Ying-Chen Peng

About the Author

Ying-Chen Peng is a distinguished historian and author specializing in the intricate lives of women in imperial China. With a PhD in East Asian history from a leading university, she has dedicated her career to uncovering the hidden narratives of empresses, consorts, and palace women who shaped dynastic politics behind the vermilion walls of the Forbidden City. Drawing on extensive archival research in Beijing and Taiwan, Peng's work illuminates the power dynamics, cultural rituals, and personal agency of these figures across centuries of Qing and earlier rule. Her accessible yet scholarly prose bridges academic rigor with engaging storytelling, making the opulent yet confining world of the imperial harem vivid for contemporary readers. Beyond her writing, Peng lectures internationally on gender and history in Asia, advocating for the recognition of women's roles in pre-modern societies.