24 days ago
Artworks reveal Chinese rulers and Cixi loved role-playing long before modern cosplay
What's happening
SignalsMonitor is following this as a general story. South China Morning Post Asia is the outlet attached so far. The first report grouped here was at 23 Sept 2026, 02:00 UTC. The headline in use is “Artworks reveal Chinese rulers and Cixi loved role-playing long before modern cosplay”. This note is SignalsMonitor's own briefing, not the publisher's article.
What we know
The Qing dynasty’s Empress Dowager Cixi is renowned as a cosplay enthusiast, leaving behind photographs and paintings of herself embodying the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy, Guanyin. However, she was not the first to engage in such role-playing while on the throne.
Story timeline
Reports grouped into this story, earliest first. Exact repeats from the same outlet are collapsed.
- First reported by South China Morning Post Asia
Artworks reveal Chinese rulers and Cixi loved role-playing long before modern cosplay
Reported by 1 outlet
- South China Morning Post
- South China Morning PostArtworks reveal Chinese rulers and Cixi loved role-playing long before modern cosplay