Wu Zetian
Awards & Honours
5
Awards Won
5
Honours
3
Rankings
3
Covers
4
Records
Wu Zetian's singular achievement, being the only woman to rule China as emperor in her own right, sets her apart in world history. She created her own Chinese character, reformed the examination system to promote merit over birth, and expanded Tang territory. Her reign brought stability and cultural flourishing. Though long vilified, modern historians recognize her as a skilled administrator and politician who navigated an impossible system with extraordinary success.
Awards
Honours & Distinctions
Cairen (Imperial Consort)
Fifth-rank imperial consort to Emperor Taizong.
Empress Consort
Wife of Emperor Gaozong, highest rank for a woman.
Empress Dowager
Regent for her sons after Gaozong's death.
Emperor
Sovereign ruler of the Zhou dynasty, the only woman to hold this title.
Posthumous Title: Empress Zetian
Honorific name meaning 'emulator of heaven.'
Rankings & Lists
Most Powerful Women in World History
100 Women Who Changed the World
Rejected Princesses
Magazine Covers
History Today
2020-03-01
China's Only Female Emperor
National Geographic History
2019-07-01
Wu Zetian: The Woman Who Would Be Emperor
Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective
2018-02-01
Wu Zetian: The Woman Emperor of China
Records & Feats
Only woman to rule China as emperor in her own right
Wu Zetian is the sole female emperor in over two millennia of Chinese imperial history.
Created her own Chinese character
She invented the character '曌' (Zhao) for her personal name, combining sun, moon, and sky.
Longest-serving female ruler in Chinese history
She held de facto power from 660 to 705, a total of 45 years, including 15 as emperor.
First woman to wear the yellow imperial robe
Wu was one of only two women in Chinese history to wear the yellow robe reserved for the emperor.