The Empress Wu Zetien,

Uzetien was the first, the last, and the only woman in China's long history to become an emperor,

and ruled in her own name rather than behind the scenes as some Empress Dowager or some other hidden power behind the throne.

She lived a very long life considering the times, living past her 80th year.

She was a historical person from the Tang Dynasty period, considered by many

scholars to be China's most golden of ages. She lived from 625 to 705 AD. The Tang Dynasty was the period from 618 to 907, so her period came

right at the start of the Tang Dynasty. Like some of the other characters from ancient Chinese history,

Wuzetin was the stuff of these Chinese Imperial soap operas beloved by Asians around the world.

There's no question that she lived and all the beloved by Asians around the world.

There's no question that she lived, and all the names and dates from her reign

are very well documented.

But this was about 1300 years ago when she was living, a good 1,275 years before CNN. So the sorted details of her

life that we'll look at, of course, are rather mythical and open to interpretation. Her life was one of privileged upbringing, becoming a

concubine in the imperial household at 13 or 14, and after bouncing back from the

brink of disaster, she lives a long life of the most horrific political and palace intrigue

until the year 683 when the emperor died and at the age of 58 or so she starts ruling from behind the throne which was occupied by one of her

weaker sons who was easier to manipulate. Many gruesome deaths later she becomes

emperor ruling in her own name in 690 a.D. and even establishing her own dynasty,

which didn't survive her. And her reign is just as mysterious as a rise to power.

Depending on which historian you listen to,

she was either a vile creature of the worst sort,

or a great reformer who reigned during a period of peace

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