In ancient China, a book of interpreting words "Erya" once said that "beautiful women are women", so that the ladies from famous families were named "celebrities". However, with the rise of urban capitalism, this title has been redefined as a mockery of commoner women who pretend to be rich women and try to change their social status by marrying the rich second generation. Recently, the mainland has set off a craze for "fighting single celebrities", which has aroused widespread discussion in society. Let's look back at the history of blood and tears in Chinese history when ordinary women struggled to enter the upper class.
The mystery of the identity of the ancient beauty.
In ancient times, social roles and titles were relatively rigid, and women's titles also varied according to their status. In the imperial palace, women with a bit of beauty can be called queens, concubines, concubines, and yuan, and in secular society, although everyone loves beauty, the society still adheres to the Confucian four virtues of women, "virtue and speech", emphasizing that women's virtue is better than beauty. Unlike in modern times, beautiful women in ancient times were called "shu", while women who made a living from beauty were jokingly called prostitutes and prostitutes.
In the Tang Dynasty society, the threshold for prostitutes to enter the industry was extremely high, in addition to appearance, they also needed to have talents, be able to write and poetry, and be proficient in calligraphy, painting, song and dance, in order to have the opportunity to become a prostitute. The brothel became an important place for the bureaucratic literati class to socialize, and the strict precautions between men and women in ancient times led to free love not being the mainstream, and prostitutes became the object of admiration of the gentry and literati, and became the protagonist of many good stories.
Tang Dynasty literati and prostitutes: a time of poetry and wine.
In the Tang Dynasty, the concept of society was relatively open, and literati often traveled with prostitutes, and great poets such as Li Bai, Du Fu, Yuan Zhen, and Bai Juyi often lingered in the Chu Pavilion of Qinlou to write beautiful poems for good prostitutes. In Bai Juyi's poems, more than a dozen prostitutes are recorded, and he even changed three batches of domestic prostitutes in ten years. He and his friend Yuan Zhi often visited the same prostitute, and even took them out to play, sometimes for as long as a month.
Tang Dynasty Women's Counterattack: The Arduous Journey from Commoner to Celebrity.
The Tang Dynasty was an era of cultural integration and social openness, and the status of women was relatively high, especially in the Tang Dynasty, in order to get ahead, beautiful civilian women would linger in Taoist temples or sponsor scholars to apply for the imperial examination, hoping that one day the prince would achieve fame and change their social status. Women devoted themselves to the Taoist temple and became female Taoist priests, as the temple was frequented by literati and dignitaries, making it a high-class social venue. For example, the famous female Taoist priest Yu Xuanji, she handed over to the minister, socialized with literati, and even killed a young and beautiful maid for a limelight. She was finally executed for this case, leaving behind a famous poem: "It is easy to ask for priceless treasures, but it is rare to have a heart." ”
Inherited Love: A Woman in the Legend of the Tang Dynasty.
The legendary stories of the Tang Dynasty, such as "The Legend of Yingying", "The Legend of Li Wa" and "The Legend of Huo Xiaoyu", are full of tragic stories, telling the love legend of talented and beautiful women who began to abandon each other. The women in the story, such as Cui Yingying, Li Wa and Huo Xiaoyu, are all talented and beautiful women, but they became prostitutes due to the decline of their families, and started a touching love with the down-and-out scholars who went to Beijing to take the exam. These women gave up everything for the fame of Lang Jun, and even shed all their family property to support their lovers, just that they could one day soar and marry a lover.
Traditional historical accounts are written by men, obscuring women's perspectives and voices. Historian Chen Yinke once examined the relationship between Jinshi Gongju and prostitutes in the Tang Dynasty revealed in "The Legend of Yingying". The Tang Dynasty attached great importance to the family, and it was a general trend in society for women from poor families to marry into high-ranking families. The prototype of the negative man Zhang Sheng in "The Legend of Yingying" is the great poet Yuan Zhi of the Tang Dynasty.
From prostitutes to noblewomen: an exception to the Tang Dynasty women's counterattack.
However, not all love stories end in tragedy. For example, Li Shishi, a famous prostitute in the Song Dynasty, was deeply loved by Song Huizong.
This essay profoundly depicts the complex changes in the social roles, concepts of marriage, and status of women in ancient China. Through historical biographies, literary works, and a series of stories, we can get a glimpse of the difficult journeys of ancient women in their pursuit of love, social status, and personal development.
First of all, the article mentions the mystery of the identity of women in ancient times, illustrating the division of the roles of beautiful women in ancient society, whether in the royal palace or in secular society, women were subject to strict social norms. The Confucian Four Virtues of Women emphasized that women's virtue was better than beauty, which played an important normative role in the society at that time. Compared with modern times, this difference in traditional values and concepts makes women more limited in ancient societies and need to seek their own survival and development under established rules and expectations.
Secondly, the relationship between literati and prostitutes in the Tang Dynasty is vividly delineated, and through the interaction between famous poets and prostitutes, it reflects the special recognition of prostitutes in the society at that time. Compared to modern prejudices against prostitution, Tang society was surprisingly tolerant and respectful of this group. This open social atmosphere provided an opportunity for some commoner women to change their lives through prostitution, while also revealing the unique aspects of culture and entertainment in Tang society.
In the case of the counterattack of women in the Tang Dynasty mentioned in the article, these women tried to improve their status by taking advantage of the success of men in society by joining Taoist temples and sponsoring scholars to apply for the imperial examination. Although this approach may have been seen as a resourceful survival strategy at the time, it also exposed the inequality of women's social status at the time. Women relied on men's success to improve themselves, reflecting the restrictions on women's autonomy at the time.
Finally, the article introduces the concept of celebrity, highlighting the different understandings of the term between ancient and modern times. In ancient times, celebrities were women of high birth and both talents and appearances, but in modern times, due to the influence of Western "courtesan" culture, celebrities often have a derogatory connotation and become a mockery of some women. This shift not only reflects the evolution of social attitudes, but also reveals the differences in the meaning of the word "celebrity" in different historical periods.
Overall, this article provides us with a window into ancient society through the description of ancient women's survival process, social status, marriage concept, etc. While examining ancient society, it also triggers deep thinking about the status and social concepts of contemporary women.
This essay outlines the difficult journeys of women in ancient China in society in a profound and detailed way, vividly showing their complex circumstances in terms of marriage, social status, and personal development through historical stories and literary descriptions.
First of all, the article provides a profound analysis of the identity dilemma of women in ancient times. The social role of women in ancient times was strictly regulated, and the Confucian Four Virtues for Women emphasized the importance of women's virtues. This norm restricts women's autonomous development and makes them play a relatively passive role in traditional society. Beautiful women are regarded as harem beauties, and society strictly adheres to the standards of women's four virtues, which sets a series of obstacles for women's development.
Second, the relationship between literati and prostitutes in the Tang Dynasty reveals the unique recognition of prostitutes in society. Unlike the prejudice against prostitutes in contemporary society, the tolerance and respect for prostitutes in Tang society is impressive. The interaction between literati and prostitutes reflects the openness of the society and culture of the time, as well as the social status of prostitutes to a certain extent. This social landscape provided some ordinary women with the opportunity to change their fate, however, it also revealed the restrictions on women's careers at the time.
In the case of the counterattack of women in the Tang Dynasty, these women tried to improve their social status through the success of men by joining Taoist temples and sponsoring scholars to apply for the imperial examination. Although this phenomenon reflects the restrictions on the development of women in society at that time, it also shows the active efforts of these women to change their own destiny. Their efforts and wisdom shone through the difficult situation, and at the same time, they also highlighted the limitations of society at that time for women's independent development.
Finally, the article introduces the term "celebrity", emphasizing the different understandings of the concept between ancient and modern times. In ancient times, celebrities were women of high birth and both talents and appearances, but in modern times, the term is often dejorative, and is used to ridicule some women who are too focused on appearance. This evolution of the concept of celebrities not only reflects the change of social attitudes, but also reflects the different pressures that women are under in social evaluation.
Overall, this article provides a glimpse into the concept of marriage, social status, and cultural outlook in ancient societies by recounting the fate of women in ancient times. At the same time, it also triggered a deep reflection on the problems faced by contemporary women in social development and conceptual change. These historical stories not only allow us to better understand ancient societies, but also prompt us to reflect on gender equality and the development of social attitudes in contemporary society.
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If the content of the article involves the content of the work, copyright**, infringement, rumors or other issues, please contact us to delete it. Finally, if you have any different thoughts about this event, please leave a message in the comment area to discuss!
Original work** in: Crown SY