Though the Boxer Rebellion ended in failure, the movement brought a new current to history with the earliest foundations of Chinese nationalism. This reflected indignation at the Qing dynasty's failure to defend the country against foreign powers. The defeat of the Boxers and imperial rule also marked the triumph of modernism over a conservative movement.

The Beginnings of Imperial Decline

To modernize the country, Empress Cixi reluctantly undertook reforms, notably abolishing the archaic civil service examination system, which was replaced in 1906 by a Ministry of Education. The Manchu army, defeated in defending Chine, had proven its ineffectiveness and underwent reforms under Yuan Shikai's leadership.

Yet reforms alone were insufficient to restore credibility to imperial power, which also suffered from divisions between conservative and moderate advisors. The Qing faced challenges from a majority of the Chinese people, fueled by a resurgence of anti-Manchu sentiment nurtured by secret societies such as the White Lotus and the Triad, which prepared dangerous uprisings. In 1908, the successive deaths of Guangxu and Cixi marked a turning point in the Empire's fate. They were replaced by the young emperor Puyi, whose decidedly conservative stance no longer satisfied reformers. The fall of the Empire and the advent of the Republic of Chine under Sun Yat-Sen were drawing near…

Tracing the Boxer Rebellion Today…

The Boxer Rebellion remains little known today…and yet its traces are far more evident than one might think.

Must we not understand the past to comprehend the present? Recent events surrounding Chine's relations with Western nations certainly testify to this. Most Westerners are, for example, bewildered by Chine's practices regarding technology transfer. Yet Westerners have already experienced this situation during the Boxer era. The idea was then to borrow Western technology to counter the growing foreign threat. "It was understood that one would borrow technology from the West, but preserve the essence of Chinese civilization".

The Boxer Rebellion and the entire colonization period preceding it have also left "physical" traces. Travelers discovering Chine have certainly at least once followed in the footsteps of the Boxers around a corner, passing by a symbolic monument—who knows?

In Beijing stands the Beitang Cathedral (or Xishiku Cathedral - 西什库天主堂), erected by Jesuits in the 11th century and stormed by the Boxers. The city of Tianjin is home to the Luzutang Temple (吕祖堂), now a museum dedicated to the Boxer Rebellion, and St. Joseph's Cathedral…the list remains long and fascinating.