本书作者将其在华经历放到当时中国政治文化的大背景中，从一个外国人的特殊视角，怀着对中国和中国人民的诚挚情感详细描述了“清廷”内部的明争暗斗、自己随机应变、居中调解以及他与溥仪之间的深厚交谊。

《紫禁城的黄昏》一书是帝师庄士敦对清朝两百多年统治的“黄昏时期”的记述。作者将其在华经历放到当时中国政治文化的大背景中，从一个外国人的特殊视角，怀着对中国和中国人民的诚挚情感详细描述了“清廷”内部的明争暗斗、自己随机应变、居中调解以及他与溥仪之间的深厚交谊。

《紫禁城的黄昏》与一般来华的西方人士的著述不同，庄氏通过他的作品表在了对中国文化的酷爱和中国应该保护儒家思想传统以及与它相适应的社会结构的保守观点，对某些西方人企图改变中国人生活方式的做法提出“抗议”，这是庄氏特立独行之处。

Preface

Translation of Preface

Introduction

Chapter I　The Reform Movement of 1898

Chapter II　The Collapse of the Reform Movement

Chapter III Reaction and the Boxer Movement, 1898-- 1901

Chapter IV　The Last Years of Kuang-Hsti, 1901 -- 1908

Chapter V The Empress-Dowager, T'zu-Hsi

Chapter VI　The Revolution, 1911

Chapter VII The "Articles of Favourable Treatment"of the Manchu Imperial House

Chapter VIII The Ta Ch'ing and the Hung Hsien Emperors

Chapter IX Chang Hstin and the Restoration of 1917

Chapter X Autobiography of the Old Man of the Pine-tree(Translated from the Chinese)

Chapter XI The Forbidden City, 1919-- 1924

Chapter XII The Imperial Tutors

Chapter XIII The Manchu Court in Twilight,

Chapter XIV The Imperial Household Department (Nei Wu Fu)

Chapter XV The Dragon Unfledged

Chapter XVI Monarchist Hopes and Dreams

Chapter XVII The Dragon Restless

Chapter XVIII The Dragon Flaps His Wings

Chapter XIX Dragon and Phoenix

Chapter XX Plots and Stratagems

Chapter XXI　The Imperial Garden

Chapter XXII The Summer Palace

Chapter XXIII The Fifth of November

Chapter XXIV The Dragon Caged

Chapter XXV The Flight of the Dragon

Epilogue: the Dragon Goes Home

The Pedigree of the Manchu Emperors