Two Years in the Forbidden City is an autobiography by Princess Der Ling. Her royal highness depicts her time while serving as the first lady-in-waiting for Empress Dowager Cixi, conveying the atmosphere of the Chinese court in those times.

Two Years in the Forbidden City is the memoir by Princess Der Ling about her life in the service of Empress Dowager Cixi, where she was the First lady-in-waiting, as well as interpreter for her when she received foreign visitors. The book provides unique insights into life at the Manchu court and the character of the Empress, a world that ended abruptly with the 1911 revolution that overthrew the Manchu or Qing dynasty.