WE SEE HERE

IS SOMETHING COSMOPOLITAN
AND SOMETHING RICH,

SOMETHING FASHIONABLE,
FULL OF LUXURY ITEMS,

NOT ONLY IN THE MAKING OF IT,

BUT ALSO
IN THE IMAGERY INVOLVED.

Narrator: PROFESSOR ZHANG'S TEAM
FOUND THE PHOENIX CROWN

IN A GRAVE THAT WAS ALREADY
AN EXCEPTIONAL FIND,

A TOMB
THAT HAD NEVER BEEN RAIDED.

INSIDE WAS A SKELETON,

AND ON THE SKULL A BEEHIVE
HAIRSTYLE STUDDED WITH JEWELS.

IT BELONGED TO A YOUNG WOMAN
NAMED LI CHUI,

A MINOR MEMBER
OF THE IMPERIAL COURT.

FOR 18 MONTHS,
THE TEAM CAREFULLY PICKED OUT

EVERY SINGLE JEWEL AND STONE,

SLOWLY PIECING TOGETHER
THE HEADDRESS,

REVEALING ITS TRUE GLORY.

Eckfeld: THE CROWN GIVES US
CLUES ABOUT WU ZETIAN'S SOCIETY.

LIFE WAS RICH.
THERE WAS A LOT OF LUXURY.

IT WAS A REAL HIGH POINT
IN THE ARTS.

Narrator: BUT WHEN THE TEAM
USED X-RAY CHROMATOGRAPHY

TO DISCOVER WHERE
ALL THE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS

OF THE HEADDRESS CAME FROM,
THEY WERE IN FOR A SURPRISE.

THE HEADDRESS HAS CARNELIAN
FROM UZBEKISTAN,

2,900 MILES WEST FROM CHANG'AN,

GARNET FROM INDIA,
3,000 MILES SOUTHWEST,

AMBER FROM IRAN,
4,000 MILES AWAY,

AND IVORY FROM SRI LANKA,
4,500 MILES FROM WU'S CAPITAL.

Eckfeld: WHAT WE CAN SEE HERE

IS THE EMBODIMENT
OF ALL OF THE WEALTH

AND ALL OF THE TREASURE THAT
THE TANG COURT COULD ATTRACT.

♪

Narrator:
LI CHUI WASN'T EVEN A PRINCESS.

THE FACT THAT SHE WAS BURIED

WEARING A HEADDRESS OF SUCH
ASTONISHING BEAUTY AND VALUE

UNDERLINES THE EXTRAORDINARY
WEALTH OF THE TIME,

BUT THE TOMB HOLDS
ONE FINAL SECRET--

LI CHUI WAS BURIED WITH
A JADE SILKWORM IN HER HAND,

AND THIS IS ANOTHER CLUE

THAT REVEALS WU'S AMBITIONS
TO MAKE HER CHINA

THE WEALTHIEST EMPIRE
IN THE WORLD.

IN SEVENTH-CENTURY CHINA,

A WOMAN NAMED WU ZETIAN
ROSE FROM LOWLY CONCUBINE

TO EVENTUALLY EMPEROR--

THE ONLY WOMAN
IN ALL CHINESE HISTORY

TO DARE TO TAKE THAT TITLE.

ANCIENT CHRONICLERS CONDEMNED
HER AS A DISASTER FOR CHINA,

BUT TODAY'S EXPERTS THINK
THE TRUTH MAY BE VERY DIFFERENT.

SINCE THE FOURTH
MILLENNIUM B.C.,

CHINA HAS BOASTED
THE FINEST QUALITY SILK.

ONLY HERE HAD PEOPLE DISCOVERED
HOW TO EXTRACT SILK

FROM THE SILKWORM
OF THE MULBERRY MOTH.

BY WU'S ERA, CHINESE SILK
WAS AS VALUABLE AS GOLD.

TRADING SILK BECAME VITAL
TO WU'S ECONOMY.

THE ANCIENT TRADE ROUTES OF
THE SILK ROAD BEGAN IN CHANG'AN,

SPREADING EAST AND WEST,
LINKING CHINA TO OTHER NATIONS,

BUT BY THE MID-SEVENTH CENTURY,

BANDITS AND ROBBERS THREATED
TO STOP TRADE IN ITS TRACKS.

RECENT DISCOVERIES REVEALED

WU ZETIAN ESTABLISHED MILITARY
OUTPOSTS FAR INTO CENTRAL ASIA,

AND SO SECURED SAFETY
ALONG THE SILK ROUTES.

HARRY ROTHSCHILD HAS COME

TO THE VERY START
OF THE SILK ROAD IN CHANG'AN

TO FIND OUT IF THE TRADE ROUTES
BROUGHT MORE THAN JUST WEALTH.

Rothschild: SO, HERE WE ARE

AT THE EASTERN TERMINUS
OF THE SILK ROAD.

I REALLY LIKE THIS IMAGE.

I MEAN, YOU HAVE
THIS KIND OF INFINITE LOOP

OF TRADE AND COMMERCE, AND THEN
YOU LOOK AT ALL THESE SITES.

YOU HAVE TEHRAN AND DAMASCUS.
YOU HAVE JERUSALEM.

YOU GET THE SENSE
THAT THIS SILK ROAD

MOVES IN ALL KINDS
OF DIRECTIONS.

IT SHOWS THE TREMENDOUS RANGE
OF THE SILK ROAD.

OF COURSE,
RIGHT FRONT AND CENTER,

YOU HAVE THIS EASTERN TERMINUS
OF CHANG'AN.

♪

Narrator: IN WU ZETIAN'S
CHANG'AN CITY,

THERE WERE TWO MARKETS

THAT MARKED THE START
OF THE SILK ROAD.

THE EAST AND WEST MARKETS
WERE THRIVING

WITH FOREIGN TRADE AND STALLS
SELLING GOODS FROM THE WEST.

SILK TRADED FROM THE ERA
STILL EXISTS TODAY

AND CAN BE FOUND
IN WASHINGTON, D.C.,

IN THE SMITHSONIAN'S
OWN COLLECTION.

KEITH WILSON IS CURATOR
AT THE FREER SACKLER GALLERY.

Keith Wilson: IT'S CLEAR
THAT SILKS LIKE THIS

WERE REACHING THE MEDITERRANEAN.

THERE WAS AN ACTIVE MARKET
FOR CHINESE SILKS IN BYZANTIUM.

CHINESE SILKS OF PRECISELY
THIS PERIOD ARE BEING DISCOVERED

IN CATHEDRAL COLLECTIONS
IN EUROPE.

THE INCOME FROM THE SALE
OF THESE COMMODITIES

WOULD HAVE CERTAINLY
HELPED SUPPORT

THE COSTS OF MAINTAINING
THE VAST TANG EMPIRE.

Narrator: SILK ROAD TRADE DIDN'T
ONLY MAKE WU'S EMPIRE WEALTHY,

IT BROUGHT SO MANY FOREIGNERS
TO CHINA THAT HER CAPITAL

BECAME ONE OF THE FIRST
TRULY COSMOPOLITAN CITIES

IN THE WORLD.

PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT CULTURES

WOULDN'T ONLY
TRAVEL TO CHANG'AN,

THEY WOULD CHOOSE TO STAY,

AND THIS MULTICULTURAL INFLUENCE
CAN STILL BE FELT

IN PRESENT-DAY XI'AN.

Rothschild: WE ARE WALKING
ALONG THE HUI STREET,

THE CHINESE MUSLIM STREET

IN THE VERY HEART
OF OLD TANG CHANG'AN.

IT IS BUSTLING, IT IS VIBRANT,
IT IS FULL OF ENERGY,

AS YOU SEE BY THE MILLING
BUSTLE GOING ON BEHIND ME NOW.

I THINK THESE ARE SUGARED FIGS
OR DRIED FIGS HERE.

THESE CAME FROM ALONG
THE SILK ROAD FROM PERSIA.

SO, THIS IS A KIND
OF WHEAT KERNEL CANDY,

AND HE'S PULLING THIS TAFFY,

AND THEN AFTERWARDS,
THEY'LL TAKE THE TAFFY,

AND THEY'LL ROLL IT OUT

WITH PUMPKIN SEEDS
OR WITH SESAME SEEDS

AND THEN TURN IT
INTO THIS HARD CANDY.

THE SESAME CAME FROM PERSIA
AND THE MIDDLE EAST

ALONG THE SILK ROAD,

SO THIS IS SORT OF
THE FRUIT OF SOMETHING

THAT WAS TRAFFICKED
1,300 YEARS AGO

DURING THE TIME OF WU ZHAO.

NOT BAD. IT IS GOOD.

I THINK IN TERMS
OF THE MULTICULTURALISM,

THE VIBRANCE, THE BUSTLE,
THE ENERGY,

JUST THE CONSTANT
COMMERCIAL BUZZ,

YOU HAVE A GREAT SENSE OF WHAT
WAS GOING ON DURING THE TANG.

Narrator: MORE EVIDENCE
OF THE INTERNATIONAL

CIVILIZATION WU ZETIAN NURTURED

CAN BE FOUND
IN THE SMITHSONIAN'S COLLECTION.

FIGURINES FOUND IN TOMBS
FROM WU'S ERA

ARE PROOF
OF THE FOREIGN INFLUENCE.

Wilson: THIS FIGURE OBVIOUSLY
IS NON-CHINESE,

A VERY BROAD NOSE,
DARKENED SKIN, CURLY HAIR.

THE FIGURE ITSELF
MAY WELL BE AFRICAN,

INDICATING THAT ETHNIC GROUPS
FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD

ESSENTIALLY WERE FLOWING INTO
THE TANG CAPITAL AT CHANG'AN.

Narrator: TANG TOMB FIGURINES
WERE MASS-PRODUCED IN MOLDS.

THIS AFRICAN GROOM
WITH ALL HIS HANDMADE TOUCHES

WOULD HAVE BEEN
UNUSUALLY EXPENSIVE.

Wilson: FOREIGN FIGURES,
OF COURSE, WERE NOT BEING MADE

FOR THE TOMBS OF FOREIGNERS.

THEY WERE BEING MADE
FOR CHINESE TOMBS,

SO THE INCLUSION OF A RANGE
OF COSMOPOLITAN ETHNIC TYPES

WOULD HAVE SUGGESTED
A WORLDLINESS,

NOT ONLY OF THE SOCIETY
AT THE TIME

BUT THE PERSON WHO WAS ACTUALLY
BURIED WITH THESE OBJECTS.

Narrator: IT'S 662 A.D.

EMPEROR GAOZONG'S GRIP ON POWER
HAS WEAKENED

SINCE HE SUFFERED A STROKE.

HIS EMPRESS, WU ZETIAN,
IS NOW RULING THE EMPIRE,

IN ALL BUT NAME.

WU IS USING
ALL HER POLITICAL SKILLS

TO STRENGTHEN HER POSITION

AND TO MAKE HER CONTROL
UNQUESTIONABLE,

SHE DECIDES TO PROVE HER WORTH

IN THE MAN'S WORLD
SHE CONQUERED.

SHE PLANS THE EXPANSION
OF THE IMPERIAL PALACE

ON A SCALE NEVER BEFORE SEEN
IN CHINA, OR EVEN THE WORLD.

WHEN ARCHEOLOGISTS
FIRST UNCOVERED THE FOUNDATIONS,

THEY WERE AMAZED
AT WHAT THEY FOUND.

THIS IS ONE
OF THE GATED ENTRANCES,

REBUILT TO SCALE,
ON THOSE VERY FOUNDATIONS.

Rothschild:
THIS IS DANFENG GATE,

THE SOUTHERN GATE
OF DAMING PALACE.

JUST LOOKING UP AT IT,
IT CONJURES A SENSE OF AWE.

FOR ME, UH, IT'S A STATEMENT.

IT PROVIDES
A SENSE OF IMPERIAL GRANDEUR.

IT MAKES ANYONE SORT OF
STANDING BEFORE THE GATE

FEEL A SENSE OF THEIR OWN
SMALLNESS AND INSIGNIFICANCE.

Narrator:
WU ZETIAN'S DAMING PALACE

WAS THE LARGEST IN THE WORLD.

COMPLETED IN JUST THREE YEARS,
THE SCALE OF THE COMPLEX

OUTSHONE ANYTHING
ANYONE HAD EVER SEEN.

Rothschild: LOOK AT THE SIZE
OF DAMING PALACE.

THIS IS TWICE AS BIG
AS OLD POMPEII.

IT'S FIVE TIMES BIGGER
THAN THE FORBIDDEN CITY

OF THE MING
AND QING DYNASTY EMPERORS.

IT'S 22 TIMES
THE SIZE OF THE ACROPOLIS.

THE SCOPE, THE GRANDEUR, IT'S,
IT'S ABSOLUTELY STAGGERING.

YOU CAN READ ABOUT IT,

BUT YOU DON'T REALLY
APPRECIATE THAT MAGNITUDE

UNTIL YOU STEP OUT
ON THIS BALCONY

AND YOU LOOK OUT
AT THIS VISTA.

THERE ARE ARCHERY GROUNDS.
THERE ARE POLO GROUNDS,

COCKFIGHTING ARENAS,

PLACES FOR DRAMA TROUPES
TO PRACTICE,

AND THAT'S JUST THE BEGINNING.

THERE ARE THREE OR FOUR
MORE PALACES BEYOND THAT.

EMISSARIES COMING FROM
FOREIGN COUNTRIES WOULD COME IN

WITH THEIR JAWS DROPPING

WITH JUST A SORT
OF STARRY-EYED WONDER,

AND THEY WOULD FEEL
LIKE THEY WERE LOOKING

AT A CELESTIAL WORLD,
A PARADISE ON EARTH.

I DO THINK IT WAS
ABOUT IMPOSING HER POWER

WITH THE MAJESTY
AND SIZE OF DAMING PALACE.

Narrator:
IT'S CLEAR THAT WU ZETIAN

MADE CHINA
A GLOBAL SUPERPOWER.

AT LAST IN 690, SHE ASCENDS
THE THRONE AS EMPEROR OF CHINA.

SHE SITS AT THE CENTER

OF THE WEB OF WEALTH, TRADE,
AND POLITICAL INFLUENCE

THAT STRETCHED FROM JAPAN
TO THE MEDITERRANEAN

AND FROM KOREA TO INDIA,

YET THIS EMPIRE
HAD ALWAYS BEEN DOMINATED

BY MEN AND THE NOBILITY,

SO HOW DID WU ZETIAN,
AN OUTSIDER AND A WOMAN,

ACCOMPLISH
SUCH AN EXTRAORDINARY FEAT?

IN THE SEVENTH CENTURY,

WU ZETIAN'S CAPITAL CITY,
CHANG'AN,

WAS IN A CLASS OF ITS OWN.

Dugdale: SO, CHANG'AN
DURING WU ZETIAN'S TIME

WOULD HAVE BEEN
AN ABSOLUTELY MASSIVE CITY.

THERE WAS SUPPOSED TO
BE ALMOST A MILLION PEOPLE

LIVING WITHIN THE CITY WALLS
AND ANOTHER MILLION OUTSIDE,

WHICH JUST OUTCLASSES ANYTHING
ELSE IN THE WORLD AT THAT TIME.

Narrator: JONATHAN DUGDALE, FROM
THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM,

THINKS HE KNOWS ONE REASON

FOR WU ZETIAN'S
REMARKABLE SUCCESS.

SHE WOULD WIN THE SUPPORT
OF THE COMMON PEOPLE

THROUGH
THE REINVIGORATED RELIGION

THAT WAS SWEEPING CHINA--
BUDDHISM.

Dugdale: WU ZETIAN REALIZED
PATRONIZING BUDDHISM

WAS A GREAT WAY
TO PLEASE THE PEOPLE,

AND WHAT BETTER WAY

THAN BUILDING NEW TEMPLES
AND PAGODAS,

SO ONE OF THE MAIN ONES
SHE BUILT

WAS THIS ONE RIGHT BEHIND US,
THE GREAT WILD GOOSE PAGODA.

♪

Narrator: THE GREAT GOOSE PAGODA
WAS ORIGINALLY BUILT IN 652.

Dugdale: AS SOMEONE WHO'S
STUDIED PAGODAS FOR A LONG TIME,

THIS IS PARTICULARLY AWESOME.

Narrator: THE PAGODA
WAS AN IMPORTANT TEMPLE

THAT HOUSED
SACRED BUDDHIST WRITINGS,

BUT JUST 50 YEARS
AFTER IT WAS BUILT,

IT WAS DESTROYED
IN AN EARTHQUAKE.

WU, WHO HAD BEEN BROUGHT UP
IN THE BUDDHIST FAITH,

SPENDING TIME IN A NUNNERY,
DECIDED TO REBUILD THE PAGODA,

BUT ON A MUCH BIGGER SCALE.

JONATHAN THINKS THIS BUILDING
MAY HAVE BEEN A RECORD BREAKER

AND THAT WU SURPASSED HERSELF

IN HER DESIRE TO MAKE HER MARK
IN HER PEOPLE'S FAITH,

AND HE THINKS HE CAN PROVE IT.

Dugdale:
I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO FIND OUT

HOW TALL THIS BUILDING
WAS WHEN WU ZETIAN REBUILT IT

BECAUSE IT'D BE REALLY
INTERESTING IF SHE'S DECIDED

TO BUILD IT SIGNIFICANTLY BIGGER
FOR A REASON.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5...

Narrator: BUT FIRST,
HE HAS A PROBLEM TO SOLVE.

WU ZETIAN'S PAGODA WAS PARTIALLY
DAMAGED BY ANOTHER EARTHQUAKE.

Dugdale: 43, 44, 45, 46.

Narrator:
THE TOP THREE FLOORS TOPPLED,

SO JONATHAN HAS TO TRY
AND WORK OUT

HOW HIGH HER STRUCTURE
WOULD HAVE BEEN

WITH THE MISSING FLOORS.

Dugdale: 58.

ONWARDS AND UPWARDS.

1, 2, 3.

OKAY, SO, THAT'S 40 STEPS
TO THAT ONE,

AND THAT PUTS US
ON THE FOURTH FLOOR NOW.

35, 36, 37, 38.

1, 2, 3...

Narrator: HE'S FOUND A PATTERN
IN THE NUMBER OF STEPS.

Dugdale: ON PREVIOUS FLOORS,

WE'VE GONE
FROM 43 TO 40 TO 38 TO 37,

SO IF THE NEXT FLOOR
IS EITHER 37 OR 36,

WE SHOULD MAKE
AN ACCURATE CALCULATION.

34, 35, 36, 37!

THIS IS GOOD.

WE'RE STILL DECREASING,
SO THIS IS GOOD.

WE MIGHT BE ABLE
TO DO SOMETHING.

LAST ONE. 31, 32.

LET'S DO THE MATH, PEOPLE.

Narrator:
BY FIGURING OUT THE PATTERN

AND THE HEIGHT
OF THE STEPS PER STORY,

JONATHAN CAN REVEAL THAT
WITH THE MISSING THREE FLOORS,

THE TRUE HEIGHT OF WU'S PAGODA

WAS CLOSE TO A STAGGERING
300 FEET HIGH.

Dugdale:
WHICH WOULD HAVE MADE IT

NOT ONLY THE TALLEST
BRICK PAGODA IN ASIA,

BUT POSSIBLY ONE
OF THE TALLEST BUILDINGS

IN THE WORLD AT THAT TIME.

♪

IT WOULD HAVE BEEN
LIKE NOTHING ELSE

THAT ANYONE HAD SEEN BEFORE.

IN THE CITYSCAPE NOW,
IT STILL LOOKS IMPRESSIVE,

BUT IN THOSE DAYS,
IT WOULD HAVE SOARED

ABOVE ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING ELSE
IN THE CITY.

Narrator: AND WU BUILT THIS
MASSIVE STRUCTURE AS A STATEMENT

TARGETED DIRECTLY AT HER PEOPLE.

Dugdale:
THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS

SHE STANDS TO GAIN
FROM BUILDING A MASSIVE PAGODA

IN SUCH A VISUAL SPACE
LIKE THIS.

THE MAJORITY
OF THE POPULATION OF CHANG'AN

AT THIS TIME ARE BUDDHIST,

AND THEY WILL SEE
THAT SHE IS SUPPORTING BUDDHISM.

SHE'S SUPPORTING THEIR RELIGION.

♪

Narrator: WU ZETIAN ORDERED THE
BUILDING OF NEW BUDDHIST TEMPLES

IN EVERY TOWN IN HER EMPIRE,

CREATING ALLIES AMONG
THE COMMON PEOPLE OF CHINA,

AND SHE DIDN'T STOP THERE.

250 MILES EAST FROM
HER CAPITAL CITY OF CHANG'AN,

IN HENAN PROVINCE,
ARE THE LONGMEN GROTTO CAVES.

HISTORIAN LU YANG
THINKS THEY MAY BE KEY

TO UNDERSTANDING WU'S POWER.

Lu: THIS IS A SCARED PLACE
FOR THE BUDDHIST RELIGION,

AND PILGRIMS HAVE BEEN
COMING HERE FOR CENTURIES,

BUT I'VE BEEN TOLD
THERE IS A CONNECTION

THAT LINK EMPRESS WU
DIRECTLY TO THAT FAITH,

SO I'M COMING HERE
TO FIGURE THAT OUT.

♪

Narrator: MEMBERS OF THE ELITE
IN CHINESE SOCIETY

PAID VAST SUMS OF MONEY
TO BE ALLOWED

TO CARVE SMALL CAVES
INTO THIS SACRED HILLSIDE.

THERE ARE OVER 1,400,

HOUSING
OVER 100,000 BUDDHA FIGURES.

THE SMALLEST IS JUST AN INCH.

BUT THE TALLEST
IS A STAGGERING 57 FEET HIGH,

COMMISSIONED
BY WU ZETIAN HERSELF,

AND IT HAS A STORY TO TELL.

♪

♪

♪

Lu: WOW!
ISN'T THIS IMPRESSIVE?

WHAT A VIEW!

IT IS GIGANTIC.

THE OFFICIAL NAME OF THIS BUDDHA
IS VAIROCANA,

WHICH IS THE RADIANT BUDDHA
OF A GREAT SUN.

THIS IS BASICALLY
A UNIVERSAL BUDDHA,

SYMBOLIZED THE POWER
AND DOMINANCE OF THIS RELIGION.

Narrator: WU ZETIAN WANTED
TO EMBED HERSELF INTO BUDDHISM,

THE RELIGION OF HER EMPIRE.

TO DO THIS, IT'S POSSIBLE
SHE TOOK ONE AUDACIOUS STEP.

Lu: THE LEGEND SAYS
THAT THIS STATUE

ACTUALLY IS MODELED
ON HER FACE.

SHE WANT TO MAKE THIS
A STATEMENT OF HER POWER.

THIS WILL GIVE HER
MORE CREDIBILITY

BECAUSE THIS IS
THE AGE OF BUDDHISM

AND THERE IS A MASSIVE FOLLOWING
OF THIS PARTICULAR RELIGION,

AND BY CREATING THIS TEMPLE,

SHE BASICALLY PUT HERSELF
ON THE CENTER STAGE

OF NOT JUST RELIGIOUS ACTION
BUT ALSO THE SOCIETY IN GENERAL.

YOU KNOW, SEEING THIS
WITH YOUR OWN EYES

IS AN INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE.

THIS IS SO IMPRESSIVE TO ME,

AND I THINK
SHE GOT WHAT SHE WANTED.

♪

Narrator: THE LONGMEN GROTTOS
AND GREAT GOOSE PAGODA SUGGEST

THAT WU ZETIAN
WAS A SKILLFUL TACTICIAN

WHO KNEW HOW TO USE RELIGION
TO PROMOTE HER OWN STATUS

AND KEEP HER EMPIRE HAPPY.

SHE WAS ALSO READY TO EXPERIMENT
IN HOW SHE RAN HER GOVERNMENT,

AND ONE PROVOCATIVE STEP

ENSURED THAT HER SUCCESSORS
WOULD VILIFY HER NAME.

♪

AS A WOMAN

AND ONE WHOSE ORIGINS
LAY OUTSIDE THE COURT,

WU ZETIAN COULD NEVER RELY ON
THE ARISTOCRATIC ESTABLISHMENT.

♪

FROM THE BEGINNING, SHE NEEDED
TO FIND NEW ALLIES TO LEAN ON.

WU HAD ENSURED
THAT DURING HER REIGN

IT WAS A GOOD TIME
TO BE A WOMAN IN CHINA,

AND THAT FREEDOM TO FLOURISH

WENT TO THE VERY TOP
OF HER COURT.

SHE SURROUNDED HERSELF
WITH WOMEN,

INCLUDING APPOINTING
A FEMALE PRIME MINISTER,

SHANGGUAN WAN'ER.

HARRY HAS BEEN TOLD
ABOUT EVIDENCE

PROFESSOR ZHANG'S TEAM
HAVE FOUND

IN RECENT EXCAVATIONS
OF THE PRIME MINISTER'S TOMB

THAT SUGGEST HER LIFE
HAD A DARK FINAL CHAPTER.

Rothschild: THIS IS
SHANGGUAN WAN'ER'S EPITAPH.

I'VE BEEN WAITING
SINCE SEPTEMBER OF 2013,

WHEN THIS WAS EXCAVATED,

FOR A CHANCE
TO ACTUALLY SEE THIS IN PERSON,

AND IT'S FINALLY HAPPENING
TODAY, SO I AM, I AM ECSTATIC.

[SPEAKING CHINESE]

Zhang: HERE WE CAN LEARN
HER AGE WHEN SHE DIED.

Rothschild: THIS SAYS
SHE HAD 47 SPRINGS AND AUTUMNS

AT THE TIME OF HER DEATH.

[SPEAKING CHINESE]

Zhang: YES.

Narrator: BUT WHEN ZHANG'S TEAM
FOUND THE PRIME MINISTER'S TOMB,

IT HAD BEEN PURPOSELY DESTROYED,

TANGIBLE EVIDENCE
OF HOW THE MEN WHO SUCCEEDED WU

TRIED TO ERADICATE
PROOF OF HER SUCCESS.

Zhang: THE TOMB WAS ALMOST
COMPLETELY DESTROYED.

AS WE DUG DOWN,

WE DISCOVERED IT HAD BEEN
DISMANTLED BRICK BY BRICK.

Rothschild: THIS WAS THOROUGH,
KIND OF MALICIOUS,

AND INTENTIONAL DESTRUCTION
THAT HAD BEEN DONE TO THE TOMB.

Zhang: NORMALLY THERE WOULD BE
A COFFIN PLATFORM AND MURALS

IN THE TOMB,

BUT IT WAS ALL DESTROYED.

THE ONLY THING THAT SURVIVED
WAS THIS TOMBSTONE.

[SPEAKING CHINESE]

Narrator: THE TOMB HAD BEEN
DISMANTLED BY THE ORDER

OF EMPEROR XUANZONG,
WU ZETIAN'S SUCCESSOR.

HARRY'S RESEARCH
HAS LED HIM TO BELIEVE

HE MAY HAVE HAD
A POLITICAL MOTIVE.

Rothschild: NOW THAT I KNOW

THAT SHANGGUAN WAN'ER'S GRAVE
WAS DISMANTLED,

THIS IS PART
OF AN INTENTIONAL PROCESS,

AN INTENTIONAL DESTRUCTION
OF VESTIGES OF FEMALE POWER

DURING THE LATE SEVENTH
AND EARLY EIGHTH CENTURY,

THE CONFUCIAN PATRIARCHY
STRIKING BACK

AND REESTABLISHING
NORMATIVE POWER.

Narrator: EMPEROR WU ZETIAN
IS NOW AN ELDERLY STATESMAN

IN HER SEVENTIES.

SHE'S BEEN IN POWER
FOR NEARLY 45 YEARS,

AND HER OPPONENTS
ARE DETERMINED TO UNSEAT HER.

Eckfeld: SHE HAD ANNIHILATED
MANY, MANY OF HER ENEMIES,

BUT WHERE THERE'S POWER,

THERE ARE ALWAYS RIVALS
AND THERE'S ALWAYS A CONTEST.

Narrator:
SURVIVAL WAS PARAMOUNT,

AND ANCIENT WRITINGS TELL US

WU WAS MERCILESS
IN HER PURSUIT OF POWER,

BUT WERE THE STORIES TRUE?

TANG TOMB EXPERT JENNY LIU
HAS DISCOVERED NEW TEXTS

IN THE TOMB
OF WU'S GRANDDAUGHTER,

PRINCESS YONGTAI,
A RIVAL TO THE THRONE.

Jenny Liu: I'VE STUDIED OTHER
PRINCESS EPITAPHS AS WELL,

AND THIS IS A PASSAGE HERE
WHICH I'VE NEVER SEEN.

YOU HAVE THE CHARACTER
FOR ANGER, OKAY?

AND ANGER AT THE, UH,

AT THE TWO BOYS

AND THEIR SECRET MEDICINE,

SO THIS PASSAGE TELLS YOU

WHAT HAPPENED
TO PRINCESS YONGTAI.

THESE ARE CHARACTERS
THAT ARE USUALLY USED

FOR THE MISCARRIAGE,
FOR THE LOSS OF A CHILD.

AND IT IS THE ZHANG BROTHERS'
SECRET MEDICINE OR POISON

THAT MADE HER MISCARRIAGE,
LEADING TO HER DEATH.

THIS REFERS TO WU ZETIAN
BECAUSE IT'S VERY POSSIBLE

THAT SHE WAS THE INSTIGATOR
OF THE POISON.

THE ZHANG BROTHERS
WERE VERY CLOSE TO HER,

AND THEY DID HER BIDDING,
AND SHE WAS KNOWN

TO HAVE PITTED PEOPLE
AGAINST EACH OTHER IN COURT,

AND SHE WOULD CAUSE ONE
TO POISON OR KILL THE OTHER,

AND SHE DID THIS WITH OFFICIALS,

AND NOW IT SEEMS MAYBE SHE DID
IT WITH HER RELATIONS, HER KIN.

Narrator: BUT WHY DID WU
WANT HER GRANDDAUGHTER DEAD?

Liu: SHE WAS BEARING THE CHILD

OF TWO OF THE STRONGEST CLANS
IN CONTENTION FOR THE THRONE,

AND IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE
THAT SHE DID NOT WANT

THIS CHILD TO BE BORN,
NO MATTER THE GENDER.

THIS SHOWS THAT WOMEN OCCUPY
A STRONG YET VULNERABLE POSITION

IN THE POWER STRUCTURE.

THEY WERE TARGETS.

IT WOULD HAVE BEEN
A VERY DANGEROUS THING

TO GET IN THE WAY OF WU ZETIAN.

Narrator: AS EMPEROR OF CHINA,

WU ZETIAN SUCCESSFULLY
FOUGHT OFF ALL RIVALS

TO HOLD ON TO POWER,

BUT THE FIGHT HAD BEEN BLOODY.

Eckfeld: WU ZETIAN
BECAME INCREDIBLY RUTHLESS.

SHE HAD HUNDREDS OF MEMBERS
OF THE RULING FAMILY EXECUTED.

THE VIOLENCE
AND REIGN OF TERROR,

YOU COULD SAY, WAS EXTREME.

BUT SHE WAS NOT
WITHOUT A CONSCIENCE.

SHE WAS VERY TROUBLED
BY WHAT SHE'D DONE.

♪

Narrator: WITH HER MIND LOOKING
FORWARD TO HER AFTERLIFE,

WU WANTED FORGIVENESS
OF HER SINS.

SHE WROTE A CONFESSION

AND HAD IT ENGRAVED
ONTO A GOLDEN TABLET

AND HAD THE TABLET TAKEN

TO A PLACE
OF SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE

TO PERFORM A SACRED RITUAL.

♪

♪

Dugdale: SO, HERE WE ARE
ON MOUNT SONG.

IT'S THE CENTRAL
OF THE FIVE SACRED PEAKS

OF ANCIENT CHINA,

AND IT BECAME
A VERY IMPORTANT PLACE

IN WU ZETIAN'S LATER LIFE.

IN THE YEAR 700, WU ZETIAN
CAME TO THIS MOUNTAIN.

SHE HAD A GOLDEN TABLET MADE,
ON WHICH SHE INSCRIBED HER SINS,

WHICH WAS THEN
CAST DOWN THE MOUNTAIN

AS A FORM OF ABSOLUTION.

Narrator: AND WE KNOW
WHAT THAT GOLDEN TABLET SAYS

BECAUSE AMAZINGLY
ONE DAY IN 1982,

A LOCAL FARMER FOUND IT
ON THE MOUNTAIN SLOPES.

ITS INSCRIPTION WAS SHORT
BUT ITS MESSAGE VAST.

Dugdale: IT SAID, THE RULER,
WU ZHAO, ADMIRES THE TRUE DAO,

WITH ITS LONG-LIVED
IMMORTAL SPIRITS.

HER SERVANT HAS BEEN
COMMISSIONED TO GO REVERENTLY

TO THE PINNACLE OF
THE CENTRAL PEAK OF MOUNT SONG

AND CAST THE GOLDEN TALLY THAT
MIGHT EXPIATE HER SINFUL NATURE.

WHAT YOU CAN TELL BY THE FACT

SHE'S THROWING AWAY
THIS TABLET

IN SUCH A VISIBLE FASHION

IS THAT SHE'S REALLY TRYING
TO DEMONSTRATE

TO OTHER PEOPLE
THAT SHE WAS REPENTANT.

IT'S A VERY VISIBLE,
CEREMONIAL THING.

IT'S SAYING I HAVE SINNED,

AND I WISH TO BE ABSOLVED
OF THESE SINS,

AND WHETHER
SHE ACTUALLY BELIEVED

THAT WAS THE CASE OR NOT,
I THINK IS LESS IMPORTANT

THAN THE IMPRESSION
IT WOULD CREATE TO OTHER PEOPLE.

Narrator:
THE END OF WU ZETIAN'S REIGN

WOULD BECOME FRAUGHT
WITH SCHEMING AND REBELLION

FROM THE CONFUCIAN MALE NOBILITY
WITHIN HER IMPERIAL COURT.

Eckfeld: THE HIGHER SHE GOES,
SHE BECOMES A TALL POPPY.

SHE BECOMES A BIGGER TARGET.

♪

Narrator: JONATHAN DUGDALE
HAS LEARNED OF A HIDDEN LOCATION

IN THE FOOTHILLS OF MOUNT SONG,

WHERE WU RETREATED TO
IN HER LAST YEARS ALIVE.

Dugdale: IT'S AWESOME.

I'VE WANTED TO COME HERE
FOR A LONG TIME.

THIS IS, THIS IS QUITE SPECIAL.

THIS IS THE SONGYUE PAGODA.

IT'S IMPORTANT
IN WU ZETIAN'S LIFE

BECAUSE SHE USED TO COME HERE
TO WORSHIP.

♪

IT'S 1,500 YEARS OLD, AND
NOT ONLY IS IT STILL STANDING,

IT STILL LOOKS,
STILL LOOKS PRETTY GOOD.

♪

♪

♪

WOW.

SO, WU ZETIAN WOULD HAVE COME
PROBABLY INTO THIS VERY BUILDING

BECAUSE THIS IS THE ORIGINAL
STRUCTURE FROM 1,500 YEARS AGO.

I'VE NEVER SEEN
ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE.

THIS IS A PHENOMENAL BUILDING!

YOU CAN FEEL WHY WU ZETIAN
WOULD WANT TO COME HERE.

I MEAN, CHANG'AN AT THIS TIME
IS POLITICALLY VERY DIFFICULT,

AND SHE WANTS TO COME HERE
TO JUST ESCAPE ALL THAT.

IT'S A PLACE
OF SAFETY AND REFUGE.

Narrator: THROUGHOUT HER LIFE,

WU ZETIAN HAD SHATTERED
CONFUCIAN TRADITION,

RISING FROM A LOWLY CONCUBINE

TO BECOME THE FIRST
FEMALE EMPEROR OF CHINA,

AT THE AGE OF 66.

BUT THE MALE NOBILITY
WERE CLOSING RANK,

AND WU HAD NOWHERE TO RUN.

Eckfeld: WHEN WU ZETIAN'S RULE
CAME TO AN END, SHE WAS 80.

IN EFFECT, SHE WASN'T USURPED.

SHE ABDICATED,
SO SHE WAS STILL MAINTAINING

HER OWN SENSE OF CONTROL.

♪

SHE LIVED FOR A FEW MORE MONTHS,

AND SHE WENT QUIETLY.

HER TIME HAD COME.

Narrator: EMPEROR WU ZETIAN
DIED IN 705.

SHE HAD CONTROLLED THE EMPIRE
FOR NEARLY HALF A CENTURY.

♪

THIS IS QIANLING,

THE TANG DYNASTY
MAUSOLEUM COMPLEX,

HER FINAL RESTING PLACE.

SHE'S BURIED IN A SECRET CHAMBER
DEEP INSIDE THE MOUNTAIN,

ALONGSIDE
THE EMPEROR SHE SUCCEEDED,

HER HUSBAND GAOZONG.

Eckfeld:
WE'RE ON THE SPIRITUAL PATH

WALKING TOWARD
WU ZETIAN'S TOMB.

IT'S IMPRESSIVE, IT'S DAUNTING,
IT'S POWERFUL.

THE AREA THAT IT COVERS

IS ALMOST THE SAME
AS THE DAMING PALACE,

SO IT'S A, A HUGE AREA.

Narrator:
THE PATH TO WU ZETIAN'S TOMB

IS PROTECTED
BY IMPERIAL BODYGUARDS

AND SCULPTURES
TO WARD OFF EVIL SPIRITS.

BESIDE THE GATEWAY ENTRANCE

ARE TWO SETS
OF FOREIGN EMISSARIES,

LINED UP TO PAY HOMAGE.

Eckfeld: BEING HERE
IS A REALLY AWESOME EXPERIENCE.

IT'S SO IMPRESSIVE.

WU ZETIAN MAY HAVE HELD POWER
FOR MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY,

BUT IN THIS PLACE,
REALLY HER SPIRIT

AND HER SENSE OF MAJESTY
AND AUTHORITY AND POWER

HAS LIVED ON
FOR MANY CENTURIES.

♪

[THUNDER]

Narrator:
STANDING ALONE AT QIANLING

REMAINS THE CARVED STELE

HONORING
WU ZETIAN'S RESTING PLACE.

HER DECREE TO LEAVE IT BLANK
RESULTED IN HISTORIANS

DISTORTING HER STORY
FOR CENTURIES,

BUT HAVING DISCOVERED MORE
ABOUT HER LIFE'S ACHIEVEMENTS,

WHAT WOULD OUR EXPERTS
NOW CARVE UPON THE STONE?

Dugdale: I WOULD WRITE
SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF,

SHE WAS A WOMAN WHO DID WHAT
SHE HAD TO TO STAY IN POWER.

SHE WAS A GREAT LEADER.

SHE HAD A LOT
OF POLITICAL ACUMEN,

BUT MOST OF ALL,
I'D SAY SHE WAS THE WOMAN

THAT PROVED
THAT IN A MAN'S WORLD,

YOU DIDN'T NEED A MAN
TO LEAD IT.

Liu: THE ONE WORD THAT
I WOULD PUT IS JUST "MAVERICK,"

BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT SHE
WENT ABOUT GAINING POWER.

♪

Rothschild: I'D WRITE NOTHING,

FOR HER ENTIRE IDIOSYNCRATIC,
UNPRECEDENTED POLITICAL CAREER

DEFIED LABELS,
AND FOR 1,300 YEARS,

SHE'S DEFIED
HISTORICAL VERDICT.

I THINK THAT
THE BLANKNESS OF THE STELE

IS A PERFECT MONUMENT.