96W $2495

The Chinese Way of Love is the

first definitive work on the Chinese
art of the bedchamber and forbidden
erotica for the general reader.
The Chinese Way of Love folds away
the silken screen which, for more than
two thousand years, has guarded the
delights of the Chinese bedchamber
from the curious eyes of foreign
intruders.

For the first time translations from

the ‘forbidden books’ are presented
which, while rivalling the Kama Sutra
in the detail of their approach to the
practice of love, do so with poetry
and the beauty of an infinitely more
sophisticated civilisation, as eclectic in
its secret delights as would be expected
of the creators of the Tang horse
or the Ming vase.

Nobody who is interested in the

amorous relations between men and
women can possibly ignore this book
with its richness of anecdote and its
wealth of revelation. More than just a
positions and practical guide, this
book combines stories from the old
Chinese and an account of sexuality
in modern China.
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 Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge with thanks the help they have
received, either directly or indirectly, from the following:

Clarendon Press, Oxford, for permission to publish part

of C.dementi’s introduction to Cantonese Love Songs
Library of the University of Indiana, Indiana
Library of the University of Michigan
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
The Van Gulik Collection, Paris
The Wellcome Institute, London
Old Palace Museum, Peking
George C.Harrap & Co Ltd
Professor Liu Ta-Fa <
Michel Beurdeley
Ralph Estling

© 1982 Charles Humana and Wang Wu

Published by
CFW Publications Limited
130 Connaught Road Central, Hong Kong

Design:
Hon Bing-wah

ISBN: 963 7031 13 2

ISBN: 962 7031 15 1
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.

Printed in Hong Kong

 THE
CHINESE WAY
OF LOVE
OF LOVE
Charles Humana and WangWu
CFW PUBLICATIONS
Hong Kong
 9 Preface 26 Chapter Two
Dragon Emperors and Queens
10 Introduction Why the Emperor needed three thousand concubines -N
The sex-feats of Chou-hsin — His love for the Fox Woman
and orgies by the Wine Lake and in the Meat Forest —
Parti Emperor Yang-Ti and his variations of ‘love-on-the-move’
— Records of the Maze Palace — The Court of Kublai
The Bridge to the Bamboo Grove Khan — The story of Most Beautiful Wu — And of the
Jealous Concubine.
14 Chapter One
Yin, Yang, and the Vital Essence 42 Chapter Three
The Yellow Emperor (2700 B.C.) author of the first sex The Duties and Desires of the Eunuch
manual — ‘To understand the Head, investigate well the Different kinds of castration — The effects — The harem
Tail’ — Confucian disciplines and Taoist freedom — The duties of the eunuch — His place in the Royal Bedchamber
male attitude to women — The secret desires of Madam — His methods of choosing concubines — The love-life of
True Heart — The Art of the Bedchamber by Most Noble the eunuch — His search for the Elixir to restore his lost
Tung — Fairy Koo’s methods of creating Harmony. virility — His pretence at normal family life — And the
need for sex instruments — Minister of Death and Execu¬
tioner Royal.

92 Chapter Six
Prolonging the Pleasure
Oral and external aphrodisiacs — The Great Medicine of
the Three Heights — The Five Responses and the Nine
Urges — The yellow potency pill of the Tibetan monk — Its
effect on the ‘turtle-head’ — A woman for all seasons.

The Art of the Bedchamber Chapter Seven

The Darker Side of Loving
58 Chapter Four The Chinese attitude to perversions — Playing-the-Flute —
Celestial Stems for Precious Flowers The scatological aspect — Sex aids and instruments — Hsi-
The Taoist Faith in the Natural Animal — Male fascination men Ch’ing’s ‘travel case’ — Extended Coitus —
with ‘the one square inch’ — The Yellow Emperor’s Punishments and tortures — The Ten Commandments —
dialogue with the Forthright Female — The sex fetish of A tale of quiet sadism — Sutteeism — Records of the Cut
bound-feet — Yeh Te-hui’s Ways of Sex — The penis-graft Sleeve.
of the Master of Medicine — On the subject of ‘The Large
and the Small.’ 116 Chapter Eight
The Ladies of the Green Bowers
76 Chapter Five The evolution of prostitution — The really free woman —
The Assault on the Jade Pavilion The Fallen Flowers of the Green Bowers — The advice of
The Pillow Books — The Night-time Scholar’s instruction the Madame — The story of Yii Hsiian-chi — The Can¬
of the bride — The Thirty Heaven and Earth Postures — tonese Love Songs — Advice to men visiting brothels —
The Game of Hovering Butterflies — Sex positions for the The Floating Brothel (Hua-chuan) — Miss Ace (from
garden and the bathing pool — The Yellow Emperor’s Nine Shanghai Stories, 1928).
Glorious Postures — Battles of the Bedchamber — The
wisdom of old men.
 1

^Part 3
From Fragrant Silhouettes to the Great
Leap Forward
134 Chapter Nine
The Flowery Fiction
The Shih-ching — The Chinese erotic novel — Auntie Mor¬
ning Flower and the Sex Competition — The Index Ex-
purgatorius — Hsi-men the Non-stop — The Hwa Tseen —
Erotic humour — Scented Jade’s seduction of the
gardener.

148 Chapter Ten

The Great Leap Forward
Sex in China today — The new Free Woman — An unusual
meaning to ‘rape’ — Feng Xuefeng’s secret poems — A
modern Sex Manual — Practice birth control for the
Revolution! — The Golden Triangle and the Overseas
Chinese — Western Face commerce.

Bibliography
This book is an attempt to redress the extraor¬ Georges and Wan-hua Chapouthier, Bernard
dinary neglect of one of the most interesting, Hars and the establishment of C.T. Loo & Cie
artistic and colourful aspects of behaviour, of Paris, to John and Ching-yee Smithback of
namely the traditional sex beliefs and prac¬ Hong Kong, to Dr. and Mrs. W.S.K. Waung
tices of a people now making up a quarter of and W.H. Deane of Sydney, to the sculptor
humanity. The few studies of the subject have Desmond Fountain and to Dr. J. Mirsky of
usually been scholarly works or collections of London. Some of the best photographs are
illustrations with a text so brief and inade¬ the work of Rhona Jacobs, of Sydney, which
quately written that it can only be described as we acknowledge with thanks, and we are also
an extended caption. indebted to the librarian and staffs of the
In the case of this particular work, a first School of Oriental and African Studies and
edition of the text appeared in 1971 and this the British Library, London, to the Musee
has been enhanced and expanded. The il¬ Guimet and the Bibliotheque Nationale in
lustrations therefore give a further dimension Paris, to the Rare Books and Special Collec¬
to a text complete and distinct in itself. tions Library of the University of Sydney of
The authors have been fortunate to receive which the W.H. & Elizabeth M. Deane Collec¬
much help and goodwill in different parts of tion forms part, and to the Mitchell Library,
the world. We are particularly grateful to Dr. Sydney.
 Taoists. The idea of coldness, of inscrutabili¬
ty, like the Englishman’s stiff upper-lip’, is
contradicted as soon as a degree of familiarity
is established. And among the aims of this
work is to create for the reader such a sense of
familiarity.
The Pa Kua symbol of wholeness is divided
into two complimentary halves and whether
representing Yin (woman) or Yang (man), or
Earth and Heaven, Darkness and Light or
similar opposites, it conceived a universe of
perfect balance. The Tao or ‘way’ saw these
opposites as the ideal of Harmony, regarded
Man and Woman as a fundamental part of the
Great Cosmos. ‘Heaven is first, Earth is se¬
cond, Man is third...’ stated the Taoists, and
UNLIKE MANY of the classical erotic novels when Yin and Yang enjoyed sexual inter¬
of China, this work is not introduced to the course, the climax of the Ultimate (orgasm)
reader with a moral exhortation and a pro¬ brought a brief explosion that swept them into
testation of high principles before offering a the elemental unity of the Universe. With sex
glorious display of sexual adventures and as the most elevated as well as the most
related matters. Such a stern Confucian ap¬ pleasurable of man’s actions, it could hardly
proach, of having a good moral reason for evoke the feelings of guilt and shame known
everything one did, was less typical of the to other societies and to other peoples. A cer¬
Chinese than the contrary yet parallel belief of tain degree of lip-service was paid to Confu-
Taoism. If religion is of the heart rather than cian beliefs about the Golden Mean, and en¬
the mind, then the gay and guilt-free joying everything in moderation, but as the
behaviour of the Chinese in most sexual mat¬ chapters that follow will show, sex and the
ters proves them to have been instinctive ‘bed arts’ were pursued with unrestrained
vigour and with a constant joy and good
humour.
 The first section, ‘The Bridge to the Bam¬
boo Grove’, offers a background of history
and a ‘panoramic’ survey of the subject. The
The dividing line between the factual and heart of the book, however, is the second sec¬
s fanciful in Chinese erotic novels, in the tion which, apart from the detailed study of
storical sex manuals and in the sociological the sex practices and customs of the Chinese,
pects of the subject, must remain confused covers much that would be contained in the
r a number of reasons. Some of the oldest traditional pillow books of the bedchamber
k handbooks are of obscure origin, or were art. Whether one turns to the sex postures,
st compiled as folklore and then suffered however, or to a Rabelaisian extract from a
aginative revision at the hands of Taoist Sung or Ming novel, one is enjoying an
d Buddhist monks. On the other hand the authentic glimpse of that part of the rich
► vel, apparently a work of fiction, which fabric of traditional life considered too in¬
is regarded as an inferior art form and not timate and too private for the curiosity of
foject to such a severe censorship as books coarse barbarians and foreign devils.
aiming a higher status, could therefore deal The Chinese, as with many races and
ore freely with ‘forbidden’ subjects. This religions, saw their culture as the most ad¬
could be borne in mind when reading the vanced in the world and their country as its
Slowing chapters. The bizarre scenes from true and indisputable centre. Distant Europe,
me of the novels were undoubtedly first- even in the eighteenth-century, was part of a
nd and perceptive accounts of domestic and dark periphery, beyond Africa, beyond Asia,
dchamber life of their various periods. its peoples uncivilized and predestined to ser¬
In its treatment of the sexual life of the vitude. As evidence of this one only has to
ainese, this work has followed a pattern of quote the edict of Emperor Ch’ien Lung when
awing on scholarly and historical sources in welcoming Lord Macartney, envoy of King
e first instance and then attempting to il- George III of England:
strate the material by turning to novels and
her ‘realistic’ accounts. It can therefore be It is noted that your country lies across the oceans
sn as a synthesis of the unadorned Confu- but that you humbly wish to acquaint yourself with
an presentation of the facts and the more Civilization and that your envoy has journeyed to
lorful flights of fancy of the Taoists. This this Court to kotow to the Celestial Emperor and to
congratulate him on his Birthday. Such humility and
.s also influenced the translation of many of
respectful obedience meets with our approval...
£ extracts reproduced in the book. Where it
In reply, your tribute envoy will convey to you our
.s been necessary to keep to the original text, desire that your country over the seas wilt further
ds has been done, but where it seems demonstrate its loyalty to the Celestial Empire and
sirable to give a ‘free translation’, as is corn- that it wilt swear perpetual obedience ...
on practice with a language composed of Part of the 1793 Edict
eographic symbols, interpretation rather
:an the exact terminology has been con- A similar conviction of superiority extended
iiered of more importance. This wish to to the theories and practices of their bed¬
mmunicate the spirit and the wider meaning chamber arts. They were part of the Celestial
is also been applied to the editing of certain Design and therefore to be enjoyed only by
aterial from archaic western sources. the Chinese.
 The Bridge to
The Bamboo
Grove
 The clearest evidence of the continuity of
Chinese sex beliefs and practices over nearly
five thousand years can be seen in the unanimi¬
ty of the writings of sages and scholars over
that lengthy period. Three such figures will
serve to illustrate this truth, Li Yii,
seventeenth-century novelist and dramatist, the
Most Noble Tung Hsiian Tzu, seventh-century
CHAPTER ONE medical authority, and the Yellow Emperor,
Huang-Ti (2697-2598 B.C.), who is regarded as
the father of Chinese civilisation and the
Yin,\^ng and author of N’ei Ching Sii Wen, the oldest extant
treatise on sex. The,opinions they shared, and

the Vital Essence which were accepted equally by the two con¬
tradictory philosophical faiths of Confucianists
and Taoists, were the conviction that sexual in¬
tercourse raised men above his lowly place on
earth, that at the moment of Harmony
(orgasm) he and Yin transcended into an even
wider union with the Cosmos, and that to
assure the frequency of this happy state, he
should learn as much as possible about the
technique of love.
There may seem nothing remarkable in these
self-evident truths but the Chinese took the
positive step of adopting them as part of their
way of life very much as other societies pro¬
pagated a religion or a system of worship. The
importance and wide acceptance of such a step
may be judged from the fact that the sex
manuals and writings on the subject were
regarded as being worthy of mention in the Of¬
ficial History of the dynasties. This list, which
was confined to the most distinguished of
works, also included such manuals as Vang-
Pan-Keng — Yin-Tao (Sexual Advice from
King T’ang and Pan Keng), Yao-Shun-Yin-
Tao (The Bedchamber Books of Emperors Yao
and Shun), Hsiian Nii-Ching (The Counsels of
the Wise Maiden), and Ch’ien-Chin-Fang
(Precious Concoctions). Although there were
many faiths and religions in China, the theories
and practices of sex were considered to be as
basic to their heritage as were the calendar, the
written characters of their language and the
system of family names.
During the course of their long history, two
conflicting faiths, Confucianism and Taoism,
influenced the Chinese, but because of the flex¬
ible nature of the people and their society,
there were few problems in reconciling and
adopting contradictory teachings. Confucius
The master prepares to introduce the new bride to the and his practical and classical philosophy was
pleasures of The Clouds and the Rain, helped by one
of his other wives. The bodice— and her breasts re¬ an efficient instrument for ruling a country,
maining covered — indicate a young woman’s modesty. organising society and establishing patriarchal
17th-century blockprint. family life. Taoism, on the other hand, was an

14
expression of the deep pagan romanticism of the earliest chronicler, and perhaps the
the Chinese, a protest against efficiency, of originator, of the traditional sex practices and
good-natured cynicism towards the notion that beliefs. His N’ei Ching Sii Wen, inscribed on
man governed the earth and could make nature bamboo and tortoiseshell, is the oldest extant
conform to his designs. But whether the moral treatise on the subject, which forms part of a
Confucian side was in the ascendant, or the more extensive study of medicine and
easy-going Taoist feelings, the only difference philosophy. The Yellow Emperor explained his
in their approach to sex was in its degrees of preoccupation with sex in the following phrase:
importance. Was it the most significant part of To understand the head, investigate well the
existence or were matters of the mind or the tail. His treatise is written in the form of ques¬
spirit of more consequence? The contradiction tions and answers, the Emperor seeking the
was resolved with characteristic Chinese wise counsel of his omniscient First Minister,
simplicity and wisdom. The head could follow and the quotation below shows how this in¬
one belief, the heart the other. vestigation proceeded.
The Yellow Emperor: Today our men droop at the
age of fifty yet in olden days they reached twice that
age and produced the Vital Essence to the very end.
Are we therefore, unknown to ourselves, disobeying
the Laws of Nature?
First Minister: In olden times the people lived by the
Principles of Yin and Yang; knowing Harmony
because they were the two halves of the whole. Yin
was the shady side of the hill, Yang the sunny side,
and in the enjoyment of this wholeness they were
tormented neither by restlessness nor dissatisfaction.
Today the people turn to wine for intoxication,
regard food as something with which to gorge
themselves, are reluctant to work yet at all times are
indulging in the Clouds and the Rain. But this only
adds to their dissatisfaction because as the appetite
grows it becomes more difficult to gratify, and as the
With so many traditional and spiritual beliefs related to rising and the retiring of the people is no longer ac¬
the Yin- Yang battle, the moment of entry had great cording to the Natural Laws, their bodies are ex¬
significance, as is evident from the faces of these hausted at half the hundred years.
lovers. K’ang-hsi (1662-1722). A painting on silk from
the C. T. Loo collection, Paris. The Yellow Emperor: You have stated well the pro¬
blem. Let us begin our search for the solution by
understanding the physical nature of Yin and Yang.
In the writings of the three illustrious How would you define the different Ages of Man?
ancestors mentioned above, separated by four-
and-a-half thousand years, and in the case of First Minister: Let us first deal with Yin. When she is
but seven years her teeth change, her hair grows
the Yellow Emperor living two thousand years
longer and there is moisture in the vagina. At twice
before Confucius and Taoism, there is a that age she begins to menstruate and so is able to
remarkable consistency in the approach to sex¬ bear children. If the Great Thoroughfare pulse is
ual relations. This can be seen in their accep¬ strong during intercourse, her children will be
tance of the ancient beliefs of the Yin and Yang healthy. At three times seven her body is mature, its
theory, of Harmony and the cosmic properties parts are eager, her hair has reached its full length
of the Vital Essence, and of the need to indulge and the last of her teeth have appeared. At four
in such relations with a certain moderation. times seven her muscles and bones are strong and she
However, it was not a moderation based on gives birth with ease and her Sunlight Valley is at its
monogamy but on a household of many wives brightest. At five times seven the pulsations of the
Great Thoroughfare are less strong, her face begins
and concubines, and even a strict Confucian,
to wrinkle and her hair to lose its lustre. At six times
obliged to nourish frequently the Yin-essence seven the pulses of the Three Regions (the chest, the
of all his womenfolk, would find that his sex¬ stomach and the vagina) have deteriorated, wrinkles
ual duties occupied part of most days and cover her whole face and her hair begins to whiten.
nights. At seven times seven menstruation has stopped, the
The father of Chinese civilisation, the vessel (ch ’ung) no longer pulses and Yang receives no
Yellow Emperor or Huang-Ti, is regarded as welcome at the Jade Gates.

15
The Yellow Emperor: Let us now turn to Yang. dry, and if pungency exceeds all others then the
First Minister: In the case of the boy Yang, his teeth face will appear drawn; and with Yin the
begin to change at eight, his hair grows thicker and female emanations will hang heavy in the air.
the first liquid pearl passes from the testes. At two Maintain well the Harmony of the Five
times eight the emanations of Yang are copious and Flavours.’
signal manhood. He is ready to unite with Yin in the This preoccupation with learning the secrets
attainment of Peace and Harmony. At three times of nature, and from this knowledge enjoying
eight his muscles and bones are hard and strong and the fullest satisfaction in sexual relations was,
the emanations of his testicles are powerful and fre¬ in fact, a good example of how the strict Con-
quent, and his last tooth has grown. At four times fucian side of the Chinese combined with his
eight he is Yang of the Supreme Male Peak, his flesh
Taoist paganism. Once the head mastered the
is strong and the fires are constantly burning. At five
times eight the testicles begin to dispel less semen, the practical aspects of the matter, the heart could
hair begins to fall, the teeth to decay. At six times indulge to the limit jts natural desires. And two
eight the powers of Yang are greatly diminished, his thousand years after the Yellow Emperor, as is
face shows wrinkles and his hair begins to whiten. At evident from the writings of the Most Noble
seven times eight his Days of the Vital Essence have Tung-Hsiian Tzu, this understanding of the
passed, disease descends on him like a swarm of contrary sides of man’s nature, and the need to
bees, his strength is near its end and the ‘five viscera’ reconcile them, had become part of the tradi¬
are dry. tional Chinese wisdom.
After this remorseless description of life, The one important development between the
which seems to pass in a moment, the First ancient writings on sex and those of such T’ang
Minister defines the Five Flavours of the Five dynasty scholars as the Most Noble Tung was
Organs — acidity, sweetness, saltiness, bit¬ the addition of a detailed section on technique,
terness and pungency. ‘If acidity exceeds all usually defined as the Art of the Bedchamber.
others then the procreative juices will be Many works which purport to relate the an¬
diminished, if sweetness exceeds all others then cient Yellow Emperor’s advice and instruction
the mind becomes depressed and in no mood on sex techniques were, in fact, compiled by
for pleasure. If bitterness exceeds all others Taoist or Buddhist monks.
then the stomach becomes dense and the spleen The sinologue, H. Maspero, author of La
Chine Antique, suggests that the Most Noble
Tung was Li Tung-Hsiian, head of the Depart¬
ment of Medicine in the Chinese capital in the
seventh century A.D. His Art of the Bed¬
chamber was divided into sixteen sections, and
as an indication of its importance, it was reviv¬
ed at the beginning of the present century by
Yeh Te-hui (1864-1927) in his sex en¬
cyclopaedia Shuang-mei-ching-an-ts’ung-shu.
In the introductory section of his work the
Most Noble Tung wrote:
It is my belief that all things under Heaven are
wondrous, but that Man is the most wondrous of all.
This distinction is because of the unique nature of his
sexual urge and its part in the harmony of Yin and
Yang, and therefore of Heaven and Earth. If a man
follows the Natural Laws, and understands them, he
will nourish indefinitely his Vital Essence, prolong
his life, and know gratification to the end of his
days. If a man defies the Natural Laws, and abuses
the Truths, his Essence will dry up before the end of
his days and his life will be brief and sad.

Fu Hsi, the third of the Heavenly Emperors, holding

The Rules and Methods of the Dark Maiden who
the ‘Pa Kua, ’ the magic symbol representing the com¬ advised the Yellow Emperor on Sex and Women are
plementary halves of the Yang and Yin. Legends regard part of our heritage but they can hardly cover all
him as the originator of the symbol. 18th-century pain¬ aspects of the subject, and it has occurred to me that
ting. By courtesy of the Wellcome Trustees. I should make my own humble contribution to this

16
This picture of Taoist freedom is not without its evidence of Taoist techniques. The peasants remember to use the
bundles of bamboos to counter the steep slope. The size of the woman’s unbound feet suggests wild spirits. 19th-
century erotic album. By kind permission of the British Museum.

essential part of life. My purpose will be to add fur¬ tion among the novices and the nuns. He may spend
ther details, to correct omissions and to make this a most of his days in a cell, but it is usually a space big
classic handbook for those seeking the fullest enough for two. The eunuch, on the other hand, can
satisfaction. neither enter the Jade Gate of the female nor Make
Fire Behind the Mountain. When it is claimed by
This work will be quoted in more detail later
puritans that a completely chaste life enables one to
but in this instance it serves to illustrate the
reach a great age, remember those men without im¬
continuity of Chinese sex lore. This is equally plements. If chastity is the answer, they should live
apparent in the novels and plays of Li Yu to be a hundred. Yet what are the facts? The faces of
(seventeenth-century A.D.), a writer whose eunuchs wrinkle at thirty, their hair turns grey and
versatility bears comparison with William their backs stoop while they are still comparatively
Shakespeare, and who, as the author of many young. And when walking through a graveyard, who
erotic and pornographic works, could hardly has ever seen a tablet to a eunuch who had lived his
be regarded as a classical traditionalist. In an allotted span of a hundred years?
introductory essay to a novel, he wrote: Taoist monks and sages were among the
In his brief sojourn between Heaven and Earth, most prolific of writers on sexual matters, their
man is plagued by hardship and worry, by respon¬ rationalisation being that if the act between Yin
sibilities and the need to work. Other animals are and Yang was the wonderful moment when
spared all this as a condition of life, content to let they transcended their miserable earthly ex¬
nature take care of things and the world to revolve in istence, and briefly enjoyed consummation
its own way. Man’s burden, however, is made with the cosmos, then it must be both sacred
tolerable by those brief moments when he again and religious. The Taoists were therefore
becomes an animal — that is during sexual inter¬
responsible for many of the colourful names
course. To those who refuse to accept this elemen¬
tary truth, let them compare the lives of monks and and terms used for the sex act, the sex organs
eunuchs. The life-span of the monk is no different and other related details. The following selec¬
from that of ordinary men because though he is tion illustrates the manner in which the poetic
denied normal married life, he finds some satisfac¬ imagination regarded them.

17
Intercourse:
Yiin-yu, the Clouds and the Rain
Fang-shih, Delight on the Couch
Wu-shan, The Mountain of Wu
Ou-yu, The Mists and Rain
The Male Organ:
Nan-ching, Male Stalk (or Root)
Yu-ching, Jade Stalk (or Stem)
Yang-feng, Male Peak
Kuei-Tou, Turtle Head
Yin-nang, Secret Pouch (testicles)
The Female Organ:
Yu-men, Jade Gate
Ch’iung-men, Coral Gate
Yti-tai, Jade Pavilion
Nii-Yin, The Secret and Feminine
Shen T’ien, Magic Field
Chieh-Shan-Chu, Pearl on the Jade
Step (clitoris)
Jui-t’ai, The Jewel Terrace (clitoris)
Pi-yung, Examination Hall (vagina — one
‘passes’ or ‘fails’) Lord Yang and Lady Yin prepare for a variation of
Chin-kou, Golden Gully (between the labia) Mule in the Springtime, one of the Thirty Heaven and
Earth Postures. From a Ming dynasty print album.
The superiority and dominance of the male
over the female was a traditional belief that should be devoted to fitting her to serve her
was never questioned, though certain schools menfolk, and for this modesty and obedience
of Taoism saw Yin (woman) as an extension of were the highest virtues. She should walk
the Earth-womb, and for that reason closer to backwards from any room in which men were
the divine Life Force. The fundamental theory, present, and the thought of complaining
stated briefly, asserted that the Earth turned to should never be allowed to pass through her
the left, Heaven to the right, and with the same head. The secret of acquiring such humility was
inevitability, man called and woman obeyed. to regard herself as always being wrong in any
There was a fixed order to the Universe, of dispute, and to feel herself lucky if she avoided
summer following spring, of things being high severe punishment.
and low, first and last, strong and weak, and If she lived up to this ideal, her reward would
these immutable truths must apply to human be to gain the respect of the family, to feel her
relations. If, on the other hand, the Earth rose reputation to be unblemished, to live without
above Heaven, woman above man, or winter fear of insult, quarrels or degradation. And
came before autumn, there could be little when she married, her virtuous character
doubting that the Universe must be out of would make her the ideal partner of the Yin-
balance. Yang Harmony.
The need for Yin to accept and know her The Nu-chieh then stated:
place was therefore an essential element to a The sexual union depends on Yang’s ability to
happy society and the importance of correct dominate and guide, and Yin’s willingness to follow
behaviour (7/’ — ‘right thinking’) for the in¬ and obey. Man is wonderful for his strength, woman
ferior female was fully chronicled. The Nii- for her simple submissiveness. The truth of this is
chieh (The Ideal Woman), an early Confucian revealed in the old proverb: ‘With the birth of a son
work, began by asserting that Yin’s subser¬ the father prays he will have the spirit of a lion yet
fears he will be like a mouse. With the birth of a
vience should be established at birth and that
daughter, he wishes her to be a mouse yet fears she
the female child, as a mark of the parents’ con¬
will turn into a tigress.’
trition, should immediately be hidden under In the Bedchamber the woman must discourage
the bed. They should then fast for three days excess by her restraint, not by opposing Yang but by
and offer prayers to the ancestral gods. The transforming her own wish for fire inside the Jade
female child’s early education and training Pavilion * (orgasm) into transcendental thoughts. Ex-

18
cess of Clouds and Rain will induce physical Heart should be regarded as that of the Taoist
deterioration, and this will lead to moral depravity inside the skin of the humble and formal ‘Ideal
and finally to the use of lewd words. Such a state can woman’ of the Nil-chieh:
only result in the calamity of wifely disrespect for her Soon after her marriage, True Heart’s father, tir¬
master. ing of the quarrelsome ways of her young husband,
Further, this unhappy state will end in beatings for had driven the impossible man from the home. For
the wife, in screaming and anger, perhaps in the True Heart, however, her difficult husband had had
presence of others. How, then, can Harmony be certain redeeming qualities that her father would
restored? A woman must be chaste and respectful, hardly appreciate, but being a dutiful daughter she
choose her words carefully, never show distress, had kept this information to herself. After five
avoid laughter or jestful behaviour, refrain from nights of sleeping alone, she had wondered why she
peeping from windows and mixing with crowds. If spent so many hours twisting restlessly, then realised
she is at all times as discreet as a shadow or an echo, that like an addicted drinker or smoker, she had sud¬
who can find fault with such a woman? denly been deprived of what she needed most of all.
True Heart was no longer a single woman, and
A further virtue of the Ideal Woman was her now this separation had lasted six months, the situa¬
acceptance of other wives and concubines. ‘She tion was becoming quite unbearable. In fact, the
must bow to such other women as her master memory of the few weeks of her real married life, by
may take, but she herself can only marry once. being so brief that she could hardly believe they had
A Husband is Heaven itself. There is only one happened, served only to agitate her imagination
Heaven. To seek more than one Heaven in this even more. A husband who did not spend his nights
with his wife was as good as dead; and that was how
mortal life is to invite disaster.’
she was coming to see it. Her first diversion,
Confucius said: ‘A woman should never be
therefore — and she was driven to this after a few
heard of outside her own home’. And in return weeks — was to find his collection of erotic pictures
for such self-effacement and sacrifice, the hus¬ and pillow albums, and study them for hour after
band was expected to make his own contribu¬ hour. Instead of soothing her, however, they only
tion to marital accord. The Li-chi (The Book of further inflamed her desires.
Rites) stated: ‘Neglect of one’s wives and con¬ She had then tried to distract herself by reading
cubines is an offence against the Harmony of the books of her childhood, works of an uplifting
Heaven, Earth and Man. Until the age of fifty, and educational character such as the Lieh Nil
a husband should enter the Pleasure Pavilion Chuan (Stories of Noble and Illustrious Heroines) or
the Nil Hsiao Ching (A Young Lady’s Guide to Filial
of his wives once every third day, of his con¬
Piety). Soon, however, they gave way to the por¬
cubines once every fifth day, of other maids of nographic volumes her husband had read to her in
the household according to his wish. The prin¬ bed, both before and after enjoying the delights of
cipal wife may remain in the bed-chamber dur¬ the Clouds and the Rain. Although they had
ing intercourse with a lower concubine, and disgusted her at the time, she now saw them in a very
after the act she can order her back to her different way. She simply could not put them down.
quarters and remain for the rest of the night Her favourites were Ch’i Po-tzu-Chuan (Stories of
with her husband. Thus her position is accord¬ Sex-crazed Women), Hsiu-T’a Yeh Shih (Memories
ed respect.’ of the Embroidered Couch) and Jii-yi Ch’un Chuan
Although this may seem an inhuman docu¬ (Biography of a Man-about-town). These books
were also illustrated, and in a way which not only
ment, and any society or relationship based on
stimulated her senses but had her comparing the
it a formal and joyless affair, people’s feelings equipment of the heroes with that of her dear, absent
easily, and even gaily, survived such strictures. husband.
Women, like men, had desires and dreams of Over and over again she found herself studying the
their own, and they also had a Taoist side to vivid pictures of male implements, reading of their
their nature. Whatever the discretions demand¬ dimensions and following every thrust of their con¬
ed by their status of inferiority, or the lip- tinuous bedchamber battles. They were invariably
service that had to be paid to ‘right-thinking’, described as of ‘incredible length’, ‘bigger than a sea-
the Chinese woman could hardly suppress her cucumber’ or ‘too thick to be circled by a lady’s
fingers’. Its hardness when excited was at least that
true emotions all the time. And perhaps,
of an iron post, the strength of the erection able to
because of the irksome social conventions,
support a bushel of wheat when hung from the end
when she was free to forget her inhibitions, her of it, its performance never less than a thousand
passions and her imagination were more than thrusts without pause.
usually overwhelming. The following is an ex¬ At first True Heart decided that all this was exag¬
cerpt from one of Li Yii’s erotic novels (Chueh- gerated for the purpose of the story, but as the
hou-ch’an), and the character of Madam True weeks of frustration had turned to months, she was

19
The Jade Stem awaits the Flower Heart. K’ang-hsi
(1662-1722). A painting on silk from the C.T. Loo col¬
lection, Paris.

prepared to believe every word she read. In this way

she began comparing her husband’s equipment with
that of the Great Prince Wang and the bandit leader
Tiger-dragon Chiang. To the best of her memory her
beloved’s had been about four inches long, a couple
of fingers thick, and he had never managed more
than two hundred thrusts before experiencing the
Ultimate. What should she believe?
Her answer did not really seem absurd. If there
were millions of men in the world, and she had
known only one, how could she compare her
knowledge of such things with the authors of such
stories? For all she knew it might be perfectly normal
for a man’s erection to be able to support a bushel of
wheat, to thrust a thousand times without pause, to
be at least twice the length of her husband’s. Yet
there was only one way of finding out, to enlarge her
own experience on the matter. Yes, an absent hus¬
band should be regarded as a dead one, particularly
since her father showed no sign of relenting and let¬
ting him return — so what was a young woman to
do? To transform this lonely and despairing bed¬
chamber required only one thing, and even if her
husband’s equipment hardly compared with that of
Tiger-dragon Chiang, he would certainly receive the
most passionate welcome any woman could give. But
clearly he was not to be allowed back.
Old Chinese Proverb:
A wife can never be so desirable as a concubine,
a concubine never so exciting as an illicit love
affair,
an illicit love affair never so maddening as the
inaccessible woman.
The schematic symbol of Yin and Yang is a
circle divided into two equal parts by a curving
line. One side is the dark or female half, the
other the light or male half. A study of the
Chinese and their sex practices suggests,
however, that the two principals of the act
itself are hardly more than the actors in a play
written and produced by a great ancestral god.
If one had to contain within a circle the com¬
posite parts of the totality of the sexual ex¬
perience of the Chinese, one would have to add
two other elements. These would be the ancient
theories and beliefs which influenced the rela¬
tions of Yin and Yang until modern times, and
the significant contribution of the art of the
bedchamber which, to vulgarise the Sui dynas¬
ty writer, Hsu T’ai-shan, was ‘to help men and
women to do it well — and often’.
The remaining quarter of the composite cir¬
cle, which needs to be mentioned in the brief
survey of this introductory chapter, is therefore
the important element of knowledge and exper¬
tise. The mystical significance given to the sex
organs, as well as to the act itself, also con¬
tributed to the seriousness with which the art

21
 and technique of love was approached. The together, nor should the wife use the husband’s
most beautiful piece of rough jade, to anyone clothes-rack nor place her possessions in the
but a skilled craftsman, would forever remain a same boxes.’ The aim of such severity,
lump of rock, and not even the right tools however, was to protect family life, which was
would make any difference if the person had a central tenet of Confucian faith, and provid¬
no knowledge of their use. To learn the art of ed the Most Noble Tung’s guidance was
the bedchamber was therefore not only a diligently practiced with the women of the
means of increasing one’s pleasure, it was a du¬ family, Taoist sexual permissiveness was allow¬
ty of almost religious significance to one’s ed to prevail in the bedchamber.
heritage. The following is a selection from the text of
The Confucianists and the Taoists were the Most Noble Tung’s teachings:
again in agreement on this. Yin and Yang must In the battle between Yin and Yang, Harmony is
strive for Harmony, nourish each other with achieved when Man is* double the age of Woman.
their vital essences, appreciate the cosmic When the woman is twice the age of the man, he will
nature of the act and therefore, by their profi¬ suffer during copulation. The following is a table of
ciency, be worthy of it. As usual, however, the most auspicious conditions for such intercourse:
these rival faiths adopted different poses and a In spring the head must point to the East, in sum¬
different language in their approach to the art mer to the South, in autumn to the West, in winter to
of the bedchamber. For the Confucianists it the North.
was part ritual, part discipline, and subject to The odd numbers of calendar dates, particularly
the mornings, are beneficial. The even dates, par¬
the rules and regulations of the Master’s
ticularly afternoons, can be harmful.
teachings. For the Taoists it was a romantic, For effecting penetration, the following methods
joyful and overwhelming moment of returning are recommended:
to the animal innocence of a lost and natural 1. Plunge down on the Jade Threshold then use a
freedom. sawing motion as if forcing open an oyster to obtain
The Most Noble Tung Hsiian Tzu’s Art of the pearl.
the Bedchamber is an example of the formal 2. Thrust with an upward movement against the
Confucian presentation of a sex manual. But Golden Valley, splitting the rock to get at the
the deeper content and spirit of the text is precious stone inside.
essentially Taoist. ‘This book will last for Ten 3. Use the Yang Peak as a pestle, grinding into the
mortar.
Thousand generations because it concerns high
4. Move the Yang Peak slowly and steadily, as if
and low alike, emperors and common people’, refining one of the Five Elements.
claimed the Most Noble Tung. ‘All men must 5. Regard the Male Thruster as a plough in
know of the diverse ways of being with women, autumn, digging and turning over the soil, and move
the ways of lying or sitting on top, of choosing through the Precious Field towards the Far Valley.
to go behind or in front, of lying side by side, 6. When Yin is already fierce, the bodies should
of thrusting deep or thrusting shallow. They clash together like great rocks battering each other
must know the Principles of Sexual Harmony until they mix and bury one in the other.
and the Doctrine of the Five Ways, and that For movement after penetration, the following
these will decree whether they live happily or methods are recommended:
1. Swing the Jade Thrusting Root to left and right
perish miserably.’
as if a charging warrior were riding through the ranks
The elements of the two major faiths merge
of the enemy.
and complement each other throughout this 2. Make it resemble a horse leaping over a stream,
treatise. The Confucian could relate it to the first up, then down, then up again.
Golden Mean, consult it when calling for one 3. Float and sink in the same movement, like a
of his wives or concubines, and find the duck on the ripples of a lake.
ritualistic aspects compatible with a life govern¬ 4. Peck like a sparrow with rice seeds, now deep,
ed by the Book of Rites (Li-chi). The Confu¬ now shallow.
cian classic stated: ‘These beliefs are greatly 5. Plunge like a boulder into the sea, reaching the
dependent on a clear understanding of the roles bottom.
6. A slow movement like a snake entering its hole
of man and woman. The house should be
to hibernate.
divided into two, the inside area and the out¬
7. A swift movement like a frightened rat chased
side. The men should live in the outer apart¬ into its hole.
ments, the women in the inner, and all en¬ 8. An eagle hovering before swooping on a rabbit.
trances to the women should be guarded by 9. Like a big sail in a gusty wind, sweeping along
eunuchs. Men and women should not bathe then pausing.

22
 Once the Vermilion Door has given a moist For anxious male lovers, Tung suggested
welcome to the Jade Stem, the primary male fluid that swift penetration had its advantages. ‘In
will add to that present in the upper stretches of the this way the Hundred Anxieties are scattered
Far Field. This will help Yang to slant to the left and by the wind rather than forgotten one by one.'
to the right, to move in a circular motion and to at¬
He should strike immediately for the Upper
tack deep and shallow. The cries of Yin begging for
her life should be ignored. A pause should be made
Chamber, turning to both right and left,
periodically and a cloth used to wipe both his and the creating confusion by quick changes of move¬
woman’s organs, and if he instantly returns to the ment so that the woman lost her sense of being
Upper Chamber he will know the pleasure of a huge while he remained dominant. Domination dur¬
boulder rolling into and blocking the bed of a river. ing love, however, was not enough.
After twenty-one such encounters desire will be Withdrawal had to take place after the Cloud¬
satisfied and harmonised. burst but before the Male Peak had gone limp.
Most Noble Tung Hsiian Tzu’s advice to ‘To retire from the field of battle in a state of
men was not totally selfish. He advised them to miserable detumescence suggests that the Yin
hold the semen (tsing) until the woman was spirit has vanquished the Yang spirit. ’
about to Burst the Cloud. If she was in advance Such advice on the art of the bedchamber
of him, he should revert to shallow thrusts or was not confined to serious texts, and when it
play lightly, as if on the strings of a lute. If he appeared in novels, which was a common and
was the more advanced, he should move the permissible practice, it was offered in the less
tongue round his own mouth, breathe through formal manner of Taoism. The traditional
distended nostrils, raise the head and stiffen the Chinese respect for the teacher and the person
shoulders. By perfecting such techniques he of wisdom had to be acknowledged but provid¬
could be assured of bursting the Clouds only ed the fictional characters acted out their roles
two or three times in every ten battles. in the approved way, the details of their colour¬
ful sexual behaviour were accepted as part of
life. For example, in one of Li Yu’s stories of
the Ming period (1368-1644), the middle-aged
prostitute is clearly derived from the mythical
females of early history who knew all the
mysteries of sex and who were consulted by
none other than the great Yellow Emperor
himself. Fairy Koo, like the Emperor’s ‘Plain
Girl’ or ‘Forthright Female’, sees herself as a
teacher as well as a good Taoist woman, a
cultivator of the Yin-Yang harmony as well as
a possessor of nii-te (the bewitching power of
woman).
How Madam Fairy Koo Received Her Name
Madam Koo or Fairy Koo or Fairy Maid
Koo was famous for three very special love
techniques, and men travelled from the fur¬
thest districts of the land to experience them.
And when they returned to their homes, their
wives and concubines were quickly taught what
they had learnt.
But what had the men learnt? They could
hardly have fallen in love with the great
woman’s beauty because even in her youth she
had been regarded as plain. She was also
without the usual talents of a famous
courtesan, neither playing musical instruments
nor singing sweetly nor practising the social

An example of Confucian filial piety. The daughter

feeds her father before her child. Children were breast¬
fed to a relatively late age. 19th-century ivory. By
courtesy of the Wellcome Trustees.
23
 Matchbox-size erotic ivories were carried as amulets to
increase male virility. They could be concealed in
pockets and bags. The idea of females praying to that
which was imagined to give them most happiness was a
favourite belief and stimulant of those seeking more
yang power. 19th-century. Courtesy of the Mitchell
Library, Sydney.

graces. Even though she was nearly fifty, she would frequently spring up so that the
however, her clientele were as eager as ever for turtle-head momentarily hung underneath her
her favours, wealthy landowners, mandarins, like an animal in the claws of a soaring eagle.
merchants and even princes continuing to place Madam Koo, however, was so expert that not
her above all others. even the smallest instrument slipped from her
One may call her three special techniques her grasp.
particular magic, or simply expertise, but they The strange thing about this grinding and
were made even more effective by her subtle bouncing technique was that instead of the par¬
understanding of every man who visited her, ticipants tiring, they became livelier than ever.
even when she had never before made his ac¬ She seemed to have such an abundance of
quaintance. Her Number One technique she energy that this was as much a source of excite¬
called ‘Lowering the Recreation Chamber to ment as was the sex passion itself. When the
greet the advancing Ambassador’. Her moment of the bursting of the clouds came, it
Number Two secret posture she styled ‘Raising was also to allow them to proceed to her
the Recreation Chamber to climb up to the Number Two position.
Ambassador’. Her Number Three technique For this, Madam Koo assumed the lower
was related to the nourishing of the client’s position but this must not be taken to mean
Yang-essence so that he never tired. that she left the initiative to her partner. She
As we have said, Madam Koo understood had very firm ideas about the desirability of
men. The first thing she suggested to those who what she called ‘maximum participation.’
were a little past their youth was that they must When the woman was below, for instance, she
be very tired from dealing with the important must match him movement for movement.
affairs of their lives, and that they should lie When he thrust down with the intention of
down and relax. She would then offer him spearing her to the bed, she would lift herself
special potions, not so much to arouse him as quickly yet gently to turn the fierce blow into a
to increase his good humour, and at this point pleasantly cushioned collision. Or she would
she would introduce her hand to his Jade Stem. draw away in a weaving movement, which
When this showed signs of responding to her came from her skill in Tai Chi boxing, so that
touch, she would sit astride the lower part of there would be a sensation of nothingness even
his body and welcome him to the Recreation though their organs were firmly together. This
Chamber with a minimum of preliminaries. added to the man’s excitement, which remind¬
Once she was happy that the turtle-head was ed him of a chase in a dream, and helped to
unlikely to slip out, she began to move her but¬ prolong the enjoyable battle. When her friends
tocks in a circular motion which she called told Madam Koo that she really went to too
‘Grinding the Corn.’ She had given this posi¬ much trouble with her clients, she replied that
tion the name because so many men had their alternative would be no different from
declared that they felt they were being ground having available a wooden dummy with a hole
by a millstone. But she was too experienced to between its legs, and pushing it into bed with
continue grinding away without variation, and the man.

24
 Her Number Three technique, that of con¬ This technique was based on the Taoist prin¬
stantly nourishing each other’s essences so that ciple of the ‘return of the semen,’ which pro¬
they never tired, had been perfected from her longed both life and pleasure, and had been
readings of the ancient manuals. When Yin and suggested to Madam Koo at the tender age of
Yang enjoyed the orgasm of the Ultimate, she sixteen. The gentleman had been an itinerant
had been given to understand, too much of the poet who had never visited her again, but his
vital juices flowed to waste. And this was what theory had been perfected to such a degree that
made a couple a little more tired after every en¬ she had a distinct bodily sensation of rejuvena¬
counter of the Clouds and the Rain. To be sure tion whenever the spurting essences were exact¬
that every drop of their juices would flow into ly in line. And it was a fact that on the morning
each other, and so nourish them for the next after a night spent in her company, the man
‘battle,’ Madam Koo, at the crucial moment of would wake up refreshed and glowing in body
the bursting of the clouds had learnt to seize and mind. This wonderful feeling invariably
the turtle-head and aim it with ‘bull’s-eye’ ac¬ made them ask what could have caused such a
curacy at the ‘fountain-spring,’ of her Upper miracle when such a night usually left them ex¬
Chamber. She would then urge the man in her hausted. Madam Koo’s reply was always the
arms to keep completely still or to reduce his same. She told them that in their sleep they had
movements to a minimum. In this way the been visited by a fairy. To which they flatter¬
Yang-essence that throbbed from his ‘little ingly replied that they had in fact spent the
slit,’ and her own Yin-essence, flowed past whole night with one. And in this way did she
each other as they exchanged their respective earn her title Madam Fairy Koo.
vital fluids.

The position adopted by Madam Koo, which she called ‘Grinding the Corn. ’ From Yanwo 5, in the Mitchell Library,
Sydney.

25
 Before The First Emperor of the Ch’in
dynasty in 221 B.C. conquered the feudal states
and formed the Celestial Empire, the origins of
this civilisation were divided into six separate
kingdoms. The Celestial Court itself was
therefore the successor to six courts with their
own traditions, customs, history and rulers. In
giving a brief account of the lives of some of
the more colourful emperors and kings, queens
and concubines, only those rulers who lived
after the unification of the states can rightfully
claim to have occupied the Dragon Throne.
Whether enjoying the status of king or
emperor, however, court life was conducted
and Queens with the magnificent extravagance of absolute
rulers who expected total loyalty and obedience
Noble Prince of Hai-nan from their subjects.
Seeking to extend his years The Lord of the Universe, one of the titles
Mixes the Secret Elixir
accorded the Celestial Emperor, ruled an area
With a jade spoon in a golden bowl.
He studies the Book of Wisdom that stretched from Korea to Burma and Tibet,
Masters his breathing and an idea of the continuity of the dynasties
Chooses the correct diet may be gained from the fact that the Han
At last feels his Vital Essence stir. dynasty, which effectively consolidated the
He calls for his Most Precious Empire, lasted over four hundred years. But
And soon is at the Jade Gate whether the dynasties survived for a long
She whispers loving words period or not, whether the court followed the
But the years once more defeat him. beliefs of Confucius, Lao-Tze or Buddha,
Pao Chao (Fifth Century A.D.) whether the rulers were benevolent or tyran¬
nical, or indeed male or female, the sexual life
of the occupant of the Dragon Throne was of
paramount importance. Succeeding dynasties
accepted that adherence to the principles of Yin
and Yang was part of the totality of Universal
Harmony. With sexual union man and woman
came together as Heaven and Earth while the
Emperor and his consorts were regarded as the
highest expression of such a union.
The Dragon Ruler had therefore to become a
symbol of potency to his people and he was ex¬
pected to have a superhuman measure of ch 7,
that is Life Force or Vital Essence. Ch’i,
however, needed a constant flow of nourish¬
ment from the female Yin-essence, and for this
the ruler maintained a large establishment of
queens and concubines. In the case of the
Yellow Emperor, legend claims that he had
three thousand concubines and enjoyed Regal
Coitus with twelve hundred of them during the
course of every ‘ten full moons.’
With so much importance, both social and
religious, given to the sex act, particularly since
the harmony of the whole of society was in-
Two of the Heavenly Emperors of the Golden Age of
prehistory, Shen Nung and Huang-Ti (the Yellow
Emperor). Carved ivory. By courtesy of the Wellcome
Trustees.

26
creased by their ruler’s sexual fulfilment, it was harem. The names on the register were then
not surprising that this aspect of court life was given until the following spring to marry or
not confined to the Royal Bedchamber. The consummate a union with one of the opposite
palace, or indeed courts with many palaces, sex. The punishment for defaulters was a hun¬
was the setting for orgies and sex carnivals, ex¬ dred strokes of the lash, one of the rare in¬
cesses and strange practices, which could usual¬ stances where the sexes were treated equally,
ly be justified by their contribution to the total but it is recorded that even the most inhibited
Yin-Yang harmony generated by the communi¬ preferred an enforced introduction to the bed¬
ty. chamber to a flogging in the market square.
The Emperor Hui-ti (second century B.C.), A thousand years earlier, before the
for example, ordered the palace eunuchs and establishment of the Empire, the life of a Yin
the palace boys to make their contribution. dynasty king, Chou-hsin (1154-1122 B.C.),
They were dressed in women’s robes, given serves to illustrate the style of court life in the
jewellery and peacock feathers, had their faces feudal states, and the precedent it set for later
powdered and rouged, and were turned over to rulers. He is described by Ssu-ma Ts’ien, in
the Palace Guard. The Emperor also decided Tales from Early History, as a man ‘built like a
that too many of his subjects were not par¬ bull yet with the lithe strength of a tiger.’
ticipating in sex, and appointed special officials Chou-hsin kept himself fit by a strenuous pro¬
(mei-shih) to draw up a register of unattached gramme of exercises and combat which includ¬
men over the age of thirty, and women over ed contests with wild animals in a specially-
twenty who were not married or part of a built arena, and jousting with five or six of his

Love-on-the-Move, over a corrugated surface, was not only for Emperors such as Yang-Ti. His subjects, as
this illustration from the 17th-century novel Su Wo P’ien indicates, also favoured such love variations.

27
 Courtesan with a symbolic Flower Bud. 19th-century oil
painting. Courtesy the Francois Duhau de Berenx col¬
lection, Paris.

knights at once. He also perfected certain a way of checking the legitimacy of any
techniques of Chinese and oriental boxing and children, had their red writing brushes
wrestling, and could smash rocks and timber destroyed and replaced with new ones.
with his bare fists. It was at the court of Chou-hsin that the role
His manly feats, however, were not confined of the t’ung kuan was first regulated, duties
to physical combat, and his palace establish¬ that were later carried out by palace eunuchs.
ment included: I queen, 3 consorts, 9 second The matrons had the responsibility for arrang¬
rank wives, 27 third rank wives, 81 concubines. ing the emperor’s sexual programme, choosing
Three thousand palace maids provided a per¬ the girls for the night and occupying a special
manent reserve for junketing, festivals and chair in the royal bedchamber to be sure that
displays of exhibitionism. He would assemble congress was actually completed. Regal Coitus
his court to watch his sex feats in the same was recorded with special calligraphy brushes,
arena as he fought wild animals, and one of his which in later periods created a genre of erotic
exploits was to march round it with a naked literature known as ‘Stories written with the
woman supported on his erect member. In one Red Brush,’ and the palace matron also enforc¬
hand he held a roast leg of venison, in the other ed a strict individual timetable. The higher con¬
a two-litre bronze vessel of wine, and as he ate sorts were allowed to remain with the emperor
so long as he wished, the concubines had to
retire before the light of dawn, the lowly palace
maids were sent away immediately after con¬
gress. Those who pleased the emperor were
given a silver ring, and when they actually con¬
ceived, this was exchanged for a gold one.
No female, however, qualified for a gold
ring from Chou-hsin, at least not for producing
a male heir, and he exerted himself even more
furiously against the wild beasts assembled in
the arena and his knights lined up to suffer the
strength of his blows. At this point in his life a
girl ‘more beautiful than peony and lotus’ was
introduced to his harem. She was called T’a Ki
(Heavenly Beauty), and such were her special
loveliness and talents that she succeeded in
bringing to an end the Emperor’s period of im-
A Mongol invader with his prize. But his expression
suggests that he is losing the Flowery Battle to the
potency. It is recorded that on her first night
Chinese Yin. Late 18th-century. Courtesy of the with Chou-hsin, her behaviour was so bold and
Library of Indiana, Indiana. wild that he could not believe her to be a virgin.
It was only when the palace matron held a
lamp over them, and blood was observed on
and drank he urged the concubine, whose legs his organ and on the silk sheet, that he was con¬
were round his waist, to raise and lower herself vinced of her purity.
to complete his satisfaction. T’a Ki quickly became Chou-hsin’s
After some years Chou-hsin became impo¬ favourite, being promoted to consort and caus¬
tent, and not believing himself subject to nor¬ ing him to neglect his other wives and maidens.
mal human frailties, blamed his medical ad¬ Her hold over him, and her tireless response to
viser, Fang-nei-pu. Fang had persuaded his the demands of the dragon-lover, although
master to live by the precept of the Yellow pleasing to the ruler, soon caused her to be
Emperor, which was ‘to copulate each night regarded by the courtiers as a Fox Woman, the
with ten different women without losing the title given to nymphomaniacs and those be¬
Vital Essence,’ and this advice was also held to lieved to be the reincarnation of wicked spirits.
be responsible for the king’s failure to father The first of the many revolts that followed
sons. Fang was decapitated, all women below started among the neglected women of the
the rank of consort were sent back to their harem, ten of them being flogged to death as
families, and a fresh establishment built up. an example to the others, but the reason for the
And the special court matrons (t’ung kuari) concubines’ fury was that they regarded a Fox
who recorded every instance of Regal Coitus as Woman as unfair competition.

28
mmm
Ifffi
 The basis of this early superstition is describ¬ dings, simply raising a hand to the trees or
ed in the Huen-chung-ki, which asserts: ‘When scooping wine from the lake when they needed
a fox is five times ten years old it transforms sustenance.
itself into a lovely girl; at ten times ten it has Such extravagances, however, meant higher
become a beautiful woman and her body is taxes and more oppressive land charges for the
wild with the spirit of shen (superhuman people, and a number of war lords inspired a
desire). Such women will know everything for a revolt against Chou-hsin. It was easily sup¬
hundred miles, choosing their men from an in¬ pressed and the leaders were captured and
stinctive knowledge of their weakness. And sentenced to be tortured then beheaded. T’a Ki
when a fox reaches the age of ten times ten again showed her inventiveness by devising a
times ten years it will be allowed through the torture that was frequently used by later
Celestial Gates and will become a Celestial Fox emperors. The victims were placed inside a
because its shen can only be satisfied by the copper cylinder tent feet long, the outside of
Dragon Gods and the Celestial Spirits.’ which had been coated with fat. The cylinder
The fox is associated with other ancient was then hung horizontally over a long pit con¬
rulers, and though not always reincarnated as a taining a blazing fire. When the cylinder
concubine, is invariably seen as an example of became unbearably hot, the victim had the
carnal wickedness. One story tells of King Ku choice of being roasted inside or of jumping in¬
of Wu who, while on a hunting expedition, to the flames. They usually chose the latter.
heard the wind reading a list of women’s names In Ssu-ma Ts’ien’s records of the life of
and was convinced he was eavesdropping on Chou-hsin he also lists a number of
the Fox World. He despatched attendants to aphrodisiacs favoured by the dragon-lover.
search the hillside and was soon called by one They were:
of them to the remains of an ancient tomb. He
ordered his men to open it, and by the light that 1. Three-Day Glory. Red cock (soya), ox-
suddenly exposed the interior saw a ‘hoary’ fox penis (niu-pien), fresh root-ginseng and
sitting among the bones and reading from a dried human placenta.
scroll. The hounds were sent into the tomb to 2. Celestial Thunder. Tongues of a hundred
kill the fox but before they had reached it, it peacocks (fung-huang — fiery fowl),
had added another name to those it was spiced with chillis from the Western Pro¬
reciting. When the ‘hoary’ fox had been torn to vinces and flavoured with the sperm of
pieces, the scroll was handed to the King. He pubescent boys.
found it to be a list of the hundred most lewd 3. Hunting Lion. Long-simmered bears’
women in history, and added to it was a name paws flavoured with ground rhinoceros
circled in red, to denote a special entry. It was horn (shi-ngiu-chiao) and distilled urine
the name of his favourite consort. (sex unspecified).
Whether T’a Ki, Chou-hsin’s favourite, was But neither the delights of his pleasure
unjustly accused or not of being a Fox garden, nor the inspiration of T’a Ki or cons¬
Woman, she soon proved too demanding even tant draughts of Three-Day Glory were en¬
for her redoubtable husband. His virility, joyed for long because at the age of thirty-two
which had been restored by her, began to trou¬ Chou-hsin was finally overthrown and behead¬
ble him again, but before he had been driven to ed.
find scapegoats for his failure, she had per¬ The grand style of living of the early kings
suaded him to spend vast sums of money on could not, however, be compared with the
new diversions. Apart from orgies of un¬ more ambitious of the later emperors, who also
precedented splendour, she helped create The had had their superhuman representatives. The
Wine Lake and The Meat Forest. The lake was First Emperor of the unified country, who built
two hundred yards in diameter and filled with a the Great Wall in the third century B.C., a
most intoxicating liquor, and the forest was an twenty-five foot high stone serpent that stretch¬
area with joints of roast meat suspended from ed nearly two thousand miles across north
every branch, and the purpose of this pleasure China, and who incorporated into his own
garden was to restore a pagan simplicity to the harem the womenfolk of the six conquered
orgies. In the company of three thousand nak¬ feudal kingdoms, was renowned for his great
ed Palace Guards and a similar number of plans and appetite, but even he seemed a
maidens, the Dragon Ruler and his consort en¬ modest ruler compared with the most am¬
joyed days and nights in the magical surroun¬ bitious occupants of the Dragon Throne.

30
 One such ruler was the Sui emperor, Yang-Ti Emperor had been completed, Yang-Ti then
(A.D. 581-618). His rise to power gave some in¬ reinforced his two million labourers with a fur¬
dication of the ruthlessness he was later to ther two million and set them to work construc¬
display. He killed his father, then his brothers, ting the Grand Canal that would link the water¬
and made sure of his right to the throne by ways of the north to those of the south. It was
eliminating most of his remaining close 2,000 li (700 miles) long, 2 chang (20 feet) deep
relatives. Once his power was absolute, and 6 chang (60 feet) wide. Willow trees were
however, his frenzied energies turned to rather planted along both banks and forty palaces
more constructive projects. (hing-kong), to serve as resthouses, were built
He began with the idea of building the at intervals.
greatest palace on earth, for which he con¬ The completion of the Grand Canal not only
scripted two million labourers of both sexes. encouraged travel from the north to the south,
The finest marbles, of an infinite variety of however, it demanded the construction of a
shades, decorated the exterior, and it was fur¬ fleet that would do justice to it. Again Yang-Ti
nished ‘with a lavishness that taxed even the spared neither money nor labour, and when the
resources and riches of the most prosperous fleet at last began its pleasure cruises, it con¬
Empire in the universe.’ The Dragon Palace sisted of nearly two thousand junks. The most
was set in a walled park that covered a hundred magnificent of these were the ten Dragon
square miles, in the centre of which was an ar¬ Junks, particularly the Imperial Dragon Junk
tificial lake five li (two miles) wide. On the itself, each 300 feet long and 50 feet high, and
banks of the lake sixteen palaces were built for divided into four distinct decks with one hun¬
the concubines and the palace maids, and dred and twenty cabins decorated with jade
Yang-Ti’s later taste for making love while panels and gold fittings; and furniture covered
afloat on water certainly began with moonlight with tiger, bear and leopard skins added to the
excursions from the steps of these palaces. He splendour. The Dragon Junks accommodated
took a special interest in defying the ravages of one thousand concubines and wives, musicians
nature and the changing seasons, and an army and entertainers, and carried part of the Royal
of gardeners was employed to replace the fall¬ Treasure. The five hundred ‘second category’
ing leaves of trees and the withering petals of junks transported a supplementary supply of
flowers with replacements of identical colours palace maids, servants and stores. East in im¬
in satin and soft paper. The same attention was portance were a thousand ‘third category’
given to the lotus flowers blooming on the lake, junks, following in the rear of the long convoy,
so that they remained in full colour summer and they carried ministers of the court and
and winter. Taoist and Buddhist monks, foreign am¬
On his outings through the palace grounds, bassadors and scholars, eunuchs and the
whether riding on a horse or being carried in a military commanders. Yang-Ti had definite
sedan chair, Yang-Ti was followed by an en¬ ideas on the relative importance of his subjects.
tourage of a thousand palace maids. As he was Historians of the period have left colourful
subject to sudden and uncontrollable attacks of accounts of such voyages, and a nineteenth-
sexual desire, small pavilions surrounded by a century work by H. Imbert, La Sardanopale
spiked fence were scattered at two-// intervals. Chinois, relates how the return journey was
When he withdrew, in the company of the completed in two months. This study and
chosen girls, into one of the pavilions, the others describe the beauty of the fleet being
others assembled outside and sang and played towed when there was neither wind nor cur¬
the Emperor’s favourite tunes. A painting of rent. Eighty thousand servants in magnificent
the period shows Yang-Ti, in the company of silk uniforms formed a shimmering wall of col¬
three girls, indulging in Regal Coitus in one of our on either bank, the silken ropes radiating
these pavilions. He is standing at the foot of a from the junks seeming to create a glittering
high couch on which lies a naked girl, her legs web along the extent of the canal. The willow
held high and apart by two other maids at trees planted at regular intervals added a cool¬
either side of the Emperor. This requires only ing sense of shadow, and the air was intox¬
one of their hands, however. The maids’ other icating with the perfume from the concubines
hands are raising the loose robes of the and palace maids. ‘The fleet seemed to draw
Emperor and guiding his Jade Stem into the with it clouds of heavy scent, and when there
Pleasure Chamber. was a mild breeze, villages seven miles distant
When the palace suited to a Celestial knew that it was passing... On the throne

31
specially built in the prow of the Royal Dragon the accompaniment of the clamour of gongs,
Junk, Yang-Ti would drink wine from special bells and drums, and the concubines and palace
four-litre cups and proudly survey his achieve¬ maids chanting Wang-Sui (Ten Thousand
ment before again retiring below decks for Years — or Long Live the King), the Emperor
other pleasures.’ first stimulated the Dragon Spirit with a drink
The forever-restless Emperor, seduced by or two from his four-litre gold cup, dismissed
love on the gentle currents of the Grand Canal, the eunuchs, then began his night’s pursuit. As
sought to enjoy the same sensuous delight on Yang-Ti was a man of considerable strength
land. His first attempt was to construct a cir¬ and lust, ten days were known to pass before
cular track one mile in circumference, the sur¬ the Royal Leopard withdrew from the palace
face of which was corrugated in such a way and allowed dawn to break on the illusion of
that when a carriage was pulled round it, the the Celestial Night.
jogging motion made it unnecessary for the In A.D. 607, briefly forsaking pleasure for
copulating couple to make movements of their matters of state, he undertook a journey with a
own. A more ambitious development of the less erotic purpose. The Mongolian Khan, Tou-
same desire for ‘love-on-wheels’ was the con¬ Lu, was resisting the Middle Kingdom’s de¬
struction of the Seven Glorious Chariots. mand that it become a tributary state, and
These were not so magnificent as their name, rather than send an army to force him to sub¬
or as some accounts describe, being simply mit, Yang-Ti decided to honour him with an
coffin-like carriages in which lay a concubine Imperial visit. As this concession might involve
waiting for her Emperor’s presence. Yang-Ti’s some loss of prestige, Yang-Ti conceived a
favourite diversion was to start a day’s excur¬ ‘face-saving’ way to move his whole capital
sion early in the morning and, after a good with him. Every artist and painter in Lo-Yang
meal in the Royal Coach, to move to the first was set to work on a circular painting. Two
of the Glorious Chariots. During the course of thousand yards of specially strengthened silk,
the day he would lie with each of the chosen erected to a circular plan, was covered with the
concubines, and such was his virility, it is views seen from the Celestial Palace, an exact
recorded, that ‘he was usually back in the copy of walls and roofs, temples and gates,
palace by nightfall.’ outline of hills and colours of trees. When the
The most imaginative of his self-stimulating convoy arrived outside the Mongolian capital,
creations was the Maze Palace. In ‘Record of the Emperor set up camp within this panorama
the Maze Palace’ (Mi-lou-chi), an anonymous of Lo-Yang, and the subjects of the Khan were
T’ang author describes it as an erotic dream so impressed that they begged their ruler to
from which one need never be wakened. The make a suitable act of submission. And this, a
palaces of the Ottoman and Mogul empires little later, Khan Tou-Lu was happy to do.
might have been more magnificent, and their Ten years after this visit, Yang-Ti’s colourful
rulers’ exploits more violent and hot-blooded, reign came to an end. On a visit to Chiang-Tu,
but the Chinese emperors were unsurpassed in his palace maids were helping him. to dress
their sensuous diversions. The palace was a when he caught sight of himself in a mirror.
maze of chambers and passages, every wall ‘What a fine head I have,’ he was heard to say
covered with mirrors of polished bronze, the reflectively. ‘And what a splendid neck. Who, I
reflections so deceptive that touch rather than wonder, will be the one to sever it?’ It was a
sight was necessary for moving about. There premonition not completely accurate. Hou-
were no windows and the concealed lanterns Sing-Ta, a rebel chief, swooped down on the ci¬
were placed to give a regular yet subdued glow. ty and rather than behead the Emperor, chose
The furnishings were simple. Mats and couches to strangle him with his own hands.
on which reclined the loveliest women of the Yang-Ti bequeathed to history more than his
harem, wine-fountains at frequent intervals, reputation, and as a man of culture he express¬
music played by groups of naked palace ed his less brutal thoughts in verse. The follow¬
maidens. ing suggests that he was not insensitive to the
In the musk and lotus-scented air, Yang-Ti lives of others.
regarded a visit to the Maze Palace as the
ultimate test of the Dragon Emperor’s potency. The Unwanted Concubine
He was welcomed by his favourite eunuchs Leaving the Inner Hall for the last time
who immediately divested him of his worldly She meets the new favourite.
robes and wrapped him in a leopard skin. To Walking in the palace garden

32
She passes near the Emperor.
Should she bow or try to avoid him?

Her red-silk fan flutters

And covers her tears and sadness;
She loves him no less than before
Yet now in her own quarters
She must retire to oblivion.

Seven hundred years after the Mongol sub¬

mission to Emperor Yang-Ti, China was invad¬
ed and conquered by the ‘Mongol hordes’ but
such was their appreciation of the superior
civilisation that it was quickly adopted as their
own. And when Kublai Khan (Ho-Ba-Lieh)
ruled the vast empire, he gained the support
and respect of his cultured yet conquered sub¬
jects by encouraging and patronising artists
and scholars. In his adherence to the magnifi¬
cent style of earlier Dragon Rulers, he again
showed his admiration of the traditional life of
the Celestial Court, and this was nowhere more
apparent than in his establishment of women.
As a departure from Chinese sources, one is
able to give an impression of Kublai Khan and
his court through the eyes of a Westerner. In ‘Until the age of fifty, a husband should enter the
the latter half of the thirteenth-century, Marco pleasure Pavilion of his wives once every third day, of
Polo was welcomed by the Great Lord of his concubines once every fifth day, of other maids of
the household according to his wishes. ’ Confucius
Lords, and in the account of his travels across (551-479 B.C.), The Book of Rites. Ming dynasty
the world, this redoubtable voyager offered his blockprint.
incredulous readers the following picture:
When the Great Lord of Lords desires for one of
On being allowed into the presence of the Great his wives, she is escorted to his chamber. Apart from
Lord of Lords, one is instantly aware of the natural assuring male descendants with these wives, he has
power of the ruler. His eyes are black and command¬ five hundred concubines, a number of whom are
ing, and though courteous to the visitor, he is clearly summoned each night. His favourite maidens come
aware of the honour he is bestowing to an inferior. from a Tatar province called Kungurat, and every se¬
When he stands one is surprised to see that he is only cond year he despatches trusted eunuchs to select a
of normal height, though his solid build and wide fresh complement of girls. The selection takes the
shoulders give an instant impression of physical following form: On the arrival of the Royal Eunuchs
strength. His mouth is wide and perhaps sensuous, all the maidens of the province are paraded before
and his nose distinctive without being prominent. them. Those of passable beauty are then taken aside
The natural pinkness to his skin suggests his more for detailed inspection. Every aspect and feature of
northerly origins, and though he is a ruler of un¬ face and body are examined, colour and texture of
paralleled riches and is surrounded by every luxury hair, colour and size of teeth and mouth, eyes,
imaginable, he would be equally suited to wilder eyebrows and eyelashes, ears and neck and complex¬
regions. ion. The body is similarly examined not only for
shapeliness and to have proof of purity, but to be
Marco Polo later turns to the subject of wives sure that the Great Khan will find those most private
and concubines: of parts free of the slightest blemish. The foremost
beauties are then awarded a score of sixteen to twen¬
So far as I was able to enquire, he has four wives ty marks.
who are entitled to be regarded as queens, that is If the Great Khan has need for only the most
their sons can legitimately ascend the throne on the beautiful, he will ask for those with the full twenty
death of their illustrious father. Each of these ladies marks. If he is replacing more of his concubines, he
possesses a palace of her own, is served by no fewer will lower the acceptable number of marks. The
than 300 palace maidens, 50 eunuchs, her own chosen girls are then placed in the care of palace
Palace Guard, ministers, physicians, robe-mistresses matrons and the wives of his courtiers, who observe
and attendants, numbering up to 10,000 souls. them over a period of time. This is to be sure that

33
The Mandarin Chair was a favoured piece of furniture
and had many uses. 17th-century blockprint.

their personal habits are without fault, that their If the hen announces the dawn
sleep is not marred by snoring or fitful movements, Instead of the cock,
that their breath is sweet and that in the morning If the affairs of State
their bodies are without odour. Are in the hands of women,
The chosen girls, when they are at last installed, If the prince in bed
are formed into groups of six, and when it is their Is the one to be mounted,
turn to attend to the Royal needs, they pass three Then will the Empire fall apart.
nights and three days in his chamber. When their Yang Chen (A.D. 124)
duties are completed, six others take their place, and
when the Great Khan indicates that he is stirred by The warning of the poem was not without
Dragon Desires of unusual intensity, more girls are reason, and there were moments when the
summoned to an ante-chamber where they remain Celestial Empire was ‘in the hands of women’.
available as he needs them. This was usually when a queen had too much
influence on the emperor, but occasionally a
Three centuries later a similar account of the woman, by accident, by cunning or by ruthless
‘restocking’ was given by Matteo Ricci wickedness, succeeded to the Dragon Throne.
(1552-1610), the Italian Jesuit missionary and Such empresses were quick to protect
explorer. Ricci was even more qualified than themselves when fate gave them power over
Polo, having adopted Chinese dress and man¬ men, and the usual method was to promote
ners and gaining the confidences of his hosts by other women and eunuchs to ruling positions.
introducing them to advanced Western ideas It must be recorded, however, that in at least
on mathematics, astronomy and geography. one instance the Empire benefited rather than
Ricci stated that the Emperor and his sons fell apart when the affairs of State got into ‘the
chose their wives and concubines only for their hands of women’.
beauty and that they were seldom concerned The formidable empress who influenced or
with the background or class of the women. governed for over half a century was Wu Tse-
The selection was by special magistrates chosen tien (Wu Chao), a life that ended in A.D. 705
for the office, though not all the women, when she was eighty-one. Her rise to power had
despite the honour, were happy with a life that begun in the most modest manner possible, as a
separated them from their families and kept Fifth Grade concubine (ts’ai jen) at the court of
them confined to the palace. Emperor T’ai Tsung. Although only fourteen
The simple quality required by the Emperor when sent to the royal harem, she had shown
was copied by his subjects, and Ricci states: her innate maturity when saying farewell to her
‘All men are free to have concubines, and class weeping mother. ‘Why should you cry when I
or fortune means nothing in their selection as may be chosen to bear the children of the Son
the only standard of preference is physical of Heaven?’ the daughter had asked. This
beauty. These concubines may be purchased naive hope failed to comfort the mother, who
for a hundred pieces of gold and at times for knew that only a limited number of the
much less. Among the lower classes wives are Emperor’s concubines were allowed to bear his
bought and sold for silver and as often as a children (the eunuchs being very busy in their
man may wish.’ role as abortionists).
The absolute power of the Dragon Rulers On entering the harem, Wu Chao had been
continued until the passing of the Manchu given the name Most Beautiful Wu, and at the
dynasty in 1912, and this method of selecting age of sixteen she was appointed one of the
the most beautiful women of the Empire, in the palace maids to the Royal Toilet. Her job was
absence of a better system, remained very to stand by the Emperor’s side while he
much as it had been in the times of Polo and urinated, holding a bowl of water so that he
Ricci. When a father was asked why he did not could immediately rinse his fingers. The Chao-
object to his fair daughter being subjected to hou-l-shih (Sung dynasty) relates that on this
the indignities of being inspected for the occasion, however, he carelessly urinated over
honour of becoming a palace maid, he said: the hem of his gown and Most Beautiful Wu
“If my daughter is chosen by the Khan then she instantly offered to fetch him a change of
has been born under a lucky planet. While he clothing. Her sweetness caused him to ask her
needs her, she will be provided with more than to raise her face, which she had modestly kept
I could ever offer, and when he no longer needs lowered, and noticing her fresh beauty, he said:
her he will follow the usual custom of marrying ‘No. This stained robe will remind me of this
her to one of his nobles. Could I do better?’’ meeting.’ He was so impressed that he then

35
 flicked at the basin she was holding. ‘I splash and to have her released. Once Most Elegant
water on your powdered cheeks,’ he whispered. Beauty Wu was again in the palace, this time
This was one of the traditional phrases for in¬ with the high rank of consort, she deliberately
dicating desire, and the virgin immediately set out to supersede the two powerful wives.
gave the appropriate reply: ‘I will welcome the This she did soon after giving birth to a male
Celestial Rain and Mist.’ child. The baby was one day found dead and
She received the Rain and Mist on the couch the apparently distraught Wu Chao charged
in the toilet, and the Emperor then promoted that it had been killed by the two jealous
her to Third Grade concubine, which gave her women who had failed to bear sons. She con¬
the new title of Most Elegant Beauty Wu. This vinced the Emperor of their guilt, and demand¬
soon brought Wu Chao promotion from the ed that they be delivered to her for punishment,
Royal Toilet to service in the palace itself, not and such was her persuasiveness that he agreed.
as one of the favourites for the Emperor’s bed¬ The wives were punished in a manner ap¬
chamber but as someone who had a pleasing propriate to the period. They suffered one hun¬
disposition for functions of less importance. dred blows each with a cudgel, then had their
As a Third Grade concubine her chances of hands and feet chopped off. They were then
further promotion were limited, the competi¬ dropped into large wine vats and left to die.
tion being greater in the higher grades, and One of the queens, Pure Favourite, survived
despite the Emperor’s virility, the years of her for two days and was frequently visited in her
youth could have passed without her again par¬ agony by Wu Chao. With almost her last gasp,
ticipating in Regal Coitus. The incident that Pure Favourite cried that she would return
changed her destiny came when the Emperor from the next world as a cat, and would have
fell ill. With the other concubines she was hid¬ her revenge. It was a threat that Wu Chao
den from the eyes of all men except the palace remembered all her life because after that she
eunuchs, but so serious was the Emperor’s ill¬ refused to have cats in any of her palaces.
ness that the Crown Prince, his son Li Chih, Soon after she was installed as Empress, her
was hurriedly called to his bedside. When he master Kao Tsung suffered a stroke and, hav¬
eventually withdrew from his father’s presence, ing alienated most of his ministers because of
Most Elegant Beauty Wu was waiting outside his attachment to her, he was forced to entrust
the bedchamber, and despite his filial anxiety, her with high matters of state. She was quick to
she instantly impressed him. He paused to ask take advantage of her new power, her intuition
her name, then returned to his own quarters. again preparing her for a dramatic change in
There followed secret meetings between the her fortunes. To this end she began to intrigue
Third Grade concubine and the Crown Prince, against possible rivals, accusing them of
and Wu Chao, realising that the Emperor had crimes against the ailing Emperor and having
not long to live, decided that her future lay them either decapitated or banished. She did
with the younger man. The Emperor died soon not spare even her own son, whom she had
after, and the Crown Prince was duly elevated poisoned, or the sons of other consorts who
to the Dragon Throne, but Most Elegant Beau¬ might qualify to the rank of crown Prince.
ty Wu had overlooked an important custom of The liquidation of all possible rivals for
the court. A new emperor was forbidden to power had not been quite completed before
take over his predecessor’s harem and wives. Kao Tsung died, but her power was such that a
Instead, therefore, of being installed as one of weakling prince, Chung Tsung, was nominated
the royal favourites, Wu Chao, with T’ai for the throne. She was not deterred, however,
Tsung’s other women, had her head shaved from pursuing her ambitions. As Empress
and was confined to the Buddhist convent of Dowager her authority, together with her
Kan Yen. She was then twenty-four, and was reputation for ruthlessness, was enough to
expected to spend the rest of her days as a nun. prevail on the ministers to have the young man
The new Emperor had taken the name of deposed on the grounds of his immaturity, and
Kao Tsung, and the beginning of his reign was once he had been banished to a distant pro¬
threatened by the vicious squabbling of his vince, she took the opportunity to kill off those
wives. Two in particular were constantly in¬ of her rivals who had survived her first
triguing for the rank of Empress, and the onslaught. Anyone with the slightest claim to
Emperor, remembering the uncomplicated the throne, not only the relatives of her late
delights offered by the cloistered Wu Chao, husband but her own brothers and nephews,
forced his ministers to revoke the old customs were exterminated. At last there was only one

36
A painting based on stories of the untiring Emperor Yang-Ti. The maids hold apart his robe ‘and guide the
Jade Stem into the Pleasure Chamber. ’ 19th-century painting. Courtesy of the Library of the University of In¬
diana, Indiana.

possible claimant to the Dragon Throne. When Empress Wu, now in her late forties, was
she became Empress Wu Tse-tien, she was the sympathetic to the plea and decided on another
first woman to rise to this exalted rank. method for selecting the most formidable
males in the Empire. This variation of the
Confucius on Women: traditional ‘beauty contests’ by which con¬
She who lacks great talents and remarkable qualities cubines had been chosen for the emperors was
is more likely to please as a woman. entrusted to General Liu Jen-Kuei (601-685).
When the Empress had been a young con¬
Empress Wu’s ascendancy had been achiev¬ cubine she had witnessed the humiliation of her
ed by cunning and cruelty. It also owed much first husband by the general, and now propos¬
to the use of her sexual charms. She had an ed to return the insult. In the earlier incident,
unerring instinct for men’s weaknesses, and the Emperor T’ai Tsung had been sporting with
having been the mistress of two rulers, as well her in an enclosure of mirrors, a favourite
as having been involved in many unrecorded diversion enabling him to see himself from
liaisons, she was uniquely suited to dominate many angles. Suddenly General Liu demanded
the stronger sex. She further established this an urgent audience, and without the Emperor
dominance by promoting women to places of pausing in his pleasures, he gave his permission
power. This was not limited to affairs of state, to enter. The general, a stern Confucian, stared
however, and one of her more remarkable ap¬ disapprovingly round the box of mirrors and
pointments was that of Celestial Sex-Selector. said: ‘There is only one Sun in the Heavens and
Shang Kuan Wan-er was promoted from con¬ only one Ruler on this Earth. Yet in these mir¬
cubine to this arduous post, and her duty was rors your humble servant sees before him many
to select from intimate knowledge those men Celestial Rulers. Surely this cannot please your
most likely to please the Empress. The Celestial illustrious ancestors?’
Sex-Selector was ordered to start with the three Twenty years later the Empress, with some
thousand men of the Palace Guard, and after a delight, despatched the victor of many military
month of continuous trials she petitioned the campaigns on a less heroic mission. He was
Dragon Ruler with the following plea: ‘Your ordered to exchange his uniform for civilian
humble subject, without the dragon Yin spirit dress, and in the company of a detachment of
and fire of Your Majesty, is unlikely to survive officers similarly attired, he was to search the
much longer these duties. My parts are so country district by district for men of unique
tender that I am unable to sit, my mouth is so virility and physique. The Confucian general
sore that it is impossible to eat, and my body accepted the order, though knowing that the
aches so much that I am denied even sleep.’ commission required enquiries to be made in

37
the brothels of each town. And it was in such her great age, she was quietly retired, and her
an establishment that the great Hsiieh Huai-i place taken by the weakling Chung Tsung,
was discovered. whom she had deposed thirty years earlier.
The general and his men had just called at a
brothel to make their enquiries when they Old Chinese Saying:
heard two of the girls screaming at each other. The Dragon Woman has eyebrows the shape of an
One of them cried: ‘May the Jade-Thruster of eight [Chinese character], eyes with double pupils,
the Great Hsiieh rip through the walls of your ears with three holes. Her breasts have double nip¬
Flowery Path!’ A visit to the man’s home prov¬ ples, her ribs are of one piece, and her clitoris is one
ed that his reputation was deserved, and he was inch long.
informed of the honour that now awaited him.
In his native town of Lo-yang the Great Hsiieh Dragon Woman would hardly have been an
had been a drug-pedlar and a trader in exaggerated description of Princess Shan-yin,
aphrodisiacs, and this expertise, together with the unmarried sister of Emperor Ts’ang Wu.
his formidable equipment, soon ensured that She was in her late twenties when she petitioned
he was the most favoured of all the Empress’s her brother about the unfairness of their
male concubines. This he confirmed in a series respective situations. They were both of royal
of sex competitions and his mistress, in public¬ blood, she reminded him, of the same parents,
ly acknowledging his triumph, is recorded to yet he had thousands of concubines to nourish
have said: ‘This that I hold in my hand gives his Yang-essence while she, because of her in¬
me more delight than my whole Empire’ {Ta- ferior sex, was denied a harem of men to
yeh-shih-i-chich by Li Ta-t’ien, 631-725). And nourish her own Yin-essence. The Emperor,
despite her obsession with humiliating the male conceding the justice of her argument, invited
sex, the Empress was known to bathe lovingly her to take her pick of his finest warriors.
the Great Hsueh’s remarkable Jade-stem in Her first request, by the standards of the
lotus-blossom water. time, was distinctly modest. She would be
Within two years the indefatigable Empress satisfied with thirty male concubines, one for
Wu had exhausted this formidable male con¬ every night of the Chinese calendar month. Her
cubine, and so deep was her sorrow following freedom at that time (T’an'g dynasty 618-916)
his death that she moved to the San Yang was shared only by prostitutes, but because of
Palace at Ch’in. Among the high mountains the immense power and prestige of the
her spirits revived, and her tireless preoccupa¬ Emperor, her departure from Confucian ideas
tion with sex was soon pursuing new diver¬ of the place of women was accepted by his sub¬
sions. She filled the San Yang Palace with four jects.
hundred men each reputed to be seven feet tall Soon, however, the Princess Shan-yin wish¬
and similarly proportioned, and placed them in ed to have all her thirty male concubines with
the charge of thirty physicians. The medical her every night, and for this purpose she had
men were ordered to perfect the elusive Elixir constructed a ‘Bed of a Hundred Legs.’ Once
of Eternal Youth. From ancient times the basis the novelty of this passed, she complained to
of this had been considered to be male sperm her brother that her complement of men failed
and tiger blood, and the results of their ex¬ to satisfy her and that she suffered from a
periments were claimed to be so successful that surfeit of Yin-essence. The Emperor was so im¬
she used the elixir to the end of her days. pressed by her formidable ‘dragon-desire’ that
When she was nearly eighty she began a close he built for her the Palace of the Mysterious
relationship with the Chang brothers, and Gate Desire. This was located in the most
though they were regarded as homosexuals, remote corner of the vast grounds of the
they remained with the Empress day and night. Chang-an palace and was guarded by a special
Her downfall came when they were together in detachment of eunuchs named Glorious Heads
her bedchamber. Five hundred men of the and Shoulders.
powerful Left and Right bodyguard revolted, A feature of court life among concubines
invaded the palace and seized her two and palace maids was the jealousy between
favourites. They were dismembered over a some of the royal favourites. Although most of
period of twelve hours and their heads and the thousands of neglected women of the
genitals exhibited on the stonework of the harem accepted that they were hardly likely to
Bridge Leading to Heaven. The Empress was be promoted to consort or queen, once they
spared such a gruesome fate. Out of respect for were elevated to a status where they might be

38
 part of their ruler’s daily life, they were quick only for the infidelity but because of the in¬
to seize every opportunity to rise above their sulting reflection on his virility. Yung-ai, like
closest rivals. There are many accounts of the others before her, was handed over for the ap¬
cruelties inflicted by concubines and consorts propriate punishment. This took the form of
on each other, and Hsu Ying-Ch’iu (fourteenth being bound to a pillar, having her arms and
century), an historian, recounts the story of legs torn from their sockets, her eyes gouged
Prince Ch’ii’s favourite, Kao-hsin. She was out, and liquid lead poured into the open
with Prince Ch’ii when two jealous concubines, wounds as well as into the two lower bodily
Ch’ao p’ing and Ti-yu, rushed into the bed¬ orifices.
chamber and tried to kill her. They were seized In the course of her career, Kao-hsin had
by eunuchs and to show his regret that Kao- fourteen women tortured to death, and her in¬
hsin should have come so close to death, Prince fluence on the prince caused him to exceed even
Ch’ti allowed her to decide on their punish¬ his own cruel excesses. He had every wall in the
ment. palace decorated from ceiling to floor with
Hsu Ying-Ch’iu states: ‘Ti-uii and murals of colourful sexual scenes, and every
Ch’ao-p’ing were taken to the public square, day he paraded his palace maids and guards,
stripped of their robes and staked to the his adult children and other relatives, even aged
ground in a kneeling position. Rams, goats and aunts and uncles, and forced them to imitate
even dogs were encouraged to mount them, the the scenes on the walls. Prince Ch’ti also
efforts of which greatly pleased the watching possessed a remarkable collection of erotic il¬
Kao-hsin.’ The torment of the two concubines lustrations painted on the skins of stillborn
came to an end when, instead of suffering the babies, such skins possessing the advantage for
traditional decapitation, their bodies were a painter of having the smoothest surface
severed at the waist. known at that time.
From this taste of power and sadism, Kao- The devotion of concubines did not always,
hsin proceeded to watch vigilantly for oppor¬ however, express itself in such a gruesome
tunities to prove her love and loyalty to Prince manner, and there are many stories of beauty
Ch’ii, and the cruel streak in her soon found and self-sacrifice which reveal these women to
another victim. She was particularly jealous of have been courageous as well as of high prin¬
a half-Persian concubine called Wang ch’ing, ciples. Li-shih was a concubine in the harem of
and hearing that she was having her portrait Prince Wang Ping-shiih, and soon after her in¬
painted, informed the prince that she was pos¬ duction, his first wife, Princess Nan-nang,
ing in the nude. This was a charge graver than overcome by jealousy, entered the new con¬
infidelity, which the prince chose to believe, cubine’s quarters with the intention of stabbing
and when Kao-hsin requested to be allowed to her.
administer an appropriate punishment, the Li-shih was standing by the window combing
wish was granted. her long hair when the princess, swinging a
To quote Hsu Ying-Ch’iu, Wang ch’ing was sword, ran towards her.
first whipped and tortured with red-hot ‘Why do you stay so calm in the face of
needles, then had her hair ripped out. At this death!’ she cried.
point she managed to tear herself free and ‘When your husband conquered my pro¬
rushed towards a well with the intention of vinces,’ replied Li-shih, ‘he killed all my family
jumping into it. The attempt failed, she was except for the young women, and because I
seized and brought back to Kao-hsin who was one of the most beautiful, I have been add¬
ordered that ‘she be staked to the ground and ed to this harem. Why should I wish to avoid
red-hot irons inserted into the Jade Pavilion.’ joining my illustrious ancestors?’
When Wang ch’ing lost consciousness, ‘she Her serenity was so moving that the princess
was then cut to pieces, beginning with the facial threw away the sword, embraced her, and said,
flesh, and the remains at last thrown down the ‘From this moment I shall regard you as a
well she had been so determined to reach.’ younger sister. In this way shall I try to make
Kao-hsin carried her sense of loyalty to good my husband’s crime.’
Prince Ch’ii even further, setting herself to im¬ It is recorded that they remained as sisters
prove the behaviour of the girls in the harem. for the rest of their lives.
When Yung-ai, a concubine, was caught in the A subtle story of a loving concubine is that
arms of a eunuch who was wearing a ‘dragon of Fairy Consort (First Category) Fan Chi. One
instrument,’ she was reported to the prince not day after the King of Ch’u had stayed in au-

39
dience with his ministers for an unusually long
time, he was met in the palace corridors by the
concubine.
‘Your majesty, how tired and hungry you
look,’ said Fan Chi. ‘What comfort can I offer
you?’
‘Fairy Consort,’ said the king, ‘when I listen
to the loyal and thoughtful words of my First
Minister, I forget such things as hunger and
fatigue.’
‘Then you regard loyalty and thoughtfulness
as the highest of virtues for a first minister?’
‘Undoubtedly,’ said the king.
Fan Chi reflected for a moment, then said:
‘For eleven years I have attended your person.
I have bathed you daily, I have washed your
hair, held your towel and helped you into your
robes. When you rest on your couch, I draw up
your coverlet. When you are tired of my sexual
attractions I send my servants into the country
to find you new girls. In your household there
are ten women of my rank and your two wives
who are my superiors. Have I ever shown
jealousy towards them? In what way, then, is
First Minister Shen’s loyalty greater than mine
and when has he thoughtfully advanced others
who might please your majesty more?’
The king bowed his head in agreement.

The Derelict Palace

Whose abandoned domain is this,

Grey mice in the dust
The wind sighing through empty windows...

Who was the prince who owned it,

Palace of a thousand voices,
Singing and feasting until dawn...
His virgins are now laid in graves,
The prince with his Ancestors —
The long grass leans in sorrow
And the branches bow with lament.
Who can ever know eternity?

Tu Fu (713-770)

Under the Silken Canopy. K’ang-hsi (1662-1722). A

painting on silk from the C. T. Loo collection, Paris.

40
S' M
 able to understand female psychology. His
power in the courts was achieved by the single-
minded personal ambition of one suffering a
deep bitterness from his deprivation, and
because eunuchs realised that they had to be
united to defend themselves. They therefore
CHAPTER THREE formed a very powerful and ruthless clique.
Their fortunes, and their place at the
Celestial Court, varied with the temperament
The Duties and and the authority of the emperor, some rulers
making greater or lesser use of their establish¬

Desires of the ment of castrati. Certain unpopular emperors,

or those who could not be sure of the loyalty of
their ministers, promoted eunuchs to positions
Eunuch of great authority, a role in which they served
as administrators, military commanders, finan¬
cial advisers and comptrollers of taxes. Their
traditional role, however, was to manage the
affairs of the harem.
Young and strong eunuchs formed the
seraglio guard, capable and businesslike
eunuchs supervised the internal arrangements,
the older ones and those trusted by the emperor
managed his sexual programme and were
therefore in a position to favour certain of the
women. This was a remunerative source of ex¬
tra income, and since the eunuch had clear
ideas about the power of money, every oppor¬
tunity to add to his wealth was seized. The pro¬
In The Celestial Kingdom it was said that the motion of concubines to higher grades,
only misfortune greater than that of being a perferential treatment for the honour of Regal
female was to become a eunuch (though this Coitus, helping their families to gain certain
would not necessarily apply to those who were court privileges, even being allowed illicit af¬
honoured by a high position at Court). The fairs with other men — these and other aspects
most renowned Chinese eunuch was Admiral of harem life brought the eunuch his reward. In
Cheng Ho, who led an expedition to the the court itself they were often the power
African coast in 1405, the longest voyage of behind the throne, and the knowledge of enjoy¬
discovery to that date, but most of the court ing the emperor’s protection, in a society that
castrati — ‘court-rats’ or ‘flapping crows’ — hated eunuchs, assured their loyalty to him.
were equated with women. The ancient Book The eunuch was often compared with gelded
of Odes says: animals. Castrate the horse, it was said, and it
stops prancing about but can still be put to
Not Heaven but Women and Eunuchs work. Castrate the bull and it loses its fury but
Bring Misfortunes to Mankind. remains as strong as ever. And a dog who is
Wives and those without balls castrated never roams but stays obediently at
Bleat with similar voices.
its master’s heel. The castrated servant (hsing-
The facts of Chinese history lend some sup¬ ch’en), however, might have lost his virility and
port to this prejudice. The status of the many of his male characteristics, but as a
eunuch, because of the part he played in the human being he acquired different and infinite¬
most intimate affairs of men and women, gave ly more complex feelings. His nature usually
him influence where emperors and princes were became more arrogant, cruel and suspicious,
most vulnerable. He was considered to have and he was hypersensitive about his physical
much in common with both sexes, to be suited handicap. His loss of identity with his fellow
to his tasks because he had — or at least could men made him the outsider of society and gave
appreciate — the rational outlook of men yet, him an obsession with power and wealth. His
by the nature of his neutered condition, to be constant association with the harem, however,

42
and his closeness to the womenfolk, inevitably
identified him with a female world even when
he was a towering bodyguard in a military
uniform.
To understand the unique character of the
eunuch, the traumatic nature of the operation
itself and the different degrees of castration,
the following description is of great relevance.
It was written by Carter Stent, an authority on
Chinese court life, and appeared in the Journal
of the Royal Asiatic Society (North China
Branch 1877).

The operation is performed in this manner. White

ligatures or bandages are bound tightly round the
lower part of the belly and the upper parts of the
thigh, to prevent too much haemorrhage. The parts
about to be operated on are then bathed three times
with hot pepper-water, the intended eunuch being in
a reclining position. When the parts have been suffi¬
ciently bathed they are cut off as closely as possible
with a small curved knife, something in the shape of
a sickle. The emasculation being effected, the wound
is then covered with paper saturated in cold water
and is carefully bound up. After the wound is dress¬
ed the patient is made to walk about the room, sup¬
ported by two ‘knifers,’ for two or three hours, when Chinese Eunuch, Peking, 1890. Total castration (‘swept
he is allowed to lie down. The patient is not allowed clean ’) was frequently favoured. By courtesy of the
to drink anything for three days, during which time British Museum.
he often suffers great agony, not only from thirst but
from intense pain and from the impossibility of
relieving nature during that period. At the end of body, or binding with a tight cord that stopped
three days the bandage is taken off and the sufferer the blood-flow. This was followed by total
obtains relief. If this takes place satisfactorily, the withering.
patient is considered out of danger and con¬ Castration usually took place before puber¬
gratulated upon it. But if the unfortunate wretch ty, at least for young boys chosen to serve the
cannot make water, he is doomed to a death of
emperor, and many fathers, anxious to see
agony, for the passages have become swollen and
their sons rise in the world, had them neutered
nothing can save him.
in the hope that the palace would accept them
There were three kinds of castration, total for service. Such paternal ambitions were not
loss, the removal of the penis only, the severing always from the highest motives. Once in a
of the testicles. With total loss (hsing ch’en), high position, the castrato was under an obliga¬
once the wound had healed a metal, bamboo or tion to help every member of his family and
straw tube was inserted to permit urination. clan. For those submitting to castration after
The ‘tube’ was also needed by those in the se¬ puberty, the risks were much greater. The
cond category, eunuchs retaining their testicles, operation resulted in a mortality rate of one-in-
and since they frequently experienced sexual three, and since the eunuch had previously
desire, it permitted the draining away of known sexual longings, if not experience, he
semen. In more modern times, with the use of was usually tormented by very real frustra¬
rubber sexaids, the semen was directed through tions. These are described by a chief eunuch in
an artificial penis, a device that helped those a work by Baron Montesquieu (Lettres per-
eunuchs who had married to pretend to lead a sanes, 1721):
family life. The third category of castrati, men
In the harem the women and the surroundings
deprived only of the testicles, included those constantly excite me. In their company, seeing them
suffering the operation as punishment or naked, I wonder why I must forever be deprived of
because they were prisoners of war. In this lat¬ this pleasure; how long can this despair be borne? I
ter case emasculation was effected by crushing, never lead a woman to my master’s bed without suf¬
searing with red-hot irons, tearing from the fering the wildest rage in my heart, the blackest

43
helplessness in my soul. Once, to my cost, I lost my It was one of the few ways in which the
self-control. I had been attending to one of my lowborn could rise to positions of power, and
master’s ladies in her bath and I dared to grasp her as trusted servants or even ministers, they fre¬
between the legs. For a moment, from her expres¬ quently had to administer unpopular
sion, I thought my last day had come, but thankfully
assignments. In the Chou period, for example,
I escaped the dreadful death that reporting this
a eunuch was appointed Minister of Death and
would have meant.
The fair one, however, extorted a heavy price for another given the title of Execution Minister.
her silence. I entirely lost command of her and on a Palace life, with its rivalries and ambitions, was
thousand occassions I was pressed to do favours an ideal place for scheming eunuchs and there
disloyal to my master and which could have cost me are many instances of emperors and princes be¬
my life. ing among their victims. On the other hand,
when their schemes failed, retribution was mer¬
The origin of eunuchs in the service of the
ciless. When Emperor Ling (A.D.170) died, his
Celestial Emperor is obscure and the earliest
ten principal eunuchs decided to prevent his
records relate to Cjou-Kung, brother of the
son Ho Chin from mounting the throne. They
first monarch of the Chou dynasty (1050 B.C.),
were powerful enough to summon him to a
who was' ordered to frame a code of laws for
conference while insisting that his five hundred
China. There were five forms of punishment,
followers remained outside the palace. After
and castration was one of them. The term
waiting some hours, the followers began
kung-hsing, or palace punishment, was com¬
monly used for castration while lao-kung-yen
(royal palace victim) referred to a eunuch. It
may be imagined that the society of those days
would have yielded a good supply of criminals
and captured enemy soldiers for kung-hsing,
but in fact there were still not enough for the
many palaces of royalty and noblemen, and
fathers of lower class families were pressed to
offer their sons. The sacrifice was well-
rewarded and from about 250 B.C., when the
harems became one of the special duties of
eunuchs, there was an even greater demand for
these supplementary boys.

Ivory miniature of a woman worshipping the Jade

Stem, which rises as the lid of the box slides open.
Eunuchs tried many concoctions to restore the object of
her worship. 19th-century. Courtesy of the Mitchell
Library, Sydney.
demonstrating. However, they quickly received cluding endless manipulation by palace boys
the reply of the eunuchs. The head of Ho Chin and girls to encourage the flow of Yin-essence.
was thrown over the wall and into their midst. Sir Richard Burton (1821-90) met a eunuch’s
It is recorded that the followers immediately wife in his travels and she described the
broke down the gates, dismembered and killed tormented fury of her husband. As the eunuch
the eunuchs and set fire to the palace. struggled to reach an orgasm (which was pro¬
The powers and numbers of the eunuchs did bably a secondary urethral discharge), she had
not diminish with succeeding centuries and to hold up a pillow into which he could bite,
from the reign of Ch’ien Lung (1736-96) until otherwise her shoulders, cheeks and breasts
the downfall of the Court in 1911, they enjoyed would have been torn to shreds. The efforts of
a period of unparallelled influence. Emperor eunuchs to regenerate their lost sexuality are
Ch’ien Lung was a ruler preoccupied by artistic recorded in detail but there is no evidence of
and literary pleasures, and was eventually per¬ the successful growth of a second penis. There
suaded to leave the running of his affairs — was always a fear, however, among their
and indeed the state — to his eunuchs. This emperors and masters, that this miracle could
transfer of responsibility was helped by the fact occur, and there are instances of an over-
that the Emperor was too exalted to have or¬ zealous ruler ordering a precautionary trim¬
dinary mortals as personal friends, which ming of that already emaciated area.
meant that the eunuchs, who were not con¬ One such story features Chief Eunuch Wei.
sidered to be men, were at liberty to get closer He was so sure of his powers under the
to the Emperor than would normally have been Emperor Ch’ien Lung that he defied the Chief
court practice. Minister. The minister was helpless for a time,
Ch’ien Lung’s indulgence allowed the then conceived a plan that would upset even
eunuchs to consolidate their postion. It also that indulgent ruler. He informed the Emperor
permitted them to live in the style of the most that the organs of his eunuchs were growing
debauched of their masters. Once the old again and that they had designs on the royal
office-holders and ministers had lost their concubines. Ch’ien Lung was sufficiently
powers to the eunuchs, with the Emperor left in alarmed to order an inspection, placing the
peace to enjoy his aesthetic life, the new Chief Minister in charge of the investigation.
masters were free to give expression to their The minister, primarily concerned with his own
ambitions. The palaces that were taken over authority, reported that there was substance to
continued to have their establishments of con¬ the rumour and that the eunuchs had
cubines but they were now in the service of developed a second growth. The Emperor con¬
eunuchs. An era began which gave them both sented to his Chief Minister taking the
the opportunities and the powers to dedicate necessary measures, and among those who suc¬
themselves to the ancient beliefs in restoring cumbed to further surgery in that area was
their lost manhood. Chief Eunuch Wei.
With their private harems they at last had the Apart from aphrodisiacs and herbal concoc¬
resources for practicing the unremitting sexual tions, constant massage with Yin-essence and
activities they hoped would cause the organs to quasi-sexual gymnastics, a favourite
renew themselves. The first stage of the regenerative remedy was fresh human brains.
‘rebirth’ was to have a constant relay of women The senior eunuchs had the authority to order
saturating the scar area with ‘fertilizing’ Yin- the decapitation of many of the emperor’s
essence. The prolonged excitment was then enemies and certain categories of common
supposed to revive the Yang urge which, in criminals, and those eunuchs seeking regenera¬
turn, would force the body to complete the tion had the heads immediately split open and
regrowth. The palaces became not only their contents brought to them while still
playgrounds but battlegrounds, however, with warm. In the circumstances it was only natural-
both the women and the eunuchs in a state of or unnatural-that the eunuchs should explore
tormented frustration. the occult arts in their efforts to revive their lost
A thirteenth-century record states: ‘The area sexuality, and in a society normally dominated
of the healed scar burns with maddening erotic by superstition and various forms of magical
sensations. The blood vessels feel they are beliefs, this produced a remarkable range of
about to burst yet one knows there cannot be potions, philtres and remedies.
relief.’ The women were therefore subjected to The most favoured potions were derived
a series of sadistic and exhausting outrages, in¬ from human sources, and the constituents

45
Eunuchs usually carried out the punishment of the Emperor's unfaithful wives and concubines. This early stone¬
rubbing, possibly Later Han dynasty (25-220 A.D.), depicts death by ‘horse weapon punishment’.
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Punishment with the ‘long stick’ was inflicted on men ‘Senior eunuchs had the authority to order the decapita¬
and women alike. Eunuchs frequently made it a tion of many of the Emperor’s enemies and certain
‘market square’ spectacle. A disobedient wife or con¬ categories of common criminals. ’ From a 19th-century
cubine could receive eighty strokes, leaving the flesh album. Courtesy the Rare Books and Special Collec¬
torn and the victim lying in blood. From a 19th-century tions Library, University of Sydney Library.
album. Courtesy the Rare Books and Special Collec¬
tions Library, University of Sydney Library.

believed to have the most powerful properties blood was an approach from the opposite
were the liver, placenta, semen and menstrual direction, that of exciting the eunuch’s Yang-
blood. They were claimed to be good for spirit with the fluids of the female sex. Virgins’
‘strengthening the tsing (semen),’ for ‘restoring menses were preferred, particularly that of the
the Male Peak’ and for curing convulsions. In ‘first flow,’ and it was mixed into an ointment,
his Collection of Fine Cures (twelfth century), in the case of eunuchs, for rubbing on the scar
Wu Khiu emphasises the remarkable tissue. A variation of this, quoted by Li Shi-
restorative powers of human placenta. His Chen, was the use of the mother’s ‘first flow’
method of preparing the medicine is as follows: after the birth of a male child, though in this
instance it was taken orally.
No distinction need be made between the Purple
The consumption of human flesh was also
River boat (placenta) of male or female children,
though that of the first child is particularly favoured at certain periods and in certain
beneficial. Once the Purple Riverboat has been ex¬ districts as a way of restoring or reviving the
pelled by the mother it should be washed in a bowl of lost sexuality of the eunuch. It was described
rice water then carried for further cleansing to a by Chief Eunuch Li Kwoh (second century
stream of running water. It should stay immersed un¬ A.D.) as ‘sweet and of delicate flavour, com¬
til it has been washed of surface slime and loose parable to young venison, particularly the
fibres, then for a final cleansing of evil spirits it liver...’ Li Kwoh relied for his gruesome diet
should be dipped in a bowl of mother’s milk. After on the pit into which the severed hands of
this it should be dried in the sun until it is brittle,
thieves were thrown, and had one of his slaves
then finally pulverised. The powder should then be
roasted on porcelain.
collect them every morning. The liver and the
gall bladder, being regarded as the probable
Tung P’in, another physician of the twelfth seats of life and the Vital Force, were recom¬
century, recommended cooking the placenta in mended for their generative powers. The
alcohol, then kneading it, and with certain human ‘blood flow’ was also credited with
herbs and powders serving it as ‘dumplings.’ Li making Li Kwoh invisible ‘once darkness had
Shi-Chen, in his Medical Treatise (fourteenth descended.’ This led to his being accused of cir¬
century), described the tsing as the Flame and culating unseen among the concubines while
Fire of the Soul, and asserted that the they slept. The evidence of his guilt was the
devilishness of eunuchs was because the Vital lovebites and bruises on the bodies of women
Essence never found release. This did not deter who had not received Regal Coitus for months,
Li, however, from recommending a potion for and since it was necessary to find a culprit for
the hated eunuchs. ‘The semen of virile young the reputations of all concerned, Li Kwoh paid
men should be mixed with the excrement of the penalty for his claims of supernatural
hawks or eagles and taken in pellet form.’ powers. He suffered execution by ‘Cutting into
The coveting of elixirs containing menstrual Small Pieces.’

48
 ft -V >l:~* regarded as a ‘dragon eunuch,’ was promoted
(1 f * to commander of the corps d'elite of Palace
# 4
Jtft 4L §1
§< # A
Guards, and ordered to punish the hundreds of
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4i t « was in favour at the Celestial Court, and the

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Emperor placed great reliance on their pro¬
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phecies and advice, but in 695, when the Ming
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Tang temple was burned to the ground, he
regarded this as a sign of Celestial displeasure.
He felt that his monks should have helped him
avoid such calamities, and encouraged by the
Confucians who were temporarily out of
One of the traditional forms of capital punishment was favour, Hsiian Tsung ordered Kao Li-Shih to
called ‘Cutting into Small Pieces’. Discrimination be¬ torture and decapitate the whole establishment
tween the sexes, in this instance, was not practiced and
of Buddhists.
the adulteress was a common victim. From a 19th-
century album. Courtesy of the Rare Books and Special Commander Kao first ordered the monks to
Collections Library, University of Sydney Library. be castrated, then had their genitals cooked
and fed to the nuns. In turn, according to Early
Tang Anecdotes by Hsun-fu, nuns with large
I awoke from a dream of Paradise breasts had them removed and cooked for
In which I was like other men those monks who had survived castration.
And knew the delights of Yin. They then suffered a torture known as Bright
Now, again myself, I find she was a rainbow,
Eyes (bags of unslaked lime placed on their
A beauty seen but never touched.
I know life only in my dreams
eyes), Finger Crushing (sticks placed between
And perhaps in that longer sleep the fingers and bound by tight cords), and Hot-
That promises so much with Death. water Snake (their naked bodies having soft
metal tubes designed as snakes wound round
Hu Yung-hsi (Ming dynasty eunuch) them, and boiling water poured into the open
mouths of the snakes). Commander Kao final¬
The practice of eunuchs taking wives had ly gave the order to transport the surviving
been encouraged by the earlier and redoubtable Buddhists to a narrow ravine, where they were
Empress Wu (Wu Chao), who had been deter¬ released, and the command given to his horse
mined to reduce the power of men who she guards to trample them to death. At the time of
knew objected to being ruled by a female. Her his own demise, Kao’s harem contained five
eunuchs, responding to her efforts to give them hundred concubines, and his collection of sex-
social respectability and increase their aids and instruments, even in those days, was
popularity, attempted to lead family lives of considered remarkable.
unexceptional normality. They frequently Another ‘dragon eunuch’ of Hsiian Tsung’s
adopted children and brought them up to the reign was Wang Fei-Sheng. He was persuaded
highest Confucian standards, and to add to the by the First Minister, Shang Kuan-I, to join in
impression of a conventional way of life they a plot to dispose of the Empress, whom they
kept an establishment of secondary wives and both hated. Wang had been approached by the
concubines. Under the Empress they were minister because of the esteem with which the
given the further task of supervising the educa¬ Emperor regarded him. The eunuch had gained
tion and the cultural instruction of the favour when his master, bored by beautiful
thousands of harem women retained for her concubines, demanded the company of the
male relatives, and this also helped to restore ugliest and the most deformed women in the
Empire. Wang dutifully obeyed the order, built
the eunuch’s self-esteem.
a palace (Palace of the Desirable Monsters) and
Not all rulers who favoured their eunuchs accommodated in it the ugly and the
sought to employ them in the more ad¬ disfigured, dwarfs and freaks, and even a
ministrative offices of court life, and the woman reputed to have had two heads which,
Emperor Hsiian Tsung made use of their during the Emperor’s love-making,
belligerent sense of inferiority by giving them simultaneously returned his passion.
command of the security forces. Kao Li-Shih, As Wang was therefore a favoured servant

49
of the Emperor. Shang Kuan-I confided in him to feed himself or attend to other necessary
that the Empress was practising witchcraft and functions he relied completely on the help of
had been converted to a Taoist cult of black others.
magic. The neglected Empress, he added, was The eunuch was actively involved in the
casting spells to afflict the Son of Heaven with whole field of torture, in positions of power
impotency. When the eunuch passed on the in¬ having the authority to impose it, and at the
formation to the Emperor, the ruler called for lower level of jailer, servant or harem guard,
his First Minister and asked for his advice. being called on to administer it. Because of the
Shang Kuan-I suggested that the Empress inherent grievance he felt towards society, it
should be dismissed before she could harm him was a task to which he applied himself with
but the Emperor, who loved his wife, asked the demoniacal vigour. This was particularly the
eunuch to first bring him more evidence. case with flogging and beating, which were
Eunuch Wang then promoted a number of among the more popular public spectacles. The
concubines who swore on oath to give evidence law stated that public beatings should only be
that they had witnessed the Empress practising inflicted after sentence by a Mandarin of
the black arts, and bribed a number of Taoist Justice, but court eunuchs, as well as jailers
monks (with visits to the harem) to make and petty officials, often held such ‘market
similar statements. Unfortunately for Wang, square’ spectacles without much fear of
an incorruptible monk informed the Empress retribution.
of the plot against her, and before the evidence The legal court procedure was for the
had been assembled for the Emperor, she had magistrate to be seated at a table on which lay a
successfully convinced her husband of her in¬ box of pencil-like sticks. The accused knelt in
nocence. She had a very forceful personality front of the table and sentence took the form
and prevailed on him to allow her to punish the of a number of the sticks being thrown on to
wicked plotters. the floor by the magistrate. Each stick denoted
She adhered to the constitutional procedures five blows with the pan-tsee or bamboo rod.
by first making Wang and Shang sign confes¬ There were two kinds of rod, one five feet long
sions, though the correctness of this was ac¬ and two inches wide, the other three feet long
companied by tortures that lasted two days. and an inch wide. The legal maximum was one
They were then beheaded, their estates con¬ hundred strokes, male prisoners being stripped
fiscated and their families enslaved. of clothing, females simply having their outer
Chinese torture was based upon the principle garments removed. The officer administering
of a punishment appropriate to the crime, and the punishment was not only skilled in making
apart from the summary penalties of thieves it as painful as possible, he also accepted bribes
having their hands chopped off, or those escap¬ from the prisoner or his family to wield the rod
ing from the authorities having their hamstr¬ lightly, his adeptness in this instance being in
ings sliced through with a sword, torture was appearing to strike with all his strength.
meant to impress on the victim the error of his Another form of beating seen as appropriate
ways as well as being physically punitive. to the crime was that inflicted on boatmen or
Public degradation was also part of the total seamen. Instead of a rod, a leather-covered bat
punishment, and in a society where status and the shape of a canoe-paddle or oar was used,
‘face’ were particularly important, this was not and the blows were applied to the cheeks of the
the least of the victims’ sufferings. The thought face. This was often supplemented by ‘ear¬
given to tortures that pained the culprit both twisting’, a method of twisting ‘the cartileges
physically and psychologically is exemplified reaching into the brain’. These punishments to
by the punishment of ‘Wearing the Cangue’, the head or face were considered to be a direct
which was administered to embezzlers, com¬ way of reaching impure or evil thoughts.
pulsive gamblers and insolvent debtors. The There were four traditional methods of
Cangue was a heavy wooden board three feet capital punishment in China, and the role of
square, with a hole in the centre, and this was executioner was one often performed by the
locked round the culprit’s neck. He was not im¬ eunuchs. The most protracted and gruesome
prisoned but allowed to return to his normal method of killing was called Cutting into Small
life or made to stand for so many hours a day Pieces. This started at the top of the head,
in public. The Cangue weighed a hundred descended to the eye-brows, the cheeks, neck,
pounds and the usual sentence was between one arms and chest, the technique being for the cuts
and three months, but as the culprit was unable to leave strips of flesh hanging downwards.

50
When the prisoner was on the point of losing the pleasures of the harem at an early age, and
consciousness, the executioner plunged his once it was apparent that the experience was to
sword into the stomach, seized him by the hair his taste, An made sure that the concubines
and decapitated him. This method was also the allowed him no respite. With both the chief
one recommended for women ‘guilty of defil¬ eunuch and the women urging the young prince
ing their bodies in adultery’. The most merciful to prove that he shared the dragon spirit of his
was simple beheading with a two-handed ancestors, the youth was quickly reduced to
sword, but this punishment was considered chronic weakness and eventually to a degree of
equally disgraceful because it meant consigning insanity.
the body to the grave without the head (this For the Dowager-Empress, however, palace
was usually displayed in public), or of having it orgies were organised in a more sophisticated
separate in the coffin. This would deny the vic¬ way. Her deep interest in the theatre added to
tim the blessing of the usual burial rites, which the sympathy she felt towards An, because the
would prevent his reunion with his Illustrious eunuch was a talented actor himself. The court
Ancestors, becuase ‘the body would not reach debauches were turned into spectacular
the Next World as it had arrived in this one’. pageants, with the whole palace a stage,
The least reprehensible variation of the public costumes and fancy dress at all times encourag¬
death penalty was strangulation, which was ef¬ ed, and though her chief eunuch could hardly
fected by tying the prisoner crucifix-fashion have satisfied all the desires of such a for¬
and passing a cord through a hole in the in- midable woman, he was adept at finding men
sterstice of the cross. This was then looped of outstanding virility. Among these was the
round the victim’s throat and tugged guardsman Jung Lu, who was quickly pro¬
downwards by someone standing behind the moted to the rank of military commander.
cross. The fourth method, often a sign of An Te-hai, as well as Chief Eunuch Li, who
favour or even of honour, was to receive a was to follow him, was also a genius in
silken cord from the Emperor. With it was a re¬ operating the system of ‘squeeze’. As Court
quest that the recipient should be his own ex¬ Chamberlain and confidant of the Empress,
ecutioner. every favour or transaction in which he was in¬
volved added to his wealth. Audiences with the
The emperor of China seldom orders a subject to be
Empress, appointments to the many palace and
executed until he has consulted with his law officers
whether he can avoid it without infringing the con¬
government posts, even a military
stitution of his realm. He fasts for a certain period commander’s request for ammunition or rein¬
previous to signing the Execution Order; and his forcements, fell within the area of ‘squeeze’.
Imperial Majesty esteems those years of his reign Tributes and taxes were paid on bullion, silver,
the most illustrious and the most fortunate in which silks and other precious commodities, and
he has had the least occasion to let fall upon his these were divided as to one half for the Em¬
subjects the rigorous sword of justice. press, one quarter for Jung Lu and the military
The Punishments of China (1801) budget, and the remaining quarter for the chief
G.H. Mason eunuch. The Empress’s share of the Imperial
The most powerful eunuchs of modern times intake, however, had to cover all her personal
were An Te-hai and Li Lien-ying, both of expenses, and as An was in control of the
whom were favourites of the Empress Dowager palace accounts, she made a further contribu¬
Tzu Hsi (1835-1908). On the death of her hus¬ tion to his fortune. She was charged — though
band she was installed as regent until the unknown to herself — a hundred times the
Crown Prince was of age, but to the end of her market price of meat, two pounds (sterling) for
life this formidable woman never relinquished each egg, and for such items as entertainment
real power. In a society still adhering to Confu- she apparently rewarded actors and artists with
cian and traditional ideas of male superiority, the highest fees they had ever received.
she turned to her eunuchs for support, a The Chief Eunuch, however, made the
mutually advantageous arrangement and one mistake of venturing outside the palace and
which she was not to regret. therefore beyond the Empress’s formidable
One of Chief Eunuch An’s first duties for protection. He left to attend to certain affairs
the Empress Dowager was to ensure that the in Shantung province and the Governor, Ting
adolescent Crown Prince left the means of ef¬ Pao-chen, found a pretext for charging the
fective rule in her hands. This was not done by court favourite with ‘disturbing the peace’ and
force or threats. The prince was introduced to daring to pose as the Empress’s representative.

51
 fcas

<•>>«

S&* i

••' - .4 >'- . %
Unlike the phoenix, there was no miraculous regenera¬
tion of the eunuch’s lost parts. A hinged cover conceals
an ivory miniature of lovers in this pair of phoenixes.
Porcelain decorated with enamels on biscuit. K’ang-hsi
(1662-1722). By kind permission of the British Museum.

An Te-hai was summarily beheaded before the

court could intervene, and his eunuch compa¬
nions were strangled and thrown in the river.
Governor Ting then sent off a dispatch of
loyalty to the Empress.
An was followed by Li Lien-ying, who re¬
mained at her side for the next forty years, and
with the Empress now all-powerful and
without rivals for the throne, they formed an
able combination. Chief Eunuch Li proved
himself an efficient administrator, a hawk for
swooping on conspirators and trouble-makers,
and even more avaricious than his predecessor
in manipulating the ‘squeeze’ system. He also
made sure that the male claimants to the throne
never reached their majority. He imitated An
in keeping the youths busy with ‘night and day
pleasures’, and those who did not succumb to
this were killed by less entertaining methods.
One of the princes, who later became Emperor
Kuang Hsu, was allowed to survive in the
knowledge that when he became ruler, he must
be obedient to the Empress’s orders. His total
subservience was shown when his favourite
wife, Pearl Concubine, was charged with in¬
subordination towards the Empress, and he
was without sufficient authority to save her

Empress Tzu Hsi in later life. She had begun harem life
in the third rank (of four) of The Imperial Concubines.
In the photo her chief eunuch Li Lien-Ying stands on
the right. Circa 1900.

53
A>v

mm.

Vv

v^v v&v A&zm:

f^mt

wfiM

meat
mm
MeM
mmS

life. Chief Eunuch Li and a servant called Sung

showed their contempt for the young emperor
by wrapping Pearl Concubine in a carpet and
dropping her into the well at Ning Shou Palace.
The personal relationship between Empress
Tzu Hsi and Chief Eunuch Li has produced
many stories, some factual, some fanciful, but
all imply that despite his emasculation he was
able to delight his mistress in a way that was
seldom equalled by sexually complete men. In
Summer Palace Tales (Shanghai 1915), an
anonymous writer described a method by
which Li strapped himself to young men so that
the lower part of their body substituted for his
own while the rest of him was ‘involved with
the full fury of a raging lion’. The writer adds
that both the dragon empress and the dragon
eunuch were so insatiable that a line of men
stood in readiness to have the leather harness
strapped to them. Li’s reputation became
almost that of a ruler and he was referred to as
Lord of Nine Thousand Years (respectfully as
well as bitterly) after the usual Imperial title of
Lord of Ten Thousand Years.
In 1908, at the end of her long reign, the Em¬
press succumbed to a recurring sickness.
Before she died she made a statement in the
traditional manner to those at the bedside:
‘The Dragon Throne must never again be
under the power and influence of a woman.
The Laws of our Dynasty are against it and it
must be enforced more strictly than in my time.
But worse than giving power to women is giv¬
ing it to eunuchs. The Ming Dynasty met its
disastrous fate because of the meddling and the
ambitions of eunuchs, and many of our own
misfortunes today are their responsibility.’
Despite her dying denunciation, Chief
Eunuch Li, now seventy, was conspicuously
present at her funeral; and it is recorded that he
was the only mourner to seem sincerely over¬
whelmed by grief.

The Empress Dowager Tzu Hsi with court attendants

and, on the extreme right, her niece. Her court was
dominated by eunuchs and she died in 1908.

55
 Part2
The Art of
the Bedchamber

- -
 I toss aside my painter’s brush
She puts away her embroidery
We face each other on the bed
Then reach forward wildly.

The night to the furthest corner

Is filled with our embrace,
Why should I call for lotus wine
When I am drinking her fiery breath.
Farm Farm Chan

As Yang and Yin represent the opposite yet

complementary forces of life (man and woman
locked in eternal battle yet seeking to resolve
this in the Ultimate Harmony), so the beliefs of
Confucianists and Taoists can be seen as the
contradictory male and female elements of the
moral and the social aspects of life. Confu¬
cianism favoured a partriarchal society,
classical and authoritarian, while Taoism, with
The problems of an indulgent man with many wives. its romantic ideals, permitted expression of the
An unusually boisterous scene in an erotic album. 19th- more naturalistic side of the Chinese spirit.
century gouache. Private collection, Paris.
For the followers of Confucius the function
of woman was to serve her master, to
perpetuate his name by having male children,
to leave important decisions to him, and to ac¬
cept with grace and humility her inferiority.
She had also to be chaste, without passion and
personality. Believers in Lao Tse, however, ac¬
cepted that there was a more intimate side to
human relations, that ability to manage public
CHAPTER FOUR affairs and practical matters was simply one
side of a very complex whole, and certain
Taoist schools even asserted that woman was
Celestial Stems for the more important of the two partners. Her
womb nourished humanity, they reasoned, she
was the object of man’s greatest pleasure and
Precious Flowers inspiration, and if there was such a secret ele¬
ment as the Life Force, it was more likely to be
in her blood than in the male’s.
Against the classical severity and the in¬
sistence on ‘right-thinking’ and correct at¬
titudes of the Confucianists, the Taoists placed
their trust in the capricious yet ultimately har¬
monious world of nature. The simple
regenerative pattern of life covered all species,
all time and evolution, and Man’s object
should be to submit to his modest place in The
Great Design. His problems came with defying
the natural destiny, with allowing intelligence
and purpose to confuse his mind with higher
schemes, with ambition, materialism and a
perverse desire to impose his will on the
universe. The ‘Be Wise’ exhortations of Con¬
fucius were answered by ‘Be Stupid’, the ideal
of developing ‘character’ by the observation

58
that ‘character’ killed benevolence and created
in man one of his most insufferable faults —
self-righteousness.
Such faith in the ‘natural animal’ rather than
in the ‘intellectual’ was one of the reasons why
sex dominated much Taoist thinking and
behaviour, as with Buddhism when it was later
introduced into China, and why most books
and writings on the subject have come from
such sources. This inclination to treat sex as a
natural part of life, without guilt or shame, was
and is a fundamental Chinese attitude. Periods
of puritanism, usually associated with Confu¬
cianism, though briefly fashionable, invariably
failed to change this, partly because of the
traditional Chinese ability to serve many
masters and to worship many gods at once, and
partly because the social pattern had been
created for the convenience of the male. The
dominant Yang would hardly agree to give up
voluntarily what was essential to his happiness. A rare illustration of ‘plucking the fragrant buds
The ability of the Chinese to embrace two simultaneously. ’ The breast is also uncharacteristically
voluptuous. 19th-century gouache. Private collection,
contradictory ways of life must be regarded as
Paris.
a praiseworthy reflection on his sophistication
and his will to survive. The traditional Chinese Chosen Maiden. The Wise Maiden, and The
found it possible to adhere to the severe Confu- Forthright Female (frequently known as
cian beliefs in family and social matters and yet ‘Elected Girl’, ‘Dark Girl’ and ‘Plain Girl’).
at the same time, with concubines and pro¬ His readiness to search for light and knowledge
stitutes, to indulge in pagan delights with a in the company of women clearly revealed his
guilt-free spontaneity. This duality was helped, Taoist sympathies, and this regard for the ‘in¬
however, by the fact that neither of the two stinctive’ wisdom of the apparently inferior sex
major beliefs of China was religious in the was a feature not only of ‘pillow books’ but of
western sense of the word. His pleasure was her status as a worthy adversary in the Flowery
never inhibited by the real or imagined Battle.
presence of a punitive God waiting to consign The versatility of the Chinese male in living
him to Hell for his misdeeds — or to Heaven if with two contradictory beliefs fitted him for
he remained chaste. the equally confusing task of fulfilling his
The status of wives and concubines serves to distinct and differing roles. As the romantic
illustrate this essential pragmatism. In a Yang intent on winning the traditional ‘sex-
middle-class Confucian home the wife would battle,’ he had to be the merciless invader of
hold the highest rank of all the womenfolk, she the Jade Pavilion (the Flowery Field, Precious
would be in charge of the domestic ar¬ Estate et cetera), yet as the practical Confucian
rangements, bear the master’s children, be ap¬ he would frequently pause in his wild passion
propriately honoured — yet be hidden from and consult, with an intellectual regard for cor¬
strangers and seldom enjoy any social life. The rect positions and techniques, his pillow books.
concubine, on the other hand, would be chosen The dual role and preoccupation also applied
to satisfy the Taoist side of his nature, a to the sexual climax. As Yang the Taoist he
sweetheart who would please him in bed, enter¬ would be striving to sweep Yin towards a
tain his friends, a creature of beauty and ac¬ mutual enjoyment of the Ultimate, as Yang the
complishment. Confucianist he would be drawn to the method
This regard for the talented woman goes of coitus interruptus. The attraction to the
back to the time of the legendary Yellow Chinese of this method was the belief that it
Emperor (Huang-ti) and in the Handbooks of caused the tsing (semen) to return to the head,
Sex, reputed to have been compiled almost five thereby renewing desire, encouraging fine
thousand years ago, his detailed dialogues are thoughts and, most important of all, prolong¬
with three mysterious goddesses called The ing virility.

59
Preceding Page: Between the Golden Lilies. K’ang-hsi
(1662-1722). A painting on silk from the C.T. Loo col¬
lection, Paris.

The combative nature of this sex ‘War and Chinese authority Yeh Te-hui (1864-1927). The
Peace’ inevitably placed the greatest emphasis Yellow Emperor, seeking advice on the choice
on the weapons of battle, and most traditional of women for coitus, asks:
books on the bedchamber art included a detail¬
Let us first dispose of those who cannot bring man
ed study of the penis and vulva. If a craftsman happiness — which women should be avoided?
is identified with his hands and a singer with
her voice, the traditional Yang and Yin were The Forthright Female: Before one even examines
regarded as the personification of their sex her vulva, there are many signs that reveal her un¬
suitability. If she neglects her hair so that it resembles
organs. Penis and vulva had character, beauty
an overgrown bush, if her face is surly and her eyes
and ability. The female ‘parts’, however, did glare or are surrounded by dried secretions, then she
not include the breasts. It was customary for should be avoided. If her voice is masculine and loud
these to be bound and flattened, and such was and her teeth are grain-coloured slabs, if she has hair
Yang’s concentration on the vulva that it was on cheeks and chin, then she should be avoided. If
rather summarily called ‘the one square inch’. her body is miserably lean and frail, she will prefer
The inability of the male to appreciate — or the top position, and if she is over forty her heart and
get excited by — that part of the woman’s body stomach will be in constant disharmony; these, too,
that lay outside ‘the one square inch’ explains should be avoided.
the failure of Chinese artists and painters to The Yellow Emperor: And what of the vulva?
draw inspiration from it. The nude body as a
The Forthright Female: If the pubic hair is coarse
subject for art was almost totally ignored, and stiff, like bristles, or if it sprouts wildly and in
apart from ‘pillow books’ which featured bed¬ different directions, this woman is unsuited. If the
chamber seenes for practical demonstrations of lips of the vagina do not cover the Jade Gate, and it
the sex-act. Poets were more lyrical about hangs below, if the secretions are pungent, then such
physical beauty, but as the sources of inspira¬ women are harmful. To have intercourse once with
tion were usually concubines or prostitutes, or such creatures can bring a withering to the Jade Stem
the stolen moments of an illicit affair, such equal to that of one hundred battles with a good
heroines could hardly be seen as reflecting a woman.
more general appreciation. Lin Yutang in My The Yellow Emperor: Now let us turn to such good
Country and My People (1936) makes the per¬ women — which are the most suited to coitus?
tinent observation: ‘For woman’s body, as The Forthright Female: Women should not be ap¬
body, the Chinese have no appreciation. We preciated just for their beauty but should be regarded
see very little of it in art. Chinese artists fail as the means to good health and of living to a great
dismally in the portrayal of the human form, age. A young woman is the best choice for such a
and even an artist like Ch’iu Shihchou (Ming partner, and she should be a virgin with the Flowery
Period), famous for his paintings of female Field as yet unseeded. Her breasts will then be high
life, shows the upper part of the female nude and not yet milked, and her Yin-essence unspilt. Her
form very much like a potato. Few Chinese, flesh should be firm, her skin well-oiled and silky to
the touch, and her ‘hundred joints’ should be well-
unversed in Western art, can tell the beauty of
hinged and smooth in their movements. She should
a woman’s neck or of a woman’s back.’
neither be too tall nor too short, and her disposition
Such an attitude towards the body led to a should be tender and affectionate.
very practical approach to the choice of sex
partners. If pillow books were the source of in¬ The Yellow Emperor: Tell me more about the
struction, the sex handbooks were regarded as Flowery Field.
a sound guide to the necessary physical at¬ The Forthright Female: The outer lips should be high
tributes of a desirable consort. The primary sex and not hanging, they should be firm without being
organs, the suppleness of limbs and joints, the too fleshy, and the Jade Gate should be so placed
texture and variations of pubic hair, the posi¬ that penetration is easy. If it is too near to either the
tion of the vulva — these and many other front or the back, it will cause strain or cramp for the
features were the subject of the closest scrutiny man. The pubic hair should be smooth and silky, but
and classification. not profuse. To be without such hair is better than
too much, and her Vital Essence should flow at a
One of the oldest examples of such classifica¬
touch and be sweet-smelling. Such a woman will
tion is in the form of a dialogue between the soon move in unison and attain harmony with the
Yellow Emperor and the goddess-instructress, man. Her body will convulse passionately, she will
The Forthright Female (Su Nii). It forms part perspire freely, and even if all is not conducted by the
of the I-hsing Fang, a collection of such Code of Rules and Principles, you will come to no
writings and books compiled by the modern harm.

62
 The classification of suitable partners at a In The Flesh Prayer-mat, a middle-aged but ac¬
social level lower than the Royal Court was tive woman speaks eloquently on the subject:
concerned more with general virtues than with
‘In my opinion’, said Lady Chen, ‘women can
the exact physical peculiarities of the sex
roughly be divided into two categories — those who
organs. Modesty, obedience and virginity were please the eye and those who are meant for use. One
the requirements of girls and brides, and Mar¬ does not necessarily mean the other, though there are
co Polo, in the thirteenth-century, describes a few women who qualify in both ways. Beauty will
how they excelled ‘in modesty and the strict always possess the following qualities: a slender
observation of decorum. They do not frisk and body, a certain delicacy, a fineness of line. The most
frolic and dance ... or expose themselves to the famous painters give their women this appearance,
gaze of passers-by.’ He went on to praise them never those of a coarse, powerful or large-boned
for not listening to lewd stories and for creature. Yet these painters were simply admiring
their beauty, hardly ever their usefulness as women.
avoiding parties and entertainments, having
The women they did not paint, but who pleased
their mothers for company when they walked
them in other ways, were well covered and of good
outside and keeping their gaze to the ground physique, seldom slender and delicate, always strong
rather than staring at others. and lusty. And why did they prefer them like this?
Such girls were ultimately reared and The reason is simply “use”.
prepared for what was regarded as their pur¬ ‘The strong woman will be able to support his
pose in life, marriage and motherhood. Mar¬ weight when he is on top of her, her body will more
riage was usually preceded by the drawing up nearly be of the same proportions as his own,
of a contract between the families of therefore his member will enter her like a foot into a
bridegroom and bride, and when both parties well-fitting shoe, and she will be as soft to lie on as
the bedding underneath her. And why should this be
were satisfied, it remained only for the girl to
so important? Well, it’s obvious. The thin woman is
offer proof of chastity. For this she was taken like a rock, a wooden log under his body. To lie on
to the bath-house where experienced matrons her will create aches and pains in a hundred places,
sought to confirm her virginity by trying to in¬ and when she moves, her bony limbs will strike to
sert a pigeon’s egg. The failure to penetrate, in left and right. How can a man find comfort and
this test, did not always satisfy the relaxation on this? On the other hand, with a woman
bridegroom’s family because certain for use, she is an extension of the soft bedding into
medicaments were known to contract the which he sinks with total unconcern, confident that
vagina. If this was suspected then one of the there will be no complaints, into which he can thrust
matrons wrapped a finger in soft white linen knowing that he can go on for ever, as deep as he
wants and as fiercely as he likes. With men of ex¬
and slightly ruptured the vena virginalis. The
perience, then, the well-covered body is preferable to
reason for this was the belief that the blood of the slender beauty.
the hymen had an enduring quality and could ‘But let us be even more detailed. The average
not be washed from the linen. man weighs a hundred catties [75 kilos], which is no
Marco Polo writes: ‘If the blood is washed mean load. To lie on a frail woman is like sleeping on
out, the girl is not an undefiled virgin and the an unsafe bed; it can suddenly collapse beneath you.
bride’s father must therefore pay the indemnity If one of the pleasures of intercourse is to abandon
stated in the contract.’ He then describes one oneself to furious activity, how can a man really
of the ways in which girls protect themselves throw himself into the sex-battle when he knows his
against accidents. ‘They walk so daintily that opponent is too weak to make a fight of it? A robust
plain girl is always better than a frail beauty.
one foot hardly steps a finger’s breadth in front
‘Fortunately for men there are many of us women
of the other.’ who combine the qualities of both use and beauty,
The subject of the ideal woman was also a and a man who has found, say, eighty per cent of
favourite theme of Chinese novelists. As fic¬ each can consider that he has a fine thoroughbred
tion was the chosen literary form for much that for the riding.’
was regarded as too frivolous or ‘unworthy’
for scholars and serious writers, novels fre¬ This idealisation of the sturdier woman was not
quently extended the entertaining story into a surprising in a society where most females were
detailed treatise. Li Yii, the great seventeenth- physically slighter and flatter than the seduc¬
century novelist, who travelled round the Em¬ tively curvaceous beauties favoured by the men
pire with his theatre troupe and was a and artists of other countries. Any concessions
notorious sex-conqueror, was obviously draw¬ to seductiveness were further diminished by the
ing on his wide knowledge of women when his dress favoured by Chinese women — or
characters gave their views on female beauty. perhaps inflicted on them. Her breasts were

63
 ‘All men are free to have concubines, and class or for¬
tune means nothing in their selection as the only stan¬
dard of preference is physical beauty. ’ Matteo Ricci
(1552-1610), missionary and explorer. Painting from a
17th-century pillow book. By kind permission of the
British Museum.

bound by a crushing bodice, her gowns hung Another theory put forward to explain its
shapelessly from neck to foot, and the wide popularity with the male was that her virtual
sleeves and general looseness made her seem immobility in the bedchamber reduced her to
lost in a mass of material. The only parts that helplessness, and if it can be believed that love
indicated herself were the face, head and had previously been preceded by an exhausting
hands, and on these were concentrated her ef¬ chase round the room, there could be some
forts to appear glamorous. The result was a truth in this. In the case of wives, certainly, her
face powdered and rouged like a mask, and a bound feet tied her more than ever to the
magnificent and lacquered hairstyle adorned home, and concubines and mistresses seeking a
with flowers and jewellery, combs and ribbons. quick escape from a tyrannical master could
From about the time of the Mongol Dynasty hardly have done so unaided.
(1280-1368), however, until China became a In Lord Macartney’s Journal recording his
republic in 1912, an exciting new factor entered stay in Peking at the end of the eighteenth cen¬
into considerations of feminine beauty. To the tury, he is told by a Mandarin attached to the
obsession with ‘the one square inch’ was added Embassy: ‘Footbinding might possibly have
the sudden discovery of the sexual attrac¬ arisen from oriental jealousy, which has always
tiveness of bound feet. Whether it is regarded been ingenious in its contrivances for securing
as a fetish or a fashion, the historical fact re¬ ladies to their owners, and that certainly a good
mains that in a remarkably short time it had way of keeping them at home is to make it both
claimed women of all classes, except for a few troublesome and painful for them to gad
maidservants and peasants, and since no about. I must observe, however, that the defor¬
revolts against the painful practice are record¬ ming of a part of the human body is to us
ed, there must have been very real Chinese less strange than such foreign practices
(psychological) reasons for its adoption. as actually cutting pieces off as in circumcision
*

The bandages were usually applied in early The tightly bound feet were covered by
childhood, the technique being to fold the toes decorative leggings tied round the ankles or
and the front part of the foot underneath, very sometimes rising to mid-calf, and the modesty
painful at first, more bearable as the deformity surrounding the ‘golden lilies’ was such that a
finally set into the pattern of a hoof. This hoof¬ woman indulging in sexual intercourse would
like shape was given the romantic name of allow herself to be stripped of everything ex¬
‘golden lily’ or ‘golden lotus’, the ideal dimen¬ cept her leggings. In erotic prints and paintings,
sion being when the base measured only three usually in pillow books, the women are shown
inches. Apart from the physical discomfort, in every imaginable position, sometimes two or
the result of foot-binding was to handicap three with a single male, and the only garment
movement and to make even walking an invariably in evidence is the foot-covering. The
awkward exercise. There were no protests, almost sacred nature of the bound foot,
however, from the Chinese male. If the Yin of however, gave it a special importance in court¬
the eternal sex battle wanted to handicap ship, and for a man to lightly brush the legg¬
herself even further, why should he object? ings with his fingers was the most direct invita¬
And to the colourful Taoist sex terminology tion to sex. This was often managed with some
was added another name for intercourse — A pretence at subtlety, by the man ‘accidentally’
Walk Between the Golden Lilies. dropping objects on the floors when seated
A popular folk story suggests that the prac¬ close to the woman of his choice, then whisper¬
tice originated in the earlier Southern T’ang ing to be allowed ‘to walk between the golden
dynasty. The ruler was very much in love with a lilies’.
dancer called Yao-niang, and to give her an ap¬ As the feet remained hidden even when the
propriate stage for her exquisite talents had woman unconcernedly exposed her vagina, it
constructed a golden lotus flower six feet high. was not surprising that they became the object
To enable her to dance on the petals, Yao- of the deepest sexual longings and the com¬
niang had her feet bound with silk and, like a monest cause of male involuntary ejaculation.
modern ballerina, performed on her toes. More To be allowed to remove the bandages was a
widely accepted, however, was a conviction favour seldom permitted in the early stages of a
that foot-binding caused the thighs to swell, sexual relationship, and an exciting love
thereby making them more voluptuous to the posture was for the man to have the em¬
male. broidered leggings dangling in front of his face

64
as he thrust into the Jade Pavilion. To effect To what extent was he losing his animal virility
this added pleasure, lengths of rope were need¬ in his worship of culture and learning?
ed to suspend the feet from the ceiling or, if the The crippling of his womenfolk to a point
couple were lying on a traditional bed, to tie almost of immobility helped to restore his male
them to the high frame. A compromise bet¬ ego, and as he witnessed their helplessness in
ween keeping on the bandages and exposing the face of physical assault, he enjoyed a ‘make-
feet was to use the bandages for the tying-up, believe’ identification with the lustier bar¬
an arrangement that possibly allowed a glimpse barians and Tatars. At the same time, however,
of the crumpled toes. the refined Chinese male, further needing to
assert his manliness, sought out vigorous pea¬
sant girls. This class of females was called
‘chopping blocks’ or ‘the big-footed’, and
when they were purposely introduced into a
household as maids, it was on the understan¬
ding that they retained their primitive ways.
In any study of the physical variations of the
Chinese, the vast area of the country must be
considered. Between north and south the racial
differences are as marked as those between the
Scandinavians and the Mediterranean peoples
of Europe. Mongols, Tatars and Tibetans,
tough, physically impressive and earthy by
nature, are part of the same society as the
smaller more sophisticated southerners who are
ethnically closer to the Thais and the Viet¬
namese. Their faces and bodies, too, reflect
these variations, the accepted standards of
beauty of one region differing greatly from
that of another. Skin colour, physical propor¬
tions, the shape of face and features, the degree
of body hair, and even certain characteristics
of the sex organs, are identified with distinct
districts of the country. In an area of Kiangsu
the local women are renowned for their fine
and delicate noses. In Kweichow the women of
one of the tribes are mostly without pubic hair,
while in a district of Szechwan the females are
reputed to have ‘double-door’ vaginas. This
Male fascination with ‘the one square inch. 19th-
’
term refers to unusually thick labia majoris,
century. Courtesy of the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris.
giving the male a greater sense of penetration.
The wide differences between the physical
While the element of fetishism is undeniable, characteristics of the peoples of this vast ter¬
the foot and the shoe being traditional sex im¬ ritory are also considered to be reflected in
ages of the Chinese, the satisfaction in the their behaviour and their degrees of passion.
physical helplessness of his partner related to As in Europe, the individuals of one area are
the growing doubts the male was having in his regarded as particularly virile, of another as
manliness. The period of foot-binding coincid¬ rather dour, of a third as temperamental. A
ed with the elitist character of Chinese society, story is told, for example, of the Emperor who
the intellectual and cultural superiority of an chose all his concubines from a certain area of
educated minority compared with the peasan¬ Fukien. Although a virile man himself, he
try, and the equally absolute supremacy of the could hardly satisfy girls with such passionate
Middle Kingdom over the more primitive states natures, and gradually they began to lose their
of the neighbouring barbarians. It also coincid¬ gaiety and vitality. He therefore consulted his
ed with a parallel consciousness that the doctors and was told that the best medicine for
educated male might have paid a high price for the girls’ sickness was a company of the Palace
his over-refinement and his academic honours. Guards. The Emperor’s sense of magnanimity

66
prevailed and he agreed to this, and some days Patchy and arid, like vegetation on hill tops — a
later he decided to visit his harem in person to female lacking warmth and sentiment.
see whether the girls were feeling better. He
was at once delighted by the transformation, The intellectual interest with which the Chinese
but as he turned from the radiant women he male regarded the female organs was applied
was surprised to see sprawling on the couches a with equal diligence to his own parts. The con¬
number of prostrate and haggard men. On sciousness of the mixed blessings of over¬
demanding an explanation for their presence, refinement, and the price paid in his loss of
one of the girls exclaimed: ‘Oh Dragon Ruler, physical stature and primitive lust, caused him
these are the empty jars of the medicine you to devote his considerable intelligence to restor¬
prescribed.’ ing what he regarded as his manly heritage. For
In his Ways of Sex published in 1927, Yeh the Chinese, with his concern for victory in the
Te-hui attempted to summarise popular beliefs Yin-Yang confrontation, this simply meant the
on the subject, and in a section on ‘The Choice size and performance of his Male Peak. He was
of a Woman’, in a form that might have come aware, too, not only of the formidable sex feats
from the dialogue of the legendary Yellow of his ancestors but of the fact that men like
Emperor himself, he offered the following War God Kuang Yii rode into battle swinging
comments: axes weighing 80 catties (1201bs), that warriors
of old engaged in single-handed contests with
First, let us take the buttocks. If they are high and tigers, and that they were agile enough to catch
protruding they provide a comfortable cushion for arrows in flight. And now, as a scholar or a
the sex battle. The woman will be demanding and
poet or a mandarin, he had lost those splendid
hard to satisfy. On the other hand, if they are as flat
as a featureless plain, she was not created for love
manly qualities.
but can labour tirelessly in the kitchen or about the The need to retrieve his lost physical glory
house. If the buttocks are narrow she will seldom therefore encouraged him to substitute sex for
have orgasms, and if they droop over the back of the other forms of heroism and masculine feats,
thighs she will be lazy and passive. and this was displayed in two ways. One was
Of the vulva, this should be said. The preferred with the ‘personification of the penis’ ( a kind
colour is a honey pink, the flesh soft and with a of alter ego), the other with equipping that
natural and constant warmth. Too red denotes too alter ego with a formidable arsenal of sexual
much of the raw animal, too pale, too little of the aids. What over-refinement had taken away, he
animal. The outer lips should be firm yet easily would provide for himself. The bedchamber
parted at a touch, and when open radiant like a
heroes of sex-battles therefore took to the field
flower in the morning sun. The Jade Gate should be
wearing a penis-helmet known as the Cap of
exactly between the mons veneris and the anus other¬
wise it may not be in line for the Celestial Stem. If Eternal Desire, a breastplate termed a Sulphur
the Jade Gate flies open at the approach, she is sex¬ Lust Ring, a carved jade or ivory ring at the
ually healthy. If it is a flat little aperture, the colour base of the penis (for exciting the clitoris), and
of pale ash, the welcome will be a cold one. sometimes pennants of gay ribbons fluttering
Of great importance is the Jade Step (clitoris) to from the testicles. These adjuncts, together
the Pavilion. This should be round like a pearl, not with passion-rousing ointments and couch-
protruding yet readily touched by finger or tongue. It pleasure powders, are dealt with in a later
should rise a little as it is unveiled, then retire when chapter, but one may refer here to the ‘battle-
the activity moves elsewhere. The inside of the Jade songs’ of such encounters. The following, by a
Pavilion should be deep but not too wide, its walls seventeenth-century writer, though it glorifies
formed in a series of folds that retain a constant flow
the weapon of the sex-war, contains a few lines
of lubrication. This flow should be slow but endless;
there should be no sudden deluge followed by a
of irony.
drought. Jade-stalk stands high,
The pubic hair indicates the following: Capped by the mushroom helmet
Of blushing crimson,
Black like the feathers of a glossy bird — a strong
Its base rising from a saddle
and obstinate female. Of profuse black hair.
Brown with golden tints — an easy and generous
female. Under its glowing skin
Hair fine, silky and short — a quiet and retiring Ligaments and fine veins
female. Throb with eagerness
A really thick growth sweeping down and under — For girls of thirteen or thirty,
a female with the abandonment of a waterfall. For boys of fourteen or fifteen.

67
Position of Cicadas Clinging to a Tree. The Most No¬ The position of Silkworm Spinning from the Most
ble Tung Hsiian in his Art of the Bedchamber states: Noble Tung Hsiian’s Thirty Heaven and Earth
‘This position is not for heavy women with weak men. ’ Postures. 19th-century. From the Yanwo 5 in the
From the Yanwo 5 in the Mitchell Library, Sydney. Mitchell Library, Sydney.

But this menacing sea-cucumber with a string that was looped round the waist.
Has a series of short lives, As physical exercise was considered unseem¬
Each time collapsing ly for cultured men (one of the customs was to
To resemble the shrimps keep the back slightly bowed to indicate a
In the water around it.
learned and courteous disposition), the bed¬
chamber was usually the only place where the
This preoccupation with the penis, as well as educated man utilised his muscles. Then as
creating a minor industry in sex instruments now, muscle-building exercises were in vogue,
and battle array, also had its more worrying and apart from aphrodisiacs for improving the
side. The Chinese male, at least those elevated performance, attempts to increase the size of
to the class of administrators, scholars, mer¬ the penis were conducted at two levels, one be¬
chants and the educated, was constantly ing by medicaments, the other by surgical graf¬
troubled by a sense of inadequacy. This led to a ting. The prescriptions could be taken orally,
flourishing demand for aphrodisiacs, an obses¬ applied to the member or, in some instances,
sion with size and performance as if sex was a rubbed round the Jade Gate, and the favoured
competition of Olympic rigours, and frequent ingredients were: powdered deer-horn, sea-
fears of impotence. There are many accounts cucumber and human placenta (both dried and
of such fears affecting the male population of powdered), hawk excrement, sea grass, dog’s
different areas of the country, and these seem liver and bull’s genitalia. A diligent application
to rival the terrors of religious damnation. In of such potions, it was claimed, increased the
Kwangtung province in the fourteenth century organ by half its usual length.
the villagers were convinced that a form of The second area of experimentation, that of
dehydration in hot weather was causing their transplants and grafts, is not so incredible as it
penises to shrivel. They therefore devised a sounds. The eunuch was a common figure in
small water-bag, which hung round the waist, society, not only at the Imperial Court but at
and the Jade-stem during the day was placed in less exalted levels, and since one of the methods
it to soak. A more modern phenomenon is of effecting castration was to remove the penis
recorded of men in a large city being stricken as well as the testicles, an organ ‘bank’ was
by the horror of a regressive penis. Various always available to those scientists and
methods were adopted for preventing it from surgeons working in that field. And not only
shrinking into the stomach. These included would they be concerned with enlarging un¬
strapping to the leg, suspending weights from satisfactory members; their services would
the end of it, glueing wooden rings to the base have been called on by those eunuchs whose
and piercing the foreskin with wire rods. Men fortunes and stations had changed and who
were also seen on the streets with the member sought later in life to recover what they had
firmly gripped between chopsticks or drawn up lost. Criminals and prisoners-of-war also suf-

68
 husbands. It could be that their wives are frigid or
that their implements are inadequate for the job. On
the other hand, from my own experience, I know it’s
not just a trusty weapon that matters. A man’s
potency is like “capital” in the bank. There must be
plenty to draw on.’ The Scholar smiled with the ut¬
most self-confidence. ‘However, I can assure you of
one thing — when you lead me to these women, I’ll
certainly be able to give them what they’re missing.’
‘From my personal knowledge of the two
husbands,’ observed Kun Lun’s Equal, ‘their
husbands have implements and “capital” that are by
no means inadequate. They are unimpressive only
when compared with the largest and the most virile.
But while we are on the subject, dear adopted
younger brother, what about your own implement
and stock of “capital”? Tell me something of its
A variation of Hovering Butterflies from the Most size, how long you can last.... After all, since I am
Noble Tung Hsuan’s Thirty Heaven and Earth being entrusted to get these women excited about
Postures. 19th-century. From the Yanwo 5 in the Mit¬ you, you must give me some details by which to
chell Library, Sydney. recommend you.’
The Scholar replied with serene confidence.
fered castration and were frequent victims of ‘My honourable elder brother need not imagine I
the ‘transplant craze’. am in any way lacking. My implement and capital
As the novel gave the truest and least in¬ reserves are more than adequate for the job. If
hibited picture of traditional China, because of described in the terms of a banquet, I will provide
the greater freedom accorded to what was sufficient food and drink to make any woman in¬
regarded as a vulgar literary form, it is not sur¬ capable of rising from the table, and too tipsy to put
her words together. After all, I hope I’m not the kind
prising that the subject of improving on nature
of host to offer my guests mean meals, a host from
was a common feature of sex-narratives. In the whose table they leave hungrier and thirstier than
seventeenth-century work, Jou-pu-t’uan, Li Yii when they sat down.’
succeeds in capturing the mood of the men of Kun Lun’s Equal persisted with his searching
the time as well as describing such a penis-graft questions.
in detail. ‘I am not for a moment questioning either your
The hero of the story, the Night-time dimensions or your “capital”, but I would be much
Scholar, having left his wife to travel widely in happier to learn a few facts. For instance, my in¬
search of wisdom, spends a night at a lonely disputably virile younger brother, when you are at¬
tacking the Pleasure Pavilion, how many blows can
roadhouse. Here he meets a warm-hearted ban¬
you strike in one unbroken assault?’
dit called Kun Lun’s Equal (after the great Kun
‘I hardly take my writing equipment to bed with
Lun, famed for his success in abducting me!’ protested the Scholar. ‘I may not be able to
women), and they quickly become close quote figures but I can assure you that my guests are
friends. In fact the bandit adopts the Scholar as always well-filled. With me it’s a banquet every
his younger brother (‘hsiung’ and ‘ti’), and in time.’
conversation mentions all the women he knows ‘Then if you cannot give me an exact number of
who are not being satisfied by their husbands... thrusts, at least tell me how long you last before
withdrawing from the field of battle?’
The Night-time Scholar reflected on the pleasing In truth, the Night-time Scholar could seldom pro¬
information of the failure of these husbands to con¬ long it for more than an hour, but in order to im¬
quer their wives. Kun Lun’s Equal’s colourful ac¬ press the Bandit, he decided to double the period.
count of these tormented women, and his willingness After all, there were the ladies to impress as well.
to take his newly-adopted younger brother with him ‘My performance lasts a quarter of the night,’ he
on his raids, promised adventures that would not on¬ assured Kun Lun’s Equal, ‘that is without once
ly be exciting but which came within his pledge to his withdrawing from the field.’
wife to seek every opportunity to improve his learn¬ ‘And you call that exceptional?’ the Bandit ex¬
ing. Wishing, however, to prove himself worthy of claimed. ‘Your performance is no better than
the bandit’s friendship, and to show that he was also average — adequate for marriage and other domestic
a man of the world, the Scholar said with great arrangements but hardly enough for orgies among
authority: strange women, for storming the headquarters, for
‘Let us seek the reasons for the failure of these taming them completely. No, before I can recom-

69
mend you as an amorous companion, you must be like a platform and raised it for Kun Lun’s Equal’s
better than average.’ better inspection.
The Night-time Scholar was becoming a little im¬ ‘This is your unworthy younger brother’s Male
patient, but he managed to speak with pleasant con¬ Peak. Take as good a look at it as you wish.’
viction. The Bandit stared down with an inscrutable ex¬
‘You needn’t be concerned about me, I can assure pression, then moved to view it from a number of
you. Besides, I have recently bought some really po¬ angles. The Scholar waited some moments for the
tent aphrodisiacs. One I swallow and the other I app¬ man’s opinion, but when Kun Lun’s Equal seemed
ly externally to the implement. The real problem for unable to utter a word, he decided that the splendid
me is to find the right women for my talents. I’m like dimensions of his implement had reduced the man to
a powerful cannon with no enemy to fire at, or with speechlessness.
a target that’s hardly worth the ammunition. So ‘And you should see it when it is roused,’ the
don’t worry — between the pills and the couch oint¬ Night-time Scholar added proudly. ‘It’s at rest now
ment, I’ll be able to last forever.’ — in fact really shriveled up.’
‘It is true that such ointment can prolong your per¬ Kun Lun’s Equal spoke at last.
formance,’ conceded Kun Lun’s Equal, ‘but can it ‘The best thing you can do with that is to keep it in
double the size of your implement? Let’s face it, if your trousers — out of sight,’ he said briefly.
you are lacking in dimensions, no amount of The Scholar did not immediately understand.
’stiffening-pills‘ or ’endurance-ointment4 will make ‘And what do you mean by that?’
up the difference. A person of inadequate size trying ‘There is an outside limit to everything, and it’s
to compensate with aphrodisiacs is like an examina¬ pretty obvious that what you’ve got can never really
tion candidate with not enough knowledge. He can amount to much.’
stimulate himself with ginseng or alcohol, work ‘But my wife and concubines have never com¬
himself into a state of busyness and determination, plained...’
but what will be set down on the paper? On the other ‘My dear adopted younger brother,’ said the older
hand, if the candidate is well-equipped and has all man before the Scholar’s dismay could really express
the material he needs, then the stimulants will give itself. ‘Your implement is hardly more than a third
him just that little bit of extra encouragement. To the size of a real man’s. Do you honestly think that’s
come to the point, then, how big and how thick are enough for raids on other men’s private property?
you?’ Your earlier stories, all those amorous adventures,
‘Bigger and thicker than most, I can assure you,’ made me think you had a cudgel in your trousers. In¬
the Scholar said at once. stead, what do I find? Something that might be all
‘You must either give me the dimensions or let me right for brushing the undergrowth but is hardly up
see it for myself,’ insisted Kun Lun’s Equal. to the job of storming the headquarters. No, you
And observing that the younger man was reluctant have clearly been leading this unworthy elder brother
to do either, he took hold of the Scholar’s trousers up the garden path.’
with the intention of pulling them down. The Scholar’s shock at last turned to the need to
‘Here — what are you doing!’ protested the defend himself.
Scholar. ‘On most occasions it is received with approval
After three unsuccessful attempts to discover the and on some it has even roused women to applause.
exact size of the implement, Kun Lun’s Equal drew Even now, my wife trembles with delight and fear at
away impatiently. the sight of it.’
‘If you intend to be unhelpful you cannot expect ‘If you have ever received a compliment on that
your unworthy brother to advance your cause with thing, it could only have come from a virgin you
these women. How would I feel if, after recommen¬ were deflowering or from a young boy taking a man
ding you to them, you turned out to have only an in¬ for the first time.’
significant little twig? And if the women cried rape as Kun Lun’s Equal spoke with such scorn and
soon as you touched them, and it turned out that you authority that the Scholar was at last prepared to
had hardly enough to tickle them, how would they believe that he might not be so well-endowed as he
feel?’ had imagined.
The argument seemed indisputable but the Scholar ‘You honestly mean to say I’m hardly even
tried to delay the embarrassing situation a moment average? It’s unbelievable!’
longer. ‘I’m giving you the opinion of someone who has
‘It’s not that your unworthy brother’s implement seen at least a thousand of them and I can truthfully
will not bear inspection,’ he explained.‘It is simply say that not one of them was so small as yours.’
that for a scholar it is somewhat inelegant to pull it The Scholar reflected wretchedly on this informa¬
out as if it is no more than my writing brush or my tion, then remembered that his intention was to ac¬
handkerchief.’ company the Bandit on one of his raids.
Having said this, however, he unfastened his ‘Let’s get back to the subject of those two
trousers, placed his hand under his vest and took frustrated wives. How do the weapons of their
hold of the instrument. Then he flattened his hand husbands compare with that of your apparently

70
 undersized younger brother?’ ‘First it makes the implement insensitive to heat and
‘I haven’t much of an opinion of their im¬ cold and temporarily stops the need to urinate. In
plements, either, but at least they’re twice the size of this state it is then ’washed4, ’smoked4 and ’pulled4.
yours.’ Please excuse these professional terms. The
This seemed incredible, unbelievable, and the ’washing4 is for enlarging, the ’smoking4 for
Scholar raised his voice. toughening and the ’pulling4 for lengthening. This
‘You’re only saying this because you’ve changed treatment continues for three days and nights. As
your mind about wanting me to join you. Perhaps you see, then, it is very straightforward, and for this
you haven’t really got these conquests after all? reason is the most popular method of all.’
Besides, how can you know so much about the ‘And what is the most ambitious of your
dimensions of the husbands when you only glimpsed methods?’ asked the Night-time Scholar,
them for a second when you were raiding their ‘If it has to be enlarged out of all recognition, such
homes?’ as in the case of a really diminutive Male Peak, then
‘In the case of the silk merchant I made further en¬ a major operation is necessary. This is the “Jade-
quiries and learnt from a friend, who had seen him Stem Graft” and requires a total restructuring of
on hot summer days, that he had an implement of vessels, sinews, skin and flesh. But such surgery is
impressive size, as big as a large eel. If you haven’t only recommended to those who feel that the chance
something at least as big as his, how can you possibly to have a super-size implement out-weighs all other
be welcomed by his wife?’ considerations of life. I would first have to be
The Scholar became more depressed than ever. satisfied, by judging his character, that he has the
‘What about my good looks, my charm and in¬ purpose and courage to face the prolonged treat¬
telligence — don’t they count with a woman? ment. If he fails this test, then the best advice I can
Assuming my equipment is slightly stunted — is that give is for him to forget the matter altogether. On the
all women are after? I beg you in the name of friend¬ other hand, if the patient regards sex gratification as
ship to give me a chance with the two wives. I’m sure the most important thing in life and is of the right
I can make up in other ways for any discrepancy of disposition, then I will gladly perform the graft.’
length.’ The Scholar had listened with incredulity. Now he
‘Well, it’s all very well to have good looks and in¬ said: ‘But is a graft really possible?’
telligence — they’ll certainly get you through the ‘Again I must explain in medical terms,’said the
doors and into the bedroom. But what do you do Master. ‘First I find a large and healthy dog, then a
once you’re inside? Once she’s taken you into the bitch who is on heat. I place them in adjoining ken¬
Examination Hall, you either pass or fail. No, put nels and feed them well. After a few days I bring
out of your mind such big ideas as carrying off other them together. Now a dog’s implement is a
men’s wives, raping their daughters... Keep your remarkable thing. It is capable of great enlargement
limited talents for your own wife and forget these and this erection will last a very long time. Even after
dreams of yours.’ the dog has enjoyed the Clouds and the Rain,
The following day the Night-time Scholar had because of its remarkable implement, it will remain
managed to locate a certain Master of Medicine, an stuck in the bitch for half a day. My operation con¬
elderly man of distinguished appearance and wide sists of this — I wait until the mounted dog is about
reputation, and confided the nature of his private to ejaculate, when his implement is most swollen,
shame. If what the Bandit had told him was true, this then take out my surgeon’s knife and slice it away
was the only way of correcting what was clearly a with a single cut. As it is lodged in the bitch, I then
physical malformation. carefully carve it out of her.
‘Master,’ said the Scholar, ‘I have seen your ’The operation depends on great speed. In a mat¬
advertisements in which you claim to increase the ter of moments, I first cut lengthwise down the
size of a small member. Perhaps you will kindly ex¬ enlarged penis, quartering it into long segments.
plain how this miracle is performed and whether you Then the patient’s member, after being anaesthetis¬
can guarantee one of giant proportions?’ ed, receives four incisions. Into each of these long
‘That all depends on the original material,’ replied cuts I slot a slice of the dog’s member — the flesh
the Master of Medicine. ‘First on its dimensions, must still be warm — rub the assembled strips with a
secondly on what size you want it to be. Then there’s special healing ointment, then bind the lot in tight
a third consideration — will you be able to adapt bandages. With luck, there will be a perfect grafting
yourself to the drastic change?’ of man and dog.
This explanation greatly excited the Scholar. ‘The one danger is the possibility of cutting into
‘Please tell me more. I really hope you can do the urethra. Once the waterway is damaged, the pa¬
something for me.’ tient may never again achieve a full erection.
‘I trust you will be able to follow the language of a However, if all goes well, the healing should take no
medical explanation. To begin with, do you need more than two months, and when the bandages
simply a couple of inches on the end? If so, I can give come off, you will hardly notice any scars. After a
you an ointment that will bring about this marginal further month of recuperation, the new implement
change without difficulty,’ explained the Master. can be pressed into service.’

71
instruction of a young concubine. Lord Yang and

vase tmplv |
 ‘But what will the dimensions be?’ inquired the Also, records show that your children will have
Scholar, a little dazed by the medical description. shorter lives, which means that future generations
‘Outwardly it will only appear two or three times will also pay for your decision. So think carefully —
the normal size, but once brought into action it will can you abstain for three months, can you control
swell much more than the usual ratio, and its total your desire with virgins, are you prepared to forego
volume and power is probably twenty times that of having children?’
the average organ.’ The Scholar made this weighty decision without a
Ever since the Scholar had suffered Kun Lun’s moment’s hesitation.
Equal’s scorn, he had felt broken and shamed. Now, ‘Such sacrifices I will bear with fortitude, Master.
with a cry of delight, he dropped on to his knees and Have no doubt about that.’
made a full kowtow to the Master. In his heart he ‘Then I will leave you to obtain the animal of your
could hear the songs of a thousand birds. choice, and bring it to me when you are ready.’
‘Oh, great Master of Medicine and Surgery,’ begg¬ The Night-time Scholar searched the district for
ed the Scholar on his knees. ‘This operation means three days before finding a dog enormous enough to
more to me than life itself. What must I do in suit him. He also purchased a bitch in a fine state of
return?’ health, fed them with the choicest provisions and
The Master helped him to his feet. kept them in separate parts of the house. When the
‘If you wish it so much, then we can arrange for it appointed day arrived, his servants led the animals to
to be done.’ the residence of the Master of Medicine which was
The Scholar responded with a speech of great situated in a secluded area of town and therefore
sincerity. ideal for such unorthodox surgical practices. Other
‘Woman is the whole point of man’s existence on servants brought with them enough food and wine
earth, yet I have learnt that I am lacking in the part for a banquet.
that is meant to make the most of that existence. The Master of Medicine, on the arrival of the
Now you promise to correct this ill-endowment of Scholar, immediately started his preparations. The
nature ...’ He fell on his knees again. ‘What can I do unsatisfactory implement was rubbed with an oint¬
except face north and kowtow with gratitude.’ ment that instantly numbed it. After a few moments
He called his servant to bring forward his treasure- it was difficult for the Scholar to believe it was joined
box and drew out a bag of silver. to his circulation, and after pinching and pulling it,
‘Here, Master, is a modest token of my apprecia¬ he was confident that he would feel nothing when the
tion. When the operation is over and the grafting Master sliced into it.
successful, you will receive a further proof of this un¬ The dog was introduced to the bitch and they took
worthy one’s gratitude.’ an immediate interest in each other. It was a closed
‘A number of points still remain to be clarified,’ courtyard, and with some time to wait, tables were
the Master now explained. brought out and the banquet laid. Soon, however,
‘Then let us clarify them. I will pay any price to be the Scholar and the Master, between morsels of
the proud possessor of a super implement, and I will delicious food, were watching the preparatory stage
endure any pain. And if the knife should slip, ending of the imminent penis-graft. After a chase round the
my days on earth, I will bear you no ill-will.’ courtyard, and some strenuous love-play, the dog
‘I have no doubts about my surgical ability. My fastened himself securely to the bitch, and with un¬
failures are very few and never fatal. However, I suspecting indifference towards those seated at the
wonder whether you are prepared to make the Three table, the animals proceeded to enjoy their own
Sacrifices.’ variation of the Clouds and the Rain.
‘And what are these sacrifices?’ the Scholar asked At last the Master gave a signal to the servant to
instantly. tighten the leashes and pull the animals, who had
‘First, for three months there must be total turned tail to tail, in opposite directions. The dog’s
abstinence from sexual intercourse. To ignore this fine implement, now behind him and locked inside
will cause the seams to come apart. The slices of dog the bitch, was therefore taut and stretched, and in an
will simply fall off, that which is your own will excellent position for the Master’s knife. Experience
become septic along the whole length of the inci¬ had made him expert in the hazardous matter of tim¬
sions. The second sacrifice is that the possessor of ing, and judging his stroke perfectly, the Master
such a formidable implement must forego certain severed the implement at the root. With an equally
categories of girls. First are young females with little skilful slash, he had cut into the bitch’s rump and
experience. Secondly, virgins. To transfix such successfully released the member.
virgins with the grafted giant is nothing short of As the servants dragged away the howling animals,
murder.’
the Master cut the prize into four long strips, then
‘And the third, Master?’ told the Scholar to assist him by holding out his own
‘This is the inevitable sacrifice of some of man’s member. With some trepidation, the Scholar obeyed
normal potency. By adding a dog’s organ to the pa¬ the order, but so swift and skilful was the surgeon’s
tient’s equipment, one also dilutes man’s potency art, that the lengthwise incisions made no sensation
with the animal’s lesser preoccupation with sex. at all. The slices of the canine organ were still hot as

74
they were slotted into the cuts, and the Master paus¬ Yellow Emperor: Is it true that with the right
ed to admire his handiwork. He then rubbed on the medicine, the small can be made big, the soft can be
healing ointment and made a very neat job of ban¬ made hard? And what are the effects of such special
daging the segments together. Finally, the servants nourishment?
were called to clear away the evidence of the opera¬
The Wise Maiden: When the couple are in harmony,
tion, and since the Scholar appeared to suffer no ill-
and the passions equally aroused, the small and the
effects, he invited the Master to return to the table
short will become larger, the soft and the weak will
and to continue their interrupted banquet. And over
become stronger. Harmony of the spirit and the pas¬
the food and wine, the Master gave the Scholar fur¬
sions can sustain one through one hundred sexual
ther advice on how best to use his new acquisition.
acts with one hundred women without risk or fear to
It is interesting to reflect that the preoccupa¬
the health. The nourishment to male powers comes
tion of the Night-time Scholar with dimensions from the Yin Essence which is absorbed by their
was similar to that of the Yellow Emperor. A Yang Essence. As men and women indulge
period of four thousand years separated them themselves, exchanging all the fluids of the body and
yet they were joined by a common and endur¬ breathing into each other’s mouths, it is like the
ing obsession. And the continuity did not end meeting of water and fire in such equal quantities
in the Ming dynasty. The timeless questions that neither defeats the other. Man and woman
asked by the Yellow Emperor, his self-doubts should move and blend in intercourse like the waves
and curiosity, are those revealed to the sex¬ and the currents of the seas, one way then another,
ologists and psychiatrists of the twentieth- but always part of the great tide of Harmony. Thus
they will continue all night, their precious Essences
century.
preserved and constantly nourishing, curing the
The simple language, too, seems to defy the ailments and contributing to longevity. If this har¬
millennia, as the excerpt from Section 6 of of mony is not achieved, then not even medicines distill¬
Su-nii-ching shows. The title is: On the Large ed from the Five Minerals, the use of passion-rousing
and the Small, the Long and the Short:- drugs or Jade-Fire herbs, can be of help. And once
the Vital Essences have been consumed or have dried
Yellow Emperor: Why is it that with ‘Man’s Most up through over-use or neglect, they can never be
Precious Thing’, it should vary so much in size and revived.
vitality?
The curiosity — or his inexhaustible thirst
The Wise Maiden: The difference between Precious
Things is part of the great variety of creation. If
for knowledge — of the Yellow Emperor then
heads and bodies differ, why not the parts of those turns to what he calls the Conditions of
heads and bodies? Some men are tall, some small, Ripeness of the Precious Implement. Nearly
some strong, some weak. So it is with their Battle five thousand years ago the male obsession was
Implements. Some are formidable and aggressive, the same as it is today, and the Wise Maiden’s
others puny and timid, some look angry, some look answers defined the Conditions of Ripeness in
gentle. The most important thing, however, is that the ascending order of (1) Slight movements of
they are put to use. the male member, but not reaching its full ex¬
Yellow Emperor: Does the difference in size and ex¬ tension. (2) Extended but not really hard —
pression affect the pleasure derived by the man dur¬ thus denoting that the Yang spirit had not yet
ing intercourse? been fully aroused. (3) Hard but not yet hot
The Wise Maiden: Such differences are purely exter¬ and throbbing — a sign that the Yang spirit
nal. The real pleasure is the inner one of satisfaction was lacking only the last ferment of the soul.
and the achievement of harmony in the Ultimate. (4) When it was hot as well as hard, yet the dam
Man and woman contribute to this by their love and holding back the Vital Essence was standing
respect for each other, they proceed further by their firm, then the Four Conditions of Ripeness had
desire for each other, and they consummate it by been experienced.
their passion for each other.
Yellow Emperor: What variations are there between Through the Jade Gate we enter this life,
hard and soft? Once born we are forever seeking to return.
How many men wake in the night
The Wise Maiden: A long member which remains in
Their Iron Rod stiff with desire;
a semi-hard condition is less satisfactory than a short
member which is iron-hard. A short iron-hard
And with this eternal truth, that other
member that is rough and inconsiderate in operation message —
is less satisfactory than one used more expertly and That the joy of life and everlasting youth
carefully. As with all things under Heaven, one Are found in the same place as his creation.
should achieve the Golden Mean. Lewd Tales From China (1927) Yoneda Yutaro

75
CHAPTER FIVE

The Assault on
the Jade Pavilion

As has been previously stated, the A bridge between two garden seats, the softly entwined
methodical approach to sex of many Chinese limbs contrasting with the hard supports. In winter,
however, the porcelain was heated by lamps placed
lovers was to have it catalogued and illustrated inside the seats. 17th-century. By kind permission of the
in books and on scrolls. These collections British Museum.
demonstrated the various positions of the sex
act and were called pillow books or albums. manuals were frequently as much a part of the
Frequently they were constructed concertina- bedroom as cooking utensils in a kitchen. The
fashion or as a long scroll, and when opened illustrations often included the presence of a
allowed a fine choice to be surveyed at a single third person, usually a maid or another con¬
glance. Their Taoist origins were revealed in cubine, and though some of the juxtapositions
titles such as Play of the Clouds and the Rain of the three might seem amusing to western
or Precious Moments in the Fair Field. minds, the trio seemed a very sensible arrange¬
The great number and variety of pillow ment to the Chinese. The male was naturally
books naturally resulted in the repetition of the central figure in these tableaux, with the se¬
many of the sex positions, even if there was no cond female having a subservient role, inser¬
limit to the exotic and descriptive names given ting the master’s member or, with a similar
to them. The practical Chinese, however, as wish to conserve and concentrate his efforts,
distinct from Indian and Arab handbooks on taking over the need to excite the other woman
the subject, made sure that the positions were with loveplay. Some prints show the second
both credible and feasible for bodies of normal woman standing naked at the bedside and
human limitations. The books were literally reciting from a book of poems.
laid on the pillow, to be consulted frequently The illustrations evolved into a favourite art
and with great attention to detail, and their form, though they were never exhibited outside
usefulness thereby depended on their prac¬ The painters of erotic albums, when they were not
anonymous, adopted pseudonyms. This picture of a
ticability. methodical lover, with a hard garden seat to support his
In this, many Chinese were no doubt helped back, was painted by a Mr. Lewd Hero. 19th-century.
by their slight and lithe physique, and such Courtesy Yasha Beresiner, Intercol, London.

76
"WMKtlUi
 The Night-time Scholar’s bride, shocked by the
revelations of her husband’s Pillow Book, at first
refuses any variations of the most common position.
From a Ming dynasty print album.

the bedchamber. The size was usually 20-25cms organs were usually stylised, the female pubic
in depth, and from the seventeenth century hair forming a fan-shape above a pronounced
they were printed in four or five colours. vulva, the penis, unlike certain Japanese prints,
Before that date simple woodblock techniques keeping within the limits of human dimensions.
gave a cruder appearance to the figures, par¬ The faces of the lovers displayed a uniform
ticularly to the genitalia, though earlier hand- serenity, eyes and mouth smiling slightly, as
painted or multi-woodblock printed scrolls though the artist also hoped to project their
provided examples of the highest craftsman¬ higher Confucian principles.
ship. Such craftsmen also worked with ivory, The manner in which the novel was used to
jade and steatite, carving into flat plaques embrace subjects and aspects of life considered
which were then mounted on silk-covered card too vulgar for learned writings has been men¬
and bound into an album (usually of concer¬ tioned earlier and the following is an extract
tina design). The rather lifeless flat figures were from Li Yii’s Jou-pp-t’uan which beautifully
given a little more realism by colouring the portrays the importance of the pillow book. In
faces and sex organs. this scene, the Night-time Scholar (mentioned
In his study of a dozen erotic albums of the in the previous chapter) has just married a very
Ming period, with a selection of about three puritanical young woman and finds that she is
hundred colour prints, R.H. Van Gulik draws only prepared to make love in the most
up a comprehensive table of the sex positions customary position. He therefore produces a
of the lovers. About a quarter depict the male pillow book to reassure his bride that there is
lying on top of the female or kneeling between nothing improper in a little variety in the mar¬
her thighs, her legs resting on his shoulders, riage bed, but consulting such uninhibited il¬
gripping him round the waist or simply apart in lustrations is an approach that he has to handle
total abandonment. The next favoured varia¬ with the greatest delicacy...
tion shows the woman in the upper position,
either facing his head or his feet as she strad¬ ‘If what you say about love not being a reason for
dles her lover. A surprising number of pictures, shame or shyness is true,’ said Delicate Scent, ‘why is
almost one-in-seven, show a traditional it that my honoured parents never indulged in the act
Chinese position, that of a seated woman with during day-time?’
her legs hanging over the arms of a large chair, ‘How do you know they didn’t?’ asked the Night¬
time Scholar.
permitting introitus by a standing or kneeling
‘If they had done it in the day I would’ve noticed
lover. Also popular according to the illustra¬ it. I spent the whole of my sixteen years with them
tions were those of the male making love and in all that time I never saw or heard a thing
behind the mountain, either with the female about sex.’
kneeling in front of him, bending over a table The Scholar laughed.
or sitting on his lap, and the lovers facing each ‘Well, that just goes to show what a child you real¬
other in the side-by-side position. A high pro¬ ly are, not noticing things like that. Even the maids
portion, eight per cent, depict cunnilingus or would’ve seen your parents, or at least noticed your
fellatio, though this could be because these parents retiring at odd hours and closing the doors
positions permit a fuller exhibition of the sex behind them.’
Delicate Scent reflected on this for some moments.
organs, while artists also favoured ‘love in the
‘It’s true, I agree, that my parents retired from
garden’ with the woman seated on a swing, her
time to time during the day, and closed their doors
legs apart, descending towards a lover, his — but who can be sure what they were doing? All the
penis erect, waiting to ‘pierce’ The Flower same, I can’t believe they saw each other naked.’
Heart. ‘You’re wrong, my dear,’ said the Scholar. ‘One
Van Gulik makes a valid and authoritative of the reasons for practising the arts of the bed¬
comment: “I think that sexologists will agree chamber during the day is to have a good view of
that the table ... represents a good record of things. Nothing rouses the passions like a good sight
healthy sexual habits.” of each other. However, I agree that “sexual
Pillow books also contained poems and in¬ matinees’’ should be avoided by two types of
people.’
structions (sometimes written in verse), the
‘And what types are they?’ Delicate Scent asked
choice of words being in good taste and
curiously.
avoiding any hint of vulgarity. This refinement ‘Those couples where the husband is an ugly
was equally apparent in the pictures, an aspect monster and the wife is a delicate beauty, and those
of the art being the total composition and the where the husband is handsome and his woman just
sensitive arrangement of the figures. The sex the opposite.’

78
m
- Til, p
Variation of the Swinging Monkey position from the
Nine Glorious Postures. ‘This will benefit the spirit and
the longevity. ’ 19th-century pillow book. By kind
permission of the British Museum.

‘But if they’ve accepted each other,’ persisted round the heart of the Flower. Both Man and
Delicate Scent, ‘why should their appearance stop Woman are still at the frontier of the Land of
them from making love in the daytime?’ Pleasure and Passion, which is why their facial ex¬
‘Why? Well, because it all starts as desire, with a pressions are relatively calm, though it should be
spark that fires the blood. For the act to be noted that their eyes are wide open and their
pleasurable they must be drawn to each other. With eyebrows raised.’
these two categories, the pitch black night is better.’ The second picture was described as Bees Making
The Scholar found himself becoming eloquent, Honey: ‘The Woman lies on her back, her legs raised
though possibly this was from the stirrings of lust. and parted as if hanging from ropes. Her two hands
‘Imagine a beautiful wife, her skin smooth and soft, are holding on to the male Thrusting Root, guiding it
and as fragile as porcelain. Then the husband downwards into the Flower Heart instead of allow¬
removes her clothes one by one, at last revealing this ing it to get lost in the bushes.’
beauty. She sits on his lap, his Male Peak gets bigger The third position was The Hungry Horse
and bigger, and she at the sight and feel of him gets Devouring at the Feeding Trough: ‘The Lady lies on
similarly excited.... Then imagine an ugly man doing her back, her arms round her partner’s neck. He
this, all his deformities shown up in the daylight — raises her feet and places them on his shoulders and
why, instead of the ten per cent ugliness in the night presses the Golden Lilies against his cheeks. At the
light he is now two hundred per cent ugly.’ same time the Jade Stem is driven in to the hilt, not a
‘But this cannot apply to us,’ Delicate Scent hairbreadth remaining outside. Yet he still manages
observed confidently. ‘My own beauty is matched by to burrow deeper. Both their faces carry the expres¬
your own, whether it’s night or day we are equally sion of total preoccupation and their tongues are in¬
pleasing to the eye. If there are people who should be terlaced.’
indulging in love-making during the day and not hid¬ The fifth picture read: Two Dragons Exhausted by
den in darkness, then surely it’s us’. Battle: ‘The Lady lies sideways on the pillow, her
The Scholar inclined his head as if congratulating body limp and her legs and arms thrown around her.
her on a very profound remark, then said: The Man has collapsed over her, his face in the
‘This is absolutely true — so why should we be the hollow of her neck, his body as lifeless as hers. The
exception? I can assure you that you will find it ten Flowery Battle is over and the Scented Souls are
times more pleasurable than at night.’ clearly at rest. Yet there are signs that the bodies are
Delicate Scent had blushed faintly and her body not totally exhausted. The Lady’s Golden Lilies are
appeared to be trembling. It was evident to the still held by him, and they occasionally flicker in the
Scholar that only a little more persuasion was hope of arousing him.’
necessary, but being of a refined nature, he had no At this point it was clear to the Scholar that his
desire to show crude impatience. Besides, she might wife was beginning to understand what was being
well react like a starving person given a good bowl of read to her. Her face was very pink and she was
food — it would be gobbled up without any ap¬ looking distinctly angry.
preciation for the cooking or flavour. With this in ‘What rubbish are you reading — what pictures
mind, to keep her waiting a little longer, he seated are they?’ she demanded, jumping from his knees.
himself in his comfortable Mandarin chair, drew her ‘It is the Collection of the Spring Palace. Let me
to his side then on to his lap. Then he picked up the tell you about the sixth picture.’
Bedchamber Book, which was within reach, and ‘The more you look at them, the more excited you
nonchalantly flicked over the pages so that she would get. You can study the dirty things yourself. I’m go¬
receive a quick impression of colourful illustrations. ing to bed.’
The Night-time Scholar had chosen this volume As she started to walk from the Inner Hall, he
with care. Not only was it a collection of pictures, shouted after her: ‘The later ones are even better. We
but opposite each one was an explanatory text. This can go to bed as soon as we’ve studied them all.’
text was divided into two, the top half giving a detail¬ ‘Why don’t you leave some of the pleasure for
ed explanation of the sex-position, the lower half tomorrow,’ Delicate Scent said sarcastically. ‘You’ll
commenting in a learned way on the artistic merits of be in the same state then, won’t you!’
the illustration. The Night-time Scholar began to The Night-time Scholar rose from the Mandarin
turn the pages more slowly, concentrating his atten¬ chair and caught his wife in the door opening. Her
tion on particularly revealing pictures. Then he lips were pouting with annoyance and her body was
started to read aloud from the text. It was clear that rigid with disapproval. It was a particularly attractive
Delicate Scent was trying to follow the meaning, and pose and he kissed her passionately on the mouth.
though he was sure that she understood the words, Then — what a surprise! They had been married
he doubted if she had gathered the deeper sense of for one month and whenever they had kissed and he
the passages. had sought to insert his tongue, it had been met by
The first picture was described as Butterflies Seek¬ the guardian barrier of her perfect teeth. But this
ing the Source of the Scent: ‘The Lady is sitting on a time it was different — he had hardly touched her
boulder by the Tai-hu Lake’, he read. ‘Her legs are lips with his own moist tongue when hers flicked out
held apart and her partner is fluttering his Jade Stem to meet him. Soon they were interlaced and playing

81
the busiest of love games. When their mouths
parted, the Scholar’s voice was shrill with excite¬
ment.
‘My dearest heart — no, my dearest liver! Let’s
forget about retiring to the bedchamber — come
over here by the Mandarin chair! We can pretend it’s
the boulder by Tai-hu Lake.’
‘You mean make love here!’ exclaimed Delicate
Scent, though her indignation seemed a little forced.
‘That would hardly be proper for respectable human
beings!’
‘Your’re quite right,’ agreed the Scholar. ‘It’s not
for human beings. But if we were gods — you and I
— and who can say we’re not? Aren’t we more hand¬
some than most couples ...?’
As he spoke those flattering words his hands were
feeling along the sash holding up her trousers until he
found the silken knot. Delicate Scent expressed her
disapproval with a gasp and a frown but made no at¬
tempt to push him away. When the garment fell
round her feet, he noticed a darker patch of damp¬
ness in the centre of the material, and from its extent
he concluded that her secretions had started not with
the kiss but with the readings from Spring Palace.
Still unprotesting, she allowed him to lift her feet A variation of Two Swallows with a Single Heart. The
from the silken pool, then he quickly threw off his narrow chests of men indicate their learning and good
class. 17th-century blockprint.
own trousers. A look of hesitation crossed her face,
and instead of proceeding to remove their upper
clothes, he lifted her into the Mandarin chair and
placed her legs over the wooden arms. Before she
could recover from his initiative, his implement was
pressed between the Jade Gates, and only then, when
it was apparent that she was not protesting, did he
remove her jacket and his own upper garments.
This technique was known as ‘occupying the head¬
quarters first’, a lesson well-learnt from the Hand¬
book. If he had dallied by first removing the upper
garments, there might well have been a change of
heart. Now, with the headquarters occupied, there
was no way for her to escape, the surrender was un¬
conditional and all that remained was the ‘mopping-
up’ operation. And why not’ begin with the em¬
broidered socks covering her bound feet?
Delicate Scent was now naked except for the
coverings round her ankles and feet — yet why
should he waste time down there when he was
already being welcomed at the Jade Gate? And fur¬
ther, women knew that their feet when bound ex¬
cited the man, yet stripped they revealed misshapen
toes and unsightly stumps. Delicate Scent also
possessed the ideal ‘Three-inch Lotus’ dimensions,
so attractive when bound, so forlorn when naked.
No, to remove them, decided the Night-time
Scholar, was like seeing the head of a flower on a Hovering Butterflies, one of the Thirty Heaven and
stalk without leaves; somehow it was too naked. Earth Postures. 17th-century blockprint.
He therefore returned to a direct assault, using his
‘male club’ with an upward swing, pausing after two
initial duels to observe the effects. He decided to
raise his wife’s legs from the arms of the Mandarin
chair and place them on his shoulders, a variation
that facilitated his movements, particularly in the

82
side-to-side swing, so necessary to capture the secret
chamber of the Flower Heart. It pleased him, too, to
observe that they were exactly as the Position One il¬
lustration.
For her part Delicate Scent had not only sur¬
rendered; she was now assisting the enemy. Her
hands gripped the chair and her body moved for¬
ward to meet his thrusts, and when he indulged in
side-to-side variations, she knew instinctively how to
position the Jade Gate. Suddenly, and for the first
time since their marriage, Delicate Scent felt a fierce
sensation that was both unbearable yet wonderful at
the same time, and though she had no idea what it
would be like, she knew she was reaching the
Ultimate. In her desire to enjoy this ecstatic state
without further delay, she therefore begged the
Scholar to thrust deeply and straight rather than to
indulge in side movements, an instruction which he
immediately obeyed. He made one hundred charges
at the Flower Heart before Delicate Scent bit into his
shoulder and clutched him wildly; the cloud had at
last burst.
‘It was too beautiful, too beautiful,’ she sighed.
Her expression was one of wonder and content¬
ment, but the serenity, to the Scholar’s surprise, was
rather more brief than he had expected. In fact, This position was called Leaping White Tiger, from
Delicate Scent at the moment of sublime peace had that animal’s form of attack, or Making Fire Behind
the Mountain. The dutiful servant supports the lovers.
suddenly realised that the invader of the Flower
17th-century blockprint.
Chamber was not only still in possession; he was
clearly only allowing her a short rest before continu¬
ing the assault. She therefore placed two hands
behind his buttocks, preparing herself for further
battle, locked her legs round his neck and blocked
his line of retreat.
The Night-time Scholar, far from considering
retreat, immediately flung himself into the fight. His
Jade Stem was bigger than ever, as if the pause had
allowed it to soak up her Vital Essence, and as he
took her slender waist in both hands, he realised that
the entwining of arms, legs and bodies was exactly as
Picture Number Two in the Collection of the Spring
Palace. But Delicate Scent, who had seemed to relish
this next stage of the battle, suddenly went limp, as if
she had fainted. Her eyes were closed and her high
and ornate hair-style had collapsed to one side.
‘Dearest heart and liver,’ cried the Scholar, ‘clear¬
ly we should move to the bed where we can continue
in comfort.’
The suggestion caused Delicate Scent to rouse
herself.
‘No, no,’ she murmured.
The protest, however, was really because moving
to the bed would allow the rascal inside her to
escape. She felt she should not be denied the rightful
triumph of gaining his hot secretion and so enjoying
A variation of Spider Trapped in its own Web.
the enriching effect on the earth of her Fair Field.
Whether suspended by ropes or hanging from a frame,
‘Dearest heart and liver, is it because you can’t the woman is helpless, a state that many Chinese males
move?’ found exciting. 17th-century blockprint.
She nodded her head.
‘Well,’ said the Night-time Scholar, now intent on
pursuing his day-time studies, ‘I shall have to carry

83
you to the bed.’ might have been terror — except that the Scholar
The Scholar was a skilled lifter of women, par¬ was aware of a sudden flood of Female Essence. He
ticularly when they were still transfixed by his spear, plunged his Male Peak into the moisture, as deeply
and to be precise he only half-lifted her, pivoting her and as fiercely as he could, then knew that he, too,
on the end of it and keeping her legs wrapped round was rushing over the waterfall. He felt himself
him. In this manner he proceeded to the bed¬ submerged in a hot and frothing whirlpool, then
chamber, making small movements above and began to float to the surface, and once he seemed
below, which served to keep him as stiff as ever and able to breathe the air, he contented himself with the
which were not unlike reversing a chariot or carriage. sensation of floating.
As he reached the bedside, however, and bent for¬
ward with her underneath him, Delicate Scent sud¬
denly cried: ‘Dearest! Dearest — lam about ... Iam
In the position known as Bouncing Infant, one of the
about to ...’ Nine Glorious Postures, Lord Yang reflects on the
She was now gripping him as if he were saving her wonders of the Mountains of Wu. 19th-century album.
from falling into an abyss, breathing so hard that it Private collection, Paris.

84
 Delicate Scent was the first to recover. The ‘love-and-battle’ variations on these can now
‘Did you know that a moment ago I was actually be described:
dead,’ she said.
5. Silkworm Spinning
‘You were more dead than dead,’ replied the
Lady Yin lies on her back facing upwards. Her arms
Scholar. ‘What you experienced was Heavenly Obli¬
are placed round Lord Yang’s neck, her legs round
vion.’
his waist, crossed behind him. Lord Yang places his
‘But why do you give it such a strange name?’
arms round her waist, his knees under her thighs. He
‘Because we both have our own kinds of essence.
pulls her forward and on to the Celestial Implement.
When those essences are released, which coincides
with the enjoyment of the Ultimate, our whole body, 6. Forcing the Dragon
be it the skin, flesh, limbs, blood or bone, is so relax¬ Lady Yin remains on her back with her knees raised
ed that we are no longer aware of these parts as our and bent. Lord Yang kneels between her thighs and
own. That is why it is called Oblivion, and is exactly raises the Golden Lilies until they are above her
as Picture Number Five in the Spring Palace Collec¬ head. She then holds her own feet while he forces the
tion. ’ Dragon Jade Gate.
Delicate Scent had now fully recovered.
7. Fishes Eyeing Each Other
‘How wonderful is the state of Oblivion. And how
Lord Yang places Lady Yin on her side, then lies
wonderful to waken again. It is like a resurrection.’
down facing her. He takes her upper leg and pulls it
‘And that’s exactly how it should be,‘ said the
across his thigh, at the same time inserting his tongue
Scholar, very satisfied with his skill as a teacher and
into her mouth. Lord Yang then draws her leg above
Delicate Scent’s progress with the lessons. ’This
his waist and Lady Yin returns his kiss. When their
Oblivion should come every time man and woman
tongues are interlaced, he inserts his Male Peak.
make love. And with some really talented men the
woman will release her essence twenty times before 8. Two Swallows With a Single Heart
he surrenders his own Life Force. ‘ The Scholar Again Lady Yin is on her back. Lord Yang pushes
laughed happily. ’Was I right in describing the album her legs sideways, as far as they will stretch, to resem¬
as a most useful book?‘ ble open wings. Then he leans on to the Vermilion
’It is a very precious book,4 Delicate Scent said Valley and introduces his implement.
with conviction. ’Definitely a very precious book.4
9. Copulating Kingfishers
Lady Yin holds her own feet apart, facing upwards
The Chinese reverence for their ancestors
and shaking the Golden Lilies. Lord Yang sits on his
caused them to regard the older sex handbooks haunches between the fluttering feet, clasps her waist
with special respect. The positions in the pillow and draws her up his thighs, his Jade Root in line
books, and even those featured in what must with the centre of the ‘lute strings’.
have seemed outrageously ’avant-garde4
10. Mandarin Ducks
novels, sought to give the impression that they
Lady Yin lies on her right side, Lord Yang directly
were drawing on the wisdom of the ages, and behind her, his body curved to hers. The left legs are
Most Noble Tung Hsiian’s sex guide was a raised in unison, the right legs stretched straight
favourite source of such knowledge. As a down. The sex parts pressed together tremble with
classic of the T’ang Period (618-906), its small movements until they are united.
popularity was assured for many centuries.
11. Hovering Butterflies
In an earlier chapter Most Noble Tung’s Art Lord Yang now takes a position on his back and
of the Bedchamber was quoted at length except faces upwards. Lady Yin seats herself on his
for the sex positions, and the following is a stomach, placing her feet firmly in the bedding. She
catalogue of his Thirty Heaven and Earth reaches behind for his Jade Root, then slides on to it
Postures. He regards them as a basic minimum with a backward movement.
from which other variations should proceed,
and which lovers should follow in sequence 12. Tandem Ducks in Flight
Lord Yang remains on his back but this time Lady
before indulging their own impulses.
Yin sits on his stomach and faces his feet. In this
position she can use both hands to guide the Male
SECTION 9 Peak into the Golden Gully.

The Four Fundamental Positions, from which all 13. Crossed Pine Branches
follows, need hardly be described in detail, and I Lord Yang and Lady Yin sit on the bed, she placed
simply give their names: on his feet, their legs extended, his under hers. Her
1. Deepest Embrace feet are pressed against his stomach and as the desire
2. Open Fish-gills increases, they draw each other forward, her legs
3. Horn of the Unicorn separating round his waist until he finds the Jade
4. Rolled Bedclothes Gate.

85
14. Bamboo Bridge to the Pavilion
Lord Yang and Lady Yin now rise to their feet and
stand facing each other. They embrace tightly, their
tongues bridging the separation of faces and, soon
after, the Jade Root forming a lower level bridge.
Once deeply inserted in this position, the Male Peak
will reach the Upper Yang Terrace.
15. Pair of Swooping Eagles
Lord Yang and Lady Yin embrace in a lying posi¬
tion, then roll first to the right, then to the left. As
they roll they constantly rub against each other until
the erect Male Peak is ready for the final swoop. This
should be when he has rolled into an upper position.
16. Phoenix Seizing the Chicken
[This passage of the ancient manuscript is illegible
but it is believed to be a position for large and heavy
women with small and thin men.]
17. Seagull Wings on the Edge of a Cliff
Lady Yin is placed on the edge of the bed, her upper
body lying flat but her legs raised against Lord
Yang’s chest, who is standing upright. As he inserts
himself into the Flower Paradise, he takes her feet
and opens and closes them as a seagull in flight.
18. Bucking Horse
Lady Yin stays in the same position but her Golden Flowers and birds and plants on wall and screen designs
helped to create a sense of belonging to the great
Lilies remain on Lord Yang’s shoulders, tight to his
universal Yin-Yang. 17th-century b/ockprint.
ears. As their bodies thrust together, Lord Yang
jerks the legs upwards.
19. Kicking Mule As she looks down at his erect Jade Stem, he pushes
Lady Yin is placed in the centre of the bed, lying on her towards it and inserts it fiercely. Then he holds
her back. Lord Yang places his left hand under her her in position for a series of butting movements.
head, his right hand under her right leg, raising both
24. Pheasants Sporting
together as the Jade Thrusting Root is inserted . The
Lady Yin is joined by Mistress Precious Peony. As
right leg is then raised and lowered to the rhythm of
Lord Yang sits cross-legged in the centre of the bed,
the thrusting.
bofh women touch and tease him. When Lady Yin
20. Horse Pawing the Air finally places herself on his Jade Stem, Mistress
Lady Yin remains on her back but her left foot is Precious Peony continues her touching and teasing.
placed on Lord Yang’s shoulder as he covers her (‘Very entertaining,’ adds Most Noble Tung.)
with his body. If the thrusting is slow and controlled
25. Phoenix Sporting
‘this position can give indescribable pleasure’ (Most
Lady Yin, dismissing Mistress Peony, lies on her
Noble Tung).
back and raises her Golden Lilies above her
21. Leaping White Tigress shoulders. Lord Yang holds on to both sides of the
Lady Yin now kneels in the centre of the bed, her bed and with motions of raising and lowering his
legs apart, and Lord Yang kneels immediately body, repeatedly enters and leaves the Precious
behind her. He clasps her waist, pressing her on to Crucible.
his lap, her hand reaching underneath her to direct
26. Double- Winged Bird
the way to the Jade Gate.
Lord Yang kneels between Lady Yin’s thighs, and
22. Cicadas Clinging to a Tree placing his two hands under her buttocks, helps her
Lady Yin lies with her face down and Lord Yang oc¬ to raise her body from the bed. In this arching posi¬
cupies a kneeling position between her Golden Lilies. tion, he enters the Soft and Warm Country.
He grips her waist and draws her towards him, her
27. Monkey Swinging from a Branch
legs separating further as she is pulled up his thighs.
Lord Yang places one arm round a bed post then in¬
This position is not for heavy women with weak
vites Lady Yin to seat herself on the Jade Stem, at
men.
the same time placing her legs behind him. He then
23. Goat Butting a Tree presses on the bed with one hand, and pulls himself
Lord Yang seats himself in his favourite chair, drrw- up by the arm round the post, continuing these
ing Lady Yin facing away from him, on to his lap. movements until exhausted.

86
28. Cat and Mouse in the Same Hole
Lady Yin kneels and places her forehead on the bed.
Lord Yang takes up a position behind and plays cat
and mouse in the two orifices offered for his
pleasure.
29. Mule in the Springtime
Lady Yin walks to the high couch and bends over it.
Lord Yang stands behind her, holding on to the
couch, and keeping her imprisoned until she has
yielded to his Warrior Club.
30. Autumn Days
Lord Yang lies on the bed, his hands at the back of
his own head, and Lady Yin sits on his stomach but
with her face to his feet. As they have enjoyed
twenty-nine positions without pause he contemplates
her back, and since he cannot see her face, he im¬
agines her to be the Great Yin Spirit herself. Her
hands have also encouraged this illusion, and as the
Jade Stem stiffens, she raises herself on to it.

Although there is an intellectual exactness

about sex positions as described in the pillow
book, and constant references by lovers to its
pages, it must not be imagined that they were
not enjoyed without a sense of fun and pagan
Mountains and rocks, with their mystical and phallic
delight. The atmosphere of the Chinese bed¬ associations, were also favoured as interior decorations.
chamber, whether in palaces or in modest 17th-century blockprint.
homes, was a busy, noisy affair, the air filled
with chatter and singing, with squabbles and
movement. And the interior of the bed¬ ‘We’ve been drinking in the courtyard. Third wife
chamber, apart from its bright decor, formed Meng brought out two trays of food and wine and
an essentially Chinese background to the act of we had quite a feast.’
‘What are you doing down there, you wicked
love. In the following passage from the
woman?’
sixteenth-century novel, Chin P’ing Mei, the ‘We played the finger-game, and when I lost to
restless wife takes the initiative in persuading Graceful Tower, I had to drink three cups of wine.’
her husband to indulge in the game of Hover¬ ‘You’ll find my love-belt at the bottom of the bed.
ing Butterflies ... Can you reach it?’
After washing her whole body, Golden Lotus Not only did she reach for it, she helped to fit it.
loosened her hair and entered the bedchamber. The The results of her efforts under the coverlet were
silver lamp had been turned very low and the outlines now visible for all to see, and she tied the belt round
of everything were soft and cosy. The shape of Hsi- his waist then fastened the stiff sheath under and
men Ching under the coverlet quivered as he snored, round his Jade Stem. A little more fondling made it
and she sat on the edge of the bed and pulled on her grow another two inches, and since he seemed in a
bedshoes. lazy mood while she felt very active, she suggested
She lay down and placed her head on the long that he place a pillow under himself and she would
pillow but her mind was too active for sleep, and do all the work. In the end Hsi-men had all four red
before long she reached out and placed her hand on pillows under his buttocks, and without wasting time
his male implement. It was as soft as a ball of cotton¬ on the preliminary embrace, Golden Lotus bent her
wool and showed no immediate reaction to her per¬ knees, squatted across him and took the sheathed
suasive touch. The wine she had drunk earlier, and implement in her hand.
which had not so far affected her, seemed now to go ‘Did you remember to take your medicine
to her head, and with a feeling of reckless passion she tonight?’ she asked.
plunged under the coverlet. After a moment she ‘I took it,’ said Hsi-men Ching. ‘I hope the wine
managed to turn the sleeping Hsi-men so that she won’t make you sick.’
could take the turtle-head in her mouth, concen¬ ‘We are going to enjoy the position called Hover¬
trating on tickling the rim with her tongue. When her ing Butterflies. ’ And without showing any mercy on
husband woke up, he said: the Jade Gate, she immediately transfixed herself on
‘Have you just come to bed? Where have you his spear. ‘There,’ she exclaimed proudly. ‘It was so
been?’ big tonight yet it’s all inside. Feel for yourself.’

87
 Hsi-men placed his fingers between her legs and 3. Monkeys in a Fruit Tree
tested the truth of the statement. All that could be The woman climbs a leafy fruit tree. When she has
felt were his testicles, and this at once inspired him to found a solid footing, she throws fruit at her lover
slap her thighs, which was taken as a signal to start below. He immediately gives chase and overcomes
moving. As her rump rose and fell, and her squatting her among the leafy branches. Very enjoyable in sun¬
knees made similar movements, the lower part of her ny weather.
body was exactly like the hovering butterfly.
4. Spider Trapped in its own Web
‘Which do you find better — the sheath or the
The woman is suspended by ropes and pulleys from
silver cap?’ asked Golden Lotus. ‘The trouble with
the ceiling, the height of her outstretched body ac¬
the silver cap is that it makes me sore.’ She then
cording to the wishes of the man. If he wishes to en¬
paused to stroke his cheeks. ‘Dear heart-and-liver —
joy ‘Swinging Union’, the ropes should be of stout
in this position you seem to pierce my whole body.’
Kiangsu fibre.
This confession was followed by a renewed and
vigorous assault on him, and when she had com¬ 5. Floating Porpoises
pleted three hundred ups-and-downs, she screamed An ideal position in the swimming pool. The man
at him to bite her neck. In this position they floats on his back with the woman above him, the
simultaneously enjoyed the bursting of the clouds. dog-paddle necessary to keep afloat causing their
As their bodies seemed to flow with the flood of naked organs to rub together. When union is ef¬
their vital essences, she felt that a herd of one hun¬ fected, their concerted movements prevent them
dred deer were lightly leaping through her thighs, from sinking. The water, stesses Yeh Te-hui, must be
and when they had passed on, her body was left as warm. * -
limp as crepe silk.
6. Hangman ’s Rope
‘I’m going to sleep,’ said Hsi-men Ching. Divide the woman’s long hair into two, then plait
‘That position is really my favourite. Can you pass and fasten round the man’s neck, bringing their faces
the towel. We’re both soaking.’ together. A servant then binds their hands together,
They went to sleep in each other’s arms, and left to right, leaving them to effect union as best they
before hardly any time at all, the East was getting can. Their difficulties increase the excitement.
lighter and the dawn was already reaching out to
them. 7. Awakening the Sleeping Beauty
Such handbooks as the Most Noble Tung’s form¬ The woman pretends to be dead. Her body is limp,
ed the basis of later interpretations of the Bed¬ her eyes closed. The man undresses her and there is
chamber Art, and in his celebrated Sex Methods still no movement. He then teases her by fondling
(Peking 1927), Yeh Te-hui (of Chang Sha) brings it her breasts and the Pearl on the Jade Step, while she
up to date with a number of colourful variations. fights to remain limp. Suddenly she springs to life
The Chinese had frequently indulged in sex without and the Iron Implement strikes at the Gate.
too much self-consciousness about the presence of 8. Blind Man’s Buff
others, and through the ages the garden and the Both partners are blindfold, then search for each
bamboo grove had been favourite settings for their other round the bedchamber. When the woman is
games. Yeh Te-hui’s departure was therefore to caught, the bandages remain in place during inter¬
catalogue the open-air positions and though some of course.
them extend the imagination, they have certainly ap¬
peared in the older pillow books. The following is a 9. Steady-Head Lovers
representative selection: The man and woman balance a bowl of tea on their
heads and attempt union and intercourse without
1. Flying Through the Clouds spilling a drop.
The man and woman, both naked, seat themselves
on garden swings hanging from the same branch, the In another chapter of Sex Methods, the
man below and behind the woman, she crouching on author states: Variations in love-making
her seat. The swings are drawn back by ropes held by distinguish men from animals, the educated
servants so that the man and woman remain close man from the ignorant. To conduct one’s sex¬
together. Once union is effected, the swinging sensa¬ ual battles with as little sophistication as two
tion adds to the pleasure. Yeh Te-hui then adds: On¬ horsemen charging at each other is as tasteless
ly much practice can effect such union when the sw¬ as the flavour of wax and as boring as a diet of
ings are moving in opposite direction.
dry rice. The following positions are particular¬
ly recommended:
2. Lovers on the Tightrope
A tightrope is stretched just above the ground. The Waters of the Fountain
lovers stand together until union has been achieved The woman sits astride the man’s lap. They face each
then, helped by servants, they step on to the rope. If other then lightly flick their tongues together and,
intercourse is all-consuming, their preoccupation below, the Jade Stem across the Lute Strings. There
will help them to reach the other end of the rope. is no insertion, just light touches above and below.

88
As the Vital Essences being to gush, however, he shallow’ method while he remains holding the
plunges between the Gates. branch. This will benefit the spirit and the longevity.
Over the Rainbow 5. Cicadas Mating
The man kneels on the bed and places a pillow on his Lady Precious Yin lies facing down, stretching the
upturned feet, then sits back on it. The woman sits left' leg straight and drawing up the right leg. The
astride his knees and throws herself back, her head Great Lord Yang takes up a position behind, buries
reaching the bed and her body arching. He strikes himself in the Cinnabar Heart, and practises the
upwards, from the end of the Rainbow. ‘seven deep and eight shallow’ method. When they
The legendary Yellow Emperor (Huang Ti), enjoy the Ultimate, all blockages will have been
however, in his searching conversations with the cleared.
three knowledgeable maidens, was not one to
6. Floating Turtle
overlook this aspect of Yin-Yang relationships, and
Lady Precious Yin relaxes on her back, apparently
The Nine Glorious Postures were hardly to be im¬
resting, as a turtle floating on water. The Great Lord
proved on in the later pillow books. The Wise
Yang raises her legs, keeps her feet to his ears, and
Maiden, in her description, also stresses the
passes through the Vermilion Gate. His movements
therapeutic qualities of the positions and the need for
should resemble those of the turtle’s head, short and
a rhythm of shallow and deep thrusts by the male.
in quick succession. This will release the unwanted
These postures, which form part of the Hsuan-nu-
gases from the five organs.
Ching, are as follows:
7. Phoenix in Flight
1. Dragon in Flight
Lady Precious Yin holds her feet and pulls them as
Lady Precious Yin lies on her back with her legs rais¬
far back as possible. The Great Lord Yang then
ed and her feet together. Great Lord Yang parts the
circles her thighs and body in a tight embrace. He
feet and lowers himself over the body. She then slides
then presses at the Jade Gate, and once passing into
down, causing the Jade Gate to widen, and he moves
the Pleasure Chamber, moves to left and right but to
into the Golden Pavilion. He then creates the ‘eight
the rhythm of ‘nine shallow and eight deep’. This
deep and six shallow’ rhythm until both are over¬
method to the outside observer is like watching a
whelmed and the clouds burst. This posture, with the
Phoenix flapping its wings, and will enhance the
feet facing the sky, resembles a flying dragon and
marrow.
eliminates sourness in the stomach.
8. Bouncing Infant
2. The Gobbling Fishes
The Great Lord Yang lies back on a couch and Lady
Lady Precious Yin and Mistress White Jade lie on
Precious Yin sits astride his Jade Stem. She then
top of each other, their Jade Gates press together.
bounces up and down in a carefree manner while he
They then move in a rubbing and jerking fashion
reflects on the wonders of the Mountain of Wu.
against each other like fishes gobbing flies or water-
Their spirits will eventually float among the Nine
plants from the surface. As they become more ex¬
Clouds.
cited, the ‘mouths’ widen, and choosing his position
carefully, Great Lord Yang thrusts between them 9. Standing Bamboos
with his Jade Root. They then move in unison until Lady Precious Yin and her Lord stand in front of a
all three share the Ultimate simultaneously. The tri¬ couch. She place one foot on the edge of it and he
ple flow of Vital Essence will strengthen bones and slowly penetrates the Golden Valley. He moves to a
sinews as well as the breathing. It will also assist the rhythm of ‘nine shallow and one deep’ until the
Great Lord Yang to avoid the Five Overstrainings Flower Heart is completely open and the Perfumed
and the Seven Sex-injuries. Dew covers it. The ‘standing bamboos’ then bend to
the wind and complete the act by lying on the couch.
3. Tiger in the Forest This position banishes hunger and promotes longevi¬
Lady Precious Yin takes up a kneeling position, her
ty.
head lowered on to her hands, then practises the ‘five
shallow and six deep’ method for one hundred
The terminology and the precision with
thrusts. At the end of this period the Jade Flower will
which sex postions are explained owe much to
be flowing with secretions, which will wash away the
cares of life. This posture also benefits the heart and their association with the idea of intercourse
liver. being a battle for ascendancy. Out of the Yin-
Yang contest would come the wonderful peace
4. Swinging Monkey of the final Harmony — though usually in a
A chair is placed under a low tree in the garden. The
manner that favoured the male ego and his
Great Lord Yang then seats himself and holds a
branch overhead. Lady Precious Yin sits on his lap,
pleasure. Both the Taoist and the Buddhist in¬
sliding the Jade Gate up and down the Male Peak fluences in his life, drawing much of their
without allowing it into the Inner Chamber. When message and their wisdom from nature and a
the excitement becomes unbearable, she then inserts deep sense of the universe, accepted the belief
it herself and indulges in the ‘nine deep and five of conflict within harmony. Whether the sexes

89
were equal, or one was superior to the other, mouth will be well-positioned for the kiss. In the cen¬
the Chinese acknowledged certain realities very tre of the rainbow the Jade Gate is thrust upwards
early in their history, namely that there was an and is in the ideal position to receive the mightiest of
eternal War of the Sexes. Of all civilisations it visitors. As the Scholar removed the head pillow,
therefore, Scent of Love was consoled by the idea
was the last to be drawn into the whimsical
that he was a man of great experience.
conception of romantic love, and even today, He proceeded to display this proficiency by raising
behind the apparent Chinese conformity to her feet and resting them on his shoulders, then, in a
modern practices and customs, the differences kneeling position, used both hands to ensure that the
between the sexes and their adherence to the way was already opening for him and thoroughly
opposing traditional polarities remain a conti¬ moistened. His eyes momentarily came off the in¬
nuing truth. viting Golden Valley and he was delighted to observe
Sex as battle has therefore been a feature of that the colour of his restructured Jade Stem was a
uniform honey-pink twith no evidence of the
novels and epic stories almost as frequently as
segments from the grafting. In fact, the closest in¬
the wars of the Chou states and the fights
spection by a woman would have failed to reveal that
against Tatars and Manchus, and the following this fine implement was not other than had been
passage is quoted to give the flavour of such bestowed on him by nature.
encounters. It has also been selected because it With great difficulty, but with no more than a
features the Night-time Scholar’s first sexual gasp from Scent of Love, the Scholar inserted the
battle after the successful penis transplant mushroom head. He paused a moment, but only a
described in the previous chapter. The author moment, knowing that the advantage had to be
of The Night-time Scholar eloquently conveys pressed. But if he plunged forward too fiercely with
the martial spirit with which his hero pushes his this massive instrument, she would scream and cry
out, alerting if not the help of neighbours, certainly
formidable new cannon on to the field of bat¬
their curiosity. He therefore decided to advance in a
tle. The author addresses the reader directly:
series of gradual rhythms.
Are there really any differences, apart from the This he did with some expertness, each small ad¬
numbers involved, of battles between armies and vance causing his Jade Stem to be gripped by the
those fought in bed? In each instance the first re¬ tightest of collars. But when these seemed to slacken,
quirement is for the commander to survey the terrain he was able to push forward a little more. After a
and to assess his opponent. In sexual encounters the period of minutes he realised that he had reached the
man’s first curiosity is about the hills and valleys of inner chamber of the Pleasure Palace, and Scent of
the woman, and hers about the size and fire-power Love, surprised by her own remarkable resilience,
of his armaments. Which of them is to advance and began to move and mount a counter-attack as
which is retreat? As in war, to know oneself is as though her confidence was returning. It was the
important as knowing the enemy. signal the Scholar needed. His cannon began a bar¬
For the battles that lay ahead the Scholar now rage on her defences of unprecedented violence,
possessed a piece of equipment not only of reaching a depth that seemed even beyond that of the
remarkable dimensions but as yet of untried power. inner chamber. And he swung from side to side,
How would he manage it? Could he control it? penetrating every crevice, pursuing the enemy into
Would it turn savage with the spirit of its former every corner and hiding place. Her intention to
canine owner? As the Scholar contemplated the body return his first attack reverted to a hurried defensive
of Scent of Love lying on the bed, and saw both ter¬ action. She writhed and whimpered and gasped
ror and delight in her eyes, he decided, in fairness to under the fierceness of his barrage. She moaned and
her, that he must resort to the technique of placing a cried: ‘My dearest heart and liver-what are you doing
pillow under her buttocks. to me! Your’re killing me!’ Then her cries turned to:
The use of a pillow for difficult sex battles is worth ‘Something is coming! Something is coming!’
a more detailed study. If the woman’s head remains The Scholar pretended to be incredulous at the in¬
on a pillow it is a mistake to introduce one under her formation.
rump because the result is to cause her to sink in the ‘So soon? But I’m only warming up. Besides, I
middle like a sagging bridge. For a man to lie over have only a most miserable “piece of flesh’’.’
such a bridge will shape him in the reverse manner, ‘It’s enormous! The biggest I’ve ever known!’
therefore making it difficult for him to achieve con¬ This, from Scent of Love, was the greatest of com¬
tact at either end. To kiss the woman will give him a pliments.
neck like a camel, to enter the Jade Gate will force ‘But what about the neighbours? That’s what is
him to go forward on his knees. holding me back.’
The solution is to remove the head pillow, thereby ‘Never mind the neighbours,’ Scent of Love
allowing the bodies to curve to each other like a dou¬ replied urgently. ‘On one side of the house there’s
ble rainbow. The woman’s hair will spread beautiful¬ empty ground, and on the other is the kitchen, where
ly on the sheet, her smiling eyes will look up and her nobody sleeps.’

90
 Variation of Deepest Embrace, one of the Four
Fundamental Positions of the Most Noble Tung
Hsiian’s sex guide. 19th-century album. Courtesy of the
W.H. & Elizabeth M. Deane Collection, University of
Sydney Library.

observing that his wives and concubines have

boring lives in which the only relief is sexual in¬
tercourse. Their days are devoted to the menial
tasks of the home, and apart from the diver¬
sions of music and parlour games, and atten¬
ding to their appearance, the only meaningful
joys are those conferred on them by their
master. He therefore has a duty to give them
complete fulfilment every time they indulge in
The Clouds and the Rain.
This philosophical gentleman illustrates his
Encouraged by this information, The Scholar advice by describing two contrasting
decided to have no mercy on his lovely enemy. The
neighbours. ‘To the East of my street a hand¬
couch suddenly began to shake as if the house was
collapsing from an earthquake. The struggle was in¬
some and vigorous young man quarrels all day
stantly one of life and death, the most furious of with his wives. They have no respect for him
bodily collisions, roars of fury from himself, squeals and he cannot keep order. Yet to the West lives
of delighted pain and pleasure from the woman. She a frail old man, greybearded, whose women are
writhed and convulsed, she bucked and collapsed, obedient and attentive. Why is this? The secret
but the Scholar plunged forward without pause. A is in the old man’s knowledge of the Art of the
sex battle had to be fought to a finish, and like an au¬ Bedchamber, something that the young man
dience with the Emperor, no interruptions were per¬ has yet to learn.’
mitted. And this was how it was until Scent of Love, As well as general advice on how to keep his
having soaked the couch with floods of moisture,
wives contented, the old man writes about
cried:
specific routine problems such as introducing a
‘Dearest heart — can you now come with me!’ But
she showed her awareness of the Scholar’s vanity and
new concubine into the home without making
the need to let him feel he had won the battle. ‘You his other women jealous, and the correct way
are the most wonderful lover in the world. If I were to beat them when they misbehave. ‘There was
ten women I couldn’t stand up to your attack. If you the case of an official who acquired a new con¬
want me to be of any use tomorrow night, then cubine and immediately locked himself away
please finish me off now!’ with her for three days. His wives and con¬
Conquest was part of the pleasure, and since he cubines were outraged by this incon¬
himself had been brought to the point of surrender, siderateness, which later made it more difficult
he was ready to accept her suggestion. He mounted a
for the new woman to be accepted by them. In¬
final and extra-deep attack and soon they both clut¬
stead of behaving as he did, the official should
ched each other in a rigid and final bursting of the
first have enjoyed copulation with his other
clouds.
women in the presence of the new concubine,
As well as the handbooks that gave advice and who should have been made to stand respect¬
recorded the wisdom of the ages on the subject fully by the Ivory Couch. Only after four or
of sex, not to mention the thinly-disguised use five nights, during which time she has learnt
of fiction, there was a more intimate genre of her place among the women, should the new
instruction known as chia hsiin. This term girl be taken by her master. And then only with
meant Family Guidance and was written by the his wives and concubines witnessing the in¬
head of the family as he approached the end of troduction. In this manner, Harmony between
his life in the hope that his sons, as they the women will be maintained.’
prepared for marriage, would learn from his The writer then turns to punishment. If the
experience. What the writings lacked in literary offence is repeated, ‘... she should be caned.
style, however, was balanced by the rich But this has to be done sensibly. The woman
realities of life. The instructions were personal should lie face down on a bench, having first
and practical and, quite unconsciously, gave loosened and dropped her trousers, and be
some rare pictures of the domestic given five or six strokes. The cane should never
background. strike as low as the thighs or as high as the coc¬
This was particularly true when the father of cyx. It is wrong to go to the extreme of binding
the family was unconventional. One Ming a concubine naked to a pillar and flogging her
dynasty chia hsiin, for example, reveals an until the flesh is split and the blood flows. That
unusually liberal attitude to women, at least for is the way to turn the women’s quarters into a
the society of the time. The writer begins by torture chamber.’
91
 period to the Ming, stressed the same message,
and since Harmony, in such a male-orientated
society, was wholly related to the sex act itself,
it was on this that most attention was concen¬
trated. How could one extend the experience
and how could one prolong its duration?
The Yin-Yang theory had always given it a
quasi-religious significance by regarding the sex
organs as one of the elemental forces of the
great cosmos. The Earth, Woman and the
vulva were all Yin, the Sun, Man and the penis
were Yang, and out of the Chaos that preceded
Creation, the union of these opposites was
meant to lead to Harmony. It was possible, by
the same logic, to believe that the Sun and the

the Pleasure Earth consummated their relationship every

time Man and Woman indulged in the act. The
prolongation and the exaltation of it could
therefore be seen as a deeply meaningful ritual.
There were three obvious courses for adding
to the significance of the ritual, and they were
pursued with industry and imagination. One
was by a methodical approach to sex positions,
the second was by instruments, aids and
aphrodisiacs, the third by glorifying the
primary sex organs.
A long history of custom and superstition
had added a complex framework of beliefs to
every aspect of life, and sex was as affected by
THE FERTILE yet practical mind of the these as were burials, births and ancestor wor¬
Chinese male, at least those with the advan¬ ship. There were lucky and unlucky days for in¬
tages of education and wealth, regarded sex as tercourse, good weather and bad, favourable
a suitable subject for study as well as pleasure, and unfavourable directions in which to lie.
as a science as well as an art. The ideal of the The physical characteristics of women also car¬
equality of the sexes was unimaginable. ried their signs and portents, and of particular
Woman had been created for certain specific importance were the principles laid down in the
functions, to bear children, particularly sons, Confucian Book of Rites (Li-chi). These were
to please her master in the bedchamber, to concerned with ‘right behaviour’, the Rules
obey his commands. Romantic love was alien and Regulations covering every aspect of social
to both his way of life and to his emotional and personal life, from the relationship bet¬
needs, and the social opportunities to indulge ween various members of the family and the
in it were even less available. The conditions observing of festivals to such stipulations as the
were therefore favourable for Lord Yang to wife’s ‘right’ to see that a concubine left her
regard Lady Yin as part of his household husband’s bed once the act was over.
possessions, to be used or enjoyed as the mood The use of aphrodisiacs against such a
took him. background of beliefs and superstition, of
This emphasis on use and practicability was ritual and custom, explains much of the success
inevitably directed towards experimentation attributed to them. It is commonly accepted
and to widening the whole area of sexual that faith is the most important ingredient of
pleasure. The Yellow Emperor, whether a any form of sexual stimulation, and the
mythical figure or not, had created an early Chinese male was always eager to supply this
and time-honoured precedent, both in legend essential part. Those stimulants taken orally
and in records purported to have been inscrib¬ were for men only, it being conceded that the
ed by him, for pursuing Harmony by all possi¬ woman could play her part on the battlefield at
ble means and methods. The handbooks and any time while Yang’s ability to participate
the writings that followed, from the Chou depended greatly on the condition of his Male

92
Peak. Ointments and powders, however, were This flows from under the woman’s tongue, is green
distributed with less partiality, in the case of in colour and should be sucked by the man into his
the male to encourage his erection and to own saliva. This fluid rises directly from the ‘ver¬
slightly insensitise his member, with the female, milion pond’ and will nourish his Five Organs, his
Vital Essence and his blood flow.
by exciting the Jade Gate. This hastened the
The middle-level is called Land of the Twin Peaks
woman’s receptiveness and so reduced Yang’s
and its medicine Exotic Peach, Liquid Snow or Coral
need to indulge in love-play when he was impa¬ Cream. It exudes from exactly between the two
tient to attack the Pleasure Pavilion. breasts, is white in colour and sweet to the palate.
The basis of both external and oral The man should lick it as it appears. It will benefit
aphrodisiacs was usually herbal, the com¬ his stomach and his gall-bladder and improve his
monest ingredients being ginseng, sulphur, cin¬ tempers. By drawing it from the woman, her
namon, cedar seeds, seaweed, pine-needles and menstrual flow will be helped, and if she is a mother
powdered charcoal. To these were added one lacking milk, this will help in the same way.
or more of the following: liver extract of The lowest level of the Three Heights is the Purple
Mushroom Peak, also called White Tiger Cave and
various animals, distilled urine — human or
Moon Halo. The beneficial fluid lies in the Flowery
animal — secretions from the human sex
Pavilion when the Gate is closed, and only flows
organs, from tame bears, goats and bulls, once the woman is excited by intercourse. To draw
hymenal blood, and the excreta of certain this vital essence into himself, the man must press in
animals and birds notorious for their powerful fiercely but withdraw slowly, so dragging it into the
or predatory characters. A third popular con¬ skin of the Male Peak.
stituent was related to shape, its likeness to fer¬ Those who nourish themselves on these medicines
tility symbols, and in this category were the will know the full pleasure of serenity. Their fiercest
horns of various animals, plants, fungi and desires will be enjoyed calmly, those whose hair has
cacti of penis-like mould, and certain marine turned grey will find it restored to black, and those
who have grown old will again know the joys of
objects. These were powdered and sieved
youth.
before being swallowed.
The term ‘aphrodisiac’ had a much wider ap¬
plication, however, than a concocted Faith in aphrodisiacs had always to be ac¬
stimulant, and covered the whole category of companied by the sine-qua non for a successful
beneficient aids, techniques and elixirs. In a confrontation, the right mood, and handbooks
Ming period work, by Teng Hsi-hsien, much is old and new were unanimous in stressing the
made of the restorative power of the woman’s importance of this. Modern sexologists have
fluids when imbibed by the man, and in the not advanced on the ancient wisdoms of the
Great Medicine of the Three Heights (Levels), Chinese. When the Wise Maiden said that
we are told: many of man’s weaknesses and worries were
the result of unsatisfactory sexual relations, or
The first and highest level is called Red Lotus Peak even a determination to ignore sex, she was
and its medicine ‘jade liquid’ or ‘honey fountain’. stating the teachings of Freud, Kinsey and
others many millennia later. ‘To retire to the
bedchamber in the wrong mood’ is the com¬
monest form of impotence, a condition shared
by the Yellow Emperor and the over-stressed
business executives of the twentieth-century.
The need to banish the ‘wrong mood* was
therefore an essential part of the ancient
dialogues of the Su-nu-ching:

Yellow Emperor: Now there is this problem of the

Jade Thrusting Root failing to rise and stiffen. When
this happens my face reddens and I am soaked in
sweat. I breathe hard, my desire is strong, I press
furiously at the Gate — yet there is no sign of life.
How can I avoid this mortifying situation?
The Wise Maiden: This is a problem that afflicts
A rhinoceros-horn cup, 9 cms. high. The edge has been
broken away, possibly to be ground into a powder that many men. Unless one is physically exhausted it is
was a favourite aphrodisiac. By courtesy of the because one has retired to the bedchamber in the
Wellcome Trustees. wrong mood. With a harmonious spirit the Jade

93
Stem will always stiffen, with a mood that is dark or
bitter, it is like a thorn piercing one’s own flesh. The
way to induce the Right Mood is to follow the Five
Natural Humours of the Male and to be guided by
the Five Responses of the Female.
Yellow Emperor: And what are the Five Natural
Humours?
The Wise Maiden: He should be relaxed and calm,
which is proof of his unassuming nature. As he
wishes to give his male implement to another, his
mood must be one of generosity. His body con¬
tains cavities which can be expanded, and by correct
breathing this will induce the correct capacity.
Fourthly, his body is constructed in rings and circles,
from the foreskin to the ears, and his mood must
therefore be of total serenity. The fifth of the
Natural Humours is that which will excuse the failure
of the Jade Stem to stiffen — the only excuse — and
that is loyalty. If the Male wishes for solitude, then
nothing must prevent him from thus being loyal to
such a noble mood.
Yellow Emperor: And what are the Five Responses
of the woman that should guide a man?
The Wise Maiden: First, she flushes and is pink in
the face. This is the sign that he can approach her.
Second, her nipples rise and harden, and perspira¬
tion appears on her nose. This is the sign that he will
be welcome at the Jade Gate. Third, her mouth
opens and she breathes faster, her nostrils spread and
her hands tremble. This is the sign to thrust forward.
Fourth, the Golden Gully is profusely lubricated,
and this is a sign that one must be carried by the cur¬
rent. Fifth, the flow is now spreading over her thighs
and she seems to have lost all strength. This is the
sign to relax and pause before returning to the at¬
tack.
Yellow Emperor: I have heard it said that with the
Five Responses, one should also know the Ten
Revealing Movements of Women. What are these
movements?
The Wise Maiden: These are the revealing
movements:
First, if she clasps the man in her arms, she wishes
their bodies to press together and their genitalia to be
one against the other.
Second, if she raises her knees from the bed she
wishes the outer parts of the vulva to be touched and
rubbed.
Third, when her back arches she is ready for the
first thrusts of the Jade Stalk.
Fourth, when her buttocks convulse more urgent¬
ly, that is a desire for more speed.
Fifth, when her legs kick in the air or rise high,
that is a desire for deeper penetration.
Sixth, when she convulses to right and left, she
wants the member to jerk in the conirary direction.
Seventh, when her thighs press together that is the
moment of stillness before the Great Typhoon.
Eighth, if her body thrusts up so violently that the
man is pushed back, that is the supreme moment of
the Ultimate.

94
This domestic scene illustrates the Confucian ideal of
pursuing lofty thoughts while dutiful concubines attend
to the master's physical needs. His detachment does
not, however, preclude casual pedicatio. 17th-century
b/ockprint.

Ninth, when her body goes limp it is a sign that all

her organs and limbs have shared the Ultimate.
Tenth, if her secretions continue to flow, this is the
sign that the Vital Essence is wholly released.
If these movements are observed, the man can be
assured that the woman is satisfied. But one should
also be familiar with the Nine Urges of Woman.
Yellow Emperor: And what are the Nine Urges?
The Wise Maiden: First, when the woman pants and
swallows in quick succession, it is an urge coming
from the lungs.
Second, when she sucks at the man’s tongue, it is
an urge from the bones.
Third, when she screams and shouts, it is an urge
from the heart.
Fourth, when she seizes the Jade Stem and grips it
tightly, it is an urge from the spleen.
Fifth, when the Jade Gate is draining with fluid, it
is an urge from the kidneys.
Sixth, when she raises her legs, it is an urge from
the sinews.
Seventh, if she plays lightly with the man’s nip¬
ples, it is an urge from the flesh.
Eighth, if she plays lightly with the man’s imple¬
ment, it is an urge from the blood.
Ninth, if she plays lightly with her own nipples or
organ, it is an urge from the Dark Ancestor.

For the mandarin society, and for many other

Chinese, life was a leisurely devotion to pleasure and
culture. After a peaceful social order, the priorities
of the good life were food and sex, and not necessari¬
ly in that order. The idea, therefore, of food as an
aphrodisiac seemed a natural connection. Without
food, man died. Similarly, in the case of a drooping
Yang spirit, the right preparation taken by mouth
would quickly revive the weakening member.
Recipes for aphrodisiacs were therefore simply part
of the culinary arts. The correct ingredients, first,
and then close attention to the preparation and
various signs and auguries would create the Secret
Elixir. These preparations usually meant pulverizing
and sieving, mixing with wine and taking with a
spoon or kneading with wax to make pills. One
aphrodisiac had a further propensity. It promised to
lengthen the penis by three inches but for this liver
extract had to be obtained from a white dog killed
during the First Moon of any year, the resultant oint¬
ment rubbed over the penis three times, and the
residue drunk with fresh well water.
Two popular recipes were I-tu Potion and the Bald
Chicken Tonic. The first is mentioned in an old
medical treatise, the Yin-yen-fang, in which a
noblewoman charged with murder revealed it to the
Emperor. In her defence, her story was that her
troubles began when her eighty year-old husband
learnt of a secret remedy to cure his impotence but
had died before it had restored his virility. A seventy-
five year-old slave, I-tu, whose hair was white and
whose body stooped pitifully, then decided to try the
elixir. In twenty days the powdered concoction of

95
cinnamon heart, liquorice, yam, lacquer and various a place? But since you ask from where I come, let me
herbs had given him black hair, a straight body and a inform you that I am from Tibet, from the remotest
young face. He was so virile that he decided to marry part of the pine forests covering the lower slopes of
two of the noblewoman’s maids, and so happy were the highest mountains. My monastery is called The
they that their mistress was overcome by desire for Windy Courtyard of the Cold Peaks.’
the rejuvenated slave. ‘But what brings you to my humble district, my
‘Although I had reached half a hundred years and
Elevated Holy Man?’
had retired from the flowery battle, his wonderful ‘I have entered the world of ordinary men to
Yang force restored my own youth and every day, in
bestow on them the special medicines and remedies
the company of his wives, we devoted ourselves to
of the Cold Peaks. Why, my honoured young of¬
the Clouds and the Rain. But one day, in a fit of ficial, is there something you seek?’
shame at my enjoyment with a slave, I killed him. I
therefore petition Your Majesty to spare my life in ‘I am always ready to avail myself of medicines of
exchange for the secret medicine.’ special nourishment,’ admitted Hsi-men. ‘Do you
Bald Chicken Tonic was regarded as a regimen as have anything for replacing the daily spilling of my
well as an aphrodisiac and the story is told of the Vital Essence?’
seventy year-old Prefect of Shu who remained so ‘I have,’ said the monk. ‘That is a very common
virile from taking it that one of his wives suffered request.’
from a sore vagina and could not sit down. In
‘If you would care to accompany me for dinner at
despair she threw the elixir into the courtyard where
my humble abode, perhaps we could talk about it.’
it was consumed by a cock. The cock at once jumped
on a hen and continued to copulate without pause ‘I shall be honoured to eat at your table.’
for a number of days, pecking at the hen’s head until ‘Then let us go,’ said Hsi-men, concealing his
it was bald, so giving the potion its name. eagerness.
The ingredients of Bald Chicken Tonic were most¬ The monk from Tibet picked up his iron staff, and
ly herbs mixed with wax and taken as pills, and such threw over his shoulder a long leather pouch which
‘wonder drugs’ were naturally a common feature of contained bundles, jars and gourds of medicines. As
Chinese novels, particularly since most of the literate they left the Hall of Contemplation, Hsi-men Ch’ing
population were male. In the Chin P’ing Mei, the in¬ invited the holy man to mount his horse, but the
defatigable hero, Hsi-men Ch’ing, always eager to monk refused, saying that he saw no reason to ex¬
improve his performance, meets a Tibetan monk: change his own legs for those of an animal. Hsi-men
As Hsi-men Ch’ing passed through the temple he then ordered his servant to accompany the monk,
paused in that part named the Hall of Contempla¬ and turned the horse towards the main highway.
tion. Against one wall a number of couches had been To his surprise, he arrived to find that the monk
placed, and on one of these reclined a monk of most and the servant were already outside his home.
distinguished appearance. He had the fierce head of
‘My honoured holy man, you must really be a god
a leopard, the lines of his face emaciated, the deep-
to have travelled so quickly!’ exclaimed Hsi-men.
set eyes staring blindly into space. His robe was flesh-
‘But let us go upstairs to the Upper Hall.’
pink in colour and his hat had a ridge to it like a
cock’s crest. His beard was long, hanging from As soon as they entered the library, servants
underneath his chin. This man is a Lo-Han God, removed their outer garments, and Hsi-men called
decided Hsi-men. The One-Eyed Dragon himself. for his scholar’s cap. The fierce eyes of the long-
A magnetic force drew him to the man’s side, and bearded monk looked round the hall as if he had
as he stared down he was surprised to see two long never seen such a place, and Hsi-men maintained a
drips of snot like a pair of green-jade chopsticks humble silence. The walls were covered with scroll
hanging from his nostrils. But this carelessness about pictures, the bamboo rods being decorated with jade
his appearance served to confirm Hsi-men Ch’ing’s and cornelian, and the curtains across the entrance
certainty that here was a monk of extraordinary were of such fine threads that the material was called
powers. ‘Shrimp-whisker Silk’. The rugs on the floor had
In an excited voice, he cried: ‘Oh, holy man, designs of lions and phoenixes, and the chairs were
where are you from? How is it that you have .exquisitely carved from southern blackwood. A mar¬
wandered into this particular temple?’ ble table top was set below the Ancestral Tablets.
The questions were asked three times before he ‘Do you drink wine, Esteemed Master?’ Hsi-men
received an answer. Then the monk sat up, wiped his inquired at last.
nose with his wide sleeve, and said: ‘Why do you ‘Wine I drink and meat I eat,’ the monk said, as if
pose such meaningless questions? Of what impor¬ disclosing to his host that his self-denial did not ex¬
tance is it from where I come? Am I not the same tend to food.
person wherever I am?’ He looked at Hsi-men Hsi-men Ch’ing then turned to his servant and
Ch’ing with his piercing eyes, and seemed encourag¬ told him that they would not be needing vegetarian
ed to be a little more forthcoming. ‘Does my name dishes and that the usual food could be served. As it
change with travel? Does it alter if I choose to stay in was the Festival of the Great Li's Birthday, the kit-

96
A Taoist interlude. Near the waterfall, the travellers
pause in their journey. Inevitably, there is the humour
of watching eyes. 18th-century painting. Courtesy
private collection, Paris.

chen had been busy all day preparing dishes for the
occasion, and within a short time three servants were
setting them before their master and the visitor from
the Cold Peaks of Tibet.
‘Let us eat,’ said Hsi-men Ch’ing courteously.
The formidable monk then ate for over an hour
without uttering a word. He stared with the four
‘Wine-accompanying’ dishes, braised fish-head,
savoury duck cooked in wine-sediment paste,
skinless chicken on turtles’ eggs, and a dish of sea-
bream from Kiangsu. These were followed by the
four ‘Rice-accompanying’ dishes, lambs’ tripe filled
with walnut and goat-horn powder, wet-fried
Anhwei snake, dry-fried buffalo meat and onions,
long simmered eels in the Sea of Cosmic Flavours.

Chinese humour. Old man being teased by two shorn

Buddhist or Taoist nuns. Monks and nuns had a
reputation for depravity and hypocrisy. 19th-century
painting. Courtesy Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris.

97
The monk then went on to enjoy the three ‘Savoury ‘This disgrace to his Holy Vows has imbibed to the
soups,’ Dragon Playing with Two Balls, Tears of the point of drunkenness and eaten to the point of
Princess Shan-yin, and Supreme Yang-essence of the surfeit,’ the monk mumbled unsteadily.
Kitchen God. ‘Clear everything away,’ Hsi-men said to the ser¬
The servant, between almost every mouthful, vants. And once they were alone, he roused his
refilled the monk’s lotus-leaf shaped cup, breaking visitor and asked: ‘Tell me, holy man, about this
open the red-earth seals of wine-jar after wine-jar. In medicine that will constantly renew the Vital
all, before the monk sank back in his chair, thirty Essence.’
seals had been broken.
The request served to revive the monk, who sat up
Chinese humour. Is the watching woman one of the and reached for his leather pouches.
master’s older wives? Is her raised hand hopefully
tidying her hair or expressing disapproval? Private ‘These pills were concocted by the Ancient
collection, Paris. Emperors and handed down by the Fair Goddess,’

98
he explained in a deep voice. ‘We holy men are inside of your thighs. After one hundred rubbings
pledged to give them only to those whom we consider the weakness will have disappeared.’
worthy of such powers. Since my honourable host Hsi-men Ch’ing was delighted by this information
has been so generous and his kitchen so excellent, he and by the heap of pills that promised even greater
is certainly worthy of such powers.’ He tilted one of victories in the battles of the bedchamber.
the medicine gourds and poured a heap of large pills ‘May I ask how this medicine will affect me, oh
on to the table. ‘You take only one at a time, other¬ holy man?’ he inquired humbly.
wise I cannot be responsible for the dragon effects of The guest’s rather drunken speech instantly
their potency.’ cleared, and in a voice that was a musical chant, and
The monk counted one hundred pills, each the size in words that might have been a poem, the monk
of a cherry, then produced a small container of red sang:
ointment.
This remedy in the shape of a hen’s egg,
‘Should you feel weak and dizzy, rub this on the
The yellow of a duckling’s down,
Was concocted by the Triple-process
Of our Ancient Emperors,
And by the Fair Goddess
Brought down through the Ages.
Its taste may be that of dung or soil
But its value is that of precious jewels.
Which man would not prefer it to gold,
Choose it rather than jade,
Exchange it for his silk purple robe
Or his coat of finest sable?
To swallow this aphrodisiac
Will turn winter’s night into spring morning,
And like a whirlwind in the bedchamber
You will sweep all before you.
Two women or twelve, five or fifty,
Not one will remain without contentment.
And stronger not weaker will be your response,
The gall-bladder nourished, the testicles untiring,
The Jade-Stem ever-rigid, and the appetite keener.
In one hundred days grey hair will turn black
In one thousand old men will be young,
Each lover worthy of the Fair Goddess herself.
If all I claim seems beyond belief
Try out this pill on the oldest tomcat.
Within three days he will be mating unceasingly,
Within four he will be after dogs and rabbits,
His colour will change from white to black; and
finally
He will fall dead from forgetting to shit.
So remember the fate of this cat,
Do not from ardour neglect the bowels
And do not in winter forget the icy wind
Or in summer disregard the exhausting heat.
To revive yourself after the fiercest battles
Simply gulp mouthfuls of cool mountain water.
And with this pill the Flowery Field
Will seem illuminated on the darkest night,
Older women will tremble at your approach
And even the harlot will wonder at your power.
So use them well, these first hundred,
And with their help enjoy your fullest manliness.

The recital had carried away Hsi-men Ch’ing but

as soon as the deep voice stopped the practical side
of his nature encouraged him to say:
‘My honoured holy man, to obtain a medicine is
not always enough. When you return to the Windy
Courtyard of the Cold Peaks, how will this humble

99
and faithful convert to your greatness renew the
prescription? For a copy of that prescription, I
would pay whatever you ask.’
He immediately instructed his servant to open the
treasure box and present to the monk twenty taels of
‘White gold’ (silver).
‘What use do I have for money!’ exclaimed the
monk, gesturing to the servant to ignore his master’s
order. ‘I have given up worldly wealth and ambition
— so I would hardly be grateful for the burden of
your white gold.’
‘But surely you will at least take a fine piece of
cloth measuring fully forty feet?’ said Hsi-men.
The monk thanked him but again refused.
‘I float like a cloud over all the areas of the region
— why should I encumber myself with a piece of
cloth?’
The monk then wrote out the prescription,
repeated his warning about over-indulgence, and
before Hsi-men could adequately thank him, the im¬
pressive figure had thrown his long leather bag over
his shoulder and was striding through the Outer
Hall.
Drinking wine by a mountain path
I wave as she passes on pony-back —
Pretty Maid of Wu, hardly fifteen.
I offer her the wine jar
And she jumps down to drink with me —
Pretty Maid of Wu, hardly fifteen.
Her manner bewitching, her eyes blue-lined,
She gets drunk on my lap
Then yields to my passion.
Oh that morning by a mountain path
The warmth of the wine and her caresses —
Pretty Maid of Wu, hardly fifteen.
LiPo (701-761)
The hero of the Chin P’ing Mei was not one
to waste time in putting to use his latest sex ac¬
quisition, and from the following account the
monk had not exaggerated its effect on both
the performance and on the Jade Stem. It also
describes anal coitus, a surprisingly rare
phenomenon in Chinese erotic literature:
Hsi-men Ch’ing needed a long draught of
Shiu Hsing wine to wash down the monk’s
yellow pill, and not wanting to waste a moment
of the effects on him, he immediately removed
his clothing and began attaching the contents
of his leather case of sex instruments. The pret¬
ty harlot of the Golden Willows and Silver
Waters establishment, Pearl Moon, sat on the
edge of the bed and watched with interest.
‘What was that enormous pill you took —
are you up to some wicked scheme?’ she asked.
‘I have taken one of the dragon potions of
our great Ancestral Emperors,’ he replied.
‘And now permit me to prepare for our battle.’
His member was still at rest but he succeeded
in attaching the open-weave silk sheath. Then

100
 A ‘medical ivory’ about 10cm. long. The Confucian
code prevented doctors from examining women
patients, apart from feeling the pulse of an arm
juciLucu uuuugri me uea curtains. i ne doctor s ivory
was therefore used for the husband or female relative to
indicate the area of the illness. 18th-century. Courtesy
of the W.H. & Elizabeth M. Deane collection,
University of Sydney Library.

The maid stands ready to be summoned, either to serve

refreshments or to join in such positions as The
Gobbling Fishes. 19th-century pillow book. By kind
permission of the British Museum.

mmmm is*
 he slipped a sulphur ring round the base of the Golden Lilies above her shoulders, she used the
‘turtle head’, took a pinch of the red-powder other hand to help him return to the Flower
ointment given him by the monk and pressed it Heart. He was again aware of the audible
into the ‘tiny slit’ itself. To his amazement, and sound of their love-making, and he made her
clearly to that of Pearl Moon, the limp flesh in¬ hold the lamp so that he could ascertain that all
stantly reared up like an angry dragon. It had was normal with the Jade Pavilion; when he
turned from a honey-pink to the purple-red of was reassured about this, he adopted the posi¬
pig’s liver and was quivering as if overwhelmed tion known as Phoenix Sporting and made two
by a fierce rage. hundred thrusts without pause. And his delight
‘Why aren’t you undressed?’ demanded Hsi- at the effect of the monk’s pill made him cry:
men. ‘Tomorrow my servant will deliver you
Intimidated by both his voice and the angry twenty yards of the finest silk and a bed
dragon, the young woman threw off her coverlet embroidered*by my wife’s own hands.’
clothes and at once lay on the bed. As Hsi-men In the nineteenth-century the Chinese addic¬
Ch’ing was eager to test the monk’s potion he tion to opium became widespread. As an
did not waste time with love preliminaries but aphrodisiac it affected the mind rather than the
placed the two pillows under her buttocks and body, inducing sensual fantasies while in¬
took up a kneeling position between her legs. hibiting a more sustained physical role. As
The ‘turtle head’, however, was so enlarged smokers were invariably men, however, and
that he was forced to request her help; while he usually reclined on a mat in the company of
held open the Golden Valley, she took the another male, a certain number of homosexual
angry dragon and gardually managed to ac¬ relationships were encouraged. It has further
commodate it. been suggested that the addiction of so many
‘You are killing me,’ she gasped. ‘I feel quite males was related to the servile state in which
drunk after that wine.’ he kept his womenfolk, their inferiority and
Hsi-men Ch’ing was also flushed from the Confucian sense of obedience restraining them
wine, and once her secretions had begun to from taking a greater initiative in controlling
flow, managed to practise ‘short-and-long’ the self-destructive habits of their husbands.
movements and those known as ‘seven shallow The social custom of keeping a wife out of
and two deep’. But the fever of intoxication sight of the public, of hardly ever allowing her
was more wonderful than anything he had to accompany him when visiting friends, also
known before and this, he decided, must also attributed to his arrival at the opium-shops.
be from the monk’s pill. The addiction affected all classes of society,
‘I feel indescribably happy and I am going to reducing merchants to penniless paupers, caus¬
attack you from behind,’ he cried. ing poor men to sell off their children and even
He withdrew his implement and roughly their wives, and those from the lower classes to
pushed her over. Then he made her press her die of neglect. Any illusions about the sex-
forehead on the pillow and took hold of the stimulant properties of opium should be weigh¬
mounds of her buttocks. This time penetration ed against the following nineteenth-century
was even more difficult than before and was description of the addict:
accompanied by a rubbing and tearing sound. The first signs of ruin come with sneezing.
‘That’s enough!’ screamed Pearl Moon. ‘I Mucus runs from his nose and eyes. Gripping
haven’t had so much wine that I can take that!’ pains seize him in his bowels. His whole ap¬
Hsi-men Ch’ing speared her more deeply pearance indicates restlessness and misery.
than ever while she moaned and struggled to After smoking, he usually falls asleep, but it is
escape, but the monk’s pill also filled him with not a sleep that refreshes. On being aroused, he
a great benevolence, and he said, ‘Do you think is himself again, provided he can immediately
we should go back to the normal way?’ have his opium. If not, he begins to suffer and
‘If you will only do that,’ pleaded Pearl the pains multiply. Diarrhoea of a most painful
Moon, ‘I will hold the lamp over us so that you and dreadful kind, peculiar to smoking, sets in,
can watch. You certainly have a wong-pa (tur¬ and he is without strength or disposition to stir
tle) worth watching.’ himself. Eventually, the agonies become
Hsi-men Ch’ing felt pleased with both the unbearable, only relieved by ever-increasing
suggestion and the compliment, allowed her to recourse to the drug. Few recover once their
turn and passed her the lamp. This she held pains have reached this excruciating stage.
with one hand, and once he had raised her J. Doolittle (1867)

102
 Women were not disregarded in the search To which the Wise Maiden had replied: ‘The
for aphrodisiacs and a Taoist manual called suitability and the responses of the vulva do
Guide to the Jade Room lists many concoctions not depend only on its position. Whether it is
for exciting Yin. The ingredients were in¬ high, low, or in the middle, each will contribute
variably herbal, plants of penis shape and such equally to the pleasure of the Flowery Field.
additives as musk incense and sulphur. Their However, there are distinctions, and these I
names, not unlike modern aphrodisiac pro¬ will explain. A woman with a high vagina, that
ducts manufactured by pharmaceutical com¬ is to the front, is better for intercourse in the
panies, were meant to add to the stimulation, winter season. The man can be on top of her
some being: Happiness Powder, Gate Opens immediately on going to bed, drawing over his
Wide and Smiling Golden Gully. The method back the embroidered coverlet. He can enjoy
of application was to rub the powder or oint¬ intercourse without dismounting, convenient
ment inside the Jade Gate. The result was for himself, and since she will be benefiting
claimed to be immediate but this was probably from his warmth, she will not complain. In the
due to a mixture of the irritant effects of the summer it is an advantage to copulate with
stimulant and the woman’s desire for success. women with low vaginas. She can be laid on a
The woman, however, had to overcome cool marble slab in the shade of bamboos,
traditional ideas about the actual physical reclining on her side, and the man can take up a
characteristics of the Flower Heart. Wisdom — position behind her. Her vagina is in the ideal
or ignorance — had sent down the ages position for this variation, the position called
preconceived notions that lay outside the effec¬ Making Fire Behind the Mountain. A woman
tiveness of aphrodisiacs. Had not the Yellow for the Four Seasons is one whose vagina is in
Emperor, for example, asked: Why is it that the middle, a careful study of positions enabl¬
the Jade Gate is sometimes nearer the front ing her to be adapted to Spring, Summer,
than the back, and sometimes exactly in the Autumn and Winter.’
middle? And which is the best position for in¬ The Clouds and Rain have passed
tercourse? From the heights of the Jade Mountain —
The loving is over and slowly she dresses,
Her weak fingers fasten her robes,
These 19th-century lovers relax with their opium pipes, Arrange her hair. And her dazed eyes
the maid versatile in her skills. By courtesy of the Still reflect the passionate hours.
Wellcome Trustees. Tung Hai (Scholar — Seventh Century)

103
 Yin in the rote of Yang. From a 17th-century pillow
book. By kind permission of the British Museum.

The Chinese attitude to circumcision was one

of terror, to clitoridectomy bewilderment, and
to kissing and casual love-play that did not ad¬
vance to the natural and ecstatic climax an in¬
sult to both Yin and Yang.
In societies both ancient and modern, sin
and guilt determine the nature of what is accep¬
table and what is to be condemned, and the ex¬
istence of such taboos frequently excites men
and women to seek those pleasures explicitly
because they are forbidden. Among the
Chinese there were no rigid religious or ethical
reasons for condemning homosexuality,
masturbation, ‘flute-playing’ (fellatio),
transvestism, lesbianism, polygamy,
masochism or voyeurism. As most of these
choices of gratification, if they were practised
with the consent of all concerned, were regard¬
of Loving ed as a matter ok individual preference, there
seemed little reason to turn them into social
crimes. In the case of sadism, the perversion
that could lead to the most destructive and
painful effects, there are few recorded in¬
stances to suggest that the Chinese resorted to
it for sexual ecstasy. At least not within the
four walls of the bedchamber. Beating and
whipping were common punishments for many
offences, even for minor infringements of the
Book of Rules, and public torture was a com¬
mon spectacle, but any gratification for the
The pattern of a civilisation determines certain flogger or the onlookers would not have been
sexual practices, and in Chinese history the displayed as overtly sexual.
social inferiority of women, the cerebral inven¬ It would be more correct to define Chinese
tiveness of the men, and the pagan guilt-free sexual perversions as socially acceptable devia¬
element of Taoist beliefs, were three of the tions, and to approach the subject with the
most obvious influences. The idea of normal toleration and the good humour, not to men¬
sex behaviour varies from period to period, tion the element of cerebral delight, which
from society to society, and any study that
regards one approach as correct and others as The ladies of the household consider the itinerant
perversions, is simply applying the criteria of trader’s merchandise. 19th-century, gouache on paper.
its time and place. Courtesy of the Library of the University of Indiana,
Indiana.
The Chinese custom of footbinding, for ex¬
ample, was widely considered by westerners as
a cruel fetish, though the Chinese male was
delighted by the woman’s helplessness and the
accompanying sense of dominance, while the
female displayed a masochistic acceptance of
the discomfort and humiliation. Yet the
Chinese, for their part, could not understand
Christian disapproval of fornication, of
masturbation and their relating the most
wonderful of pleasures to sin. Nor would they
have followed the Muslim horror of hymenal
blood or their employment of special ‘stud
males’ to deflower virgins, an initiation which
medieval Arabs apparently found distasteful.

104
*WS*RKajr ^ Y Jmr . ' ’

b_ „\,1 ™

■■; "

* ’ -* %
X jv
 willing Golden Lotus in the novel Chin P’ing
Mei by Wang Shih-cheng (sixteenth-century):
The two-week separation from her husband, Hsi-
men Ch’ing, had inflamed her desire so much that in
the morning she refused to let him leave the bed. His
member had been in the Jade Pavilion or in her
mouth all night, and when he said that he must leave
her side to relieve himself, she could not bear the idea
of separation.
‘Your body is so warm and it’s so cold outside,’
she protested. ‘I wouldn’t want you to catch a chill.
Why don’t you aim it in my mouth?’
Hsi-men Ch’ing was both moved and pleased by
her consideration.
T am sure no other woman would spoil me like
this,’ he said.
Golden Lotus opened her mouth a little wider and
he aimed down her throat. She hastily gulped every
mouthful, not a drop spilling on her face.
When he had finished, he asked: ‘How did it
taste?’
‘A bit salty,’ said Golden Lotus. ‘Have you any
scented tea leaves to take away the flavour?’
Love between women was a popular theme in erotic ‘The tea is in a pouch in the sleeve-pocket of my
albums and a wise master tolerated it as a way of jacket. Help yourself.’
keeping them contented. Following a bath, evidence of Golden Lotus reached for the white jacket on the
cleanliness, the illustration shows women preparing to bed-post, found the pouch and poured some of the
use an imaginative sex-aicl. 17th-century blockprint. leaves into her mouth.

usually prevailed. As has been stated, the idea The harem was inevitably associated with love bet¬
of casual kissing seemed a profitless sexual en¬ ween women. In some instances, where hundreds of
counter, and when westerners began to settle in women lived together, methods of mutual satisfac¬
tion were methodically organised, frequently with
Shanghai and other cities, and husbands and
the blessing of an understanding master who ac¬
wives were observed to greet each other with a
cepted his human limitations, particularly if he were
kiss or an embrace, those Chinese witnessing ageing. Apart from mutual masturbation and love
the affectionate gesture waited expectantly for embraces, a great variety of instruments were used
the European to produce his Jade Stem and to by the women. The most-favoured artificial penises
leap into battle. Even more confusing for the were of polished ivory or lacquered wood, with a
ever-watchful Chinese was to see two Fren¬ pattern creating a corrugated effect. In a Ming
chmen greeting each other with kisses on the period painting one of the girls, in a revealing love
cheeks; this, too seemed a pointless sexual scene, is wearing the dildo strapped to her thigh, a
preliminary. location inconsistent with the male anatomy but
which required less effort from the wearer. A further
Such an unromantic approach on the part of
development of this instrument illustrates the inven¬
the Chinese, and the role of the concubine as a
tiveness of the Chinese. A double-ended dildo,
sex-slave rather than as a partner, meant that twelve inches long and with two loops of silken cord
he was not over-concerned with placing her in the middle, allowed the sapphic lovers to gain
gratification before his own or too worried simultaneous pleasure. By adopting a position which
about a show of western-style gallantry. The brought their Jade Gates facing each other, tugging
perfunctory mouth-kissing would therefore alternately on the cord loops caused the same move¬
soon be followed by a request to his female to ment to gratify them both.
‘play the flute’, and this was regarded as no less Early Chinese classics recall that the Imperial
an art than the musician’s. A skilled concubine physician to the Empress Wu Tse-t’ien, a certain
Ming Ch’ung-yan, presented her with a ‘lively limb’
would have a full and varied repertoire of
for when she wished to have pleasure in solitude.
songs, playing gently or vigorously, tremolo or
This was a penis-shaped instrument made of rubber
basso, as she felt her master’s mood required. and which was attached with cords to the back of the
A scatological side to the practice was common ankle. Once the recumbent Empress had inserted the
to most intimate relationships, though the con¬ ‘limb’, it required only the minimal movement of her
cubine probably did not go so far as the ever- foot to make it ‘lively’. As the use of rubber became

106
more advanced, a scrotum was added to the instru¬ as he sat down, in anticipation of the feast, and she
ment. The pouch was filled with warm milk and filled his wine-cup. They ate and drank for some
squeezed to simulate the male climax — or the defeat time, not conversing much, but towards the end of
of Yang in the Flowery Battle. the meal the intoxication of the wine created a more
relaxed mood. They moved their chairs together and
An attachment, or perhaps it could be called embraced sitting up, then she placed her feet on his
an insertion, in frequent use was the Burmese lap, and he touched them. With this signal of his
Bell. This hollow silver sphere, the size of a readiness, they stood up and undressed each other,
berry, was placed in the vagina before inter¬ then he carried her to the bed.
course, and because of the curious effects of She had prepared the bed with care. There was a
warmth and movement on the pellet inside the double layer of down underneath so that they could
‘bell’, a constant tinkling was heard. Another roll in comfort, and the coverlet had been sprinkled
variety contained a drop of mercury and a tiny with strong-scented powder. A painting of the Green
Dragon and the White Tiger sporting together had
‘striker’. Two such bells were frequently placed
been hung above their heads and bells tied to the
under the outer lips of the vulva, lodged with
bedposts. These wanton preparations were quickly
cotton packing, and once the lovers started appreciated, Miss Heart’s Delight was pleased to
moving, played a merry tune. This toy was also observe, because before he had lain down beside her,
favoured by lesbians, and its insertion together she could see that he was fully roused.
with other instruments, when used for prolong¬ ‘I shall be with you in a moment,’ he promised,
ed periods, sometimes caused deformities to then pulled out an embroidered silk pouch.
the labia minora and distention of the clitoris. He opened it carefully and laid the following items
Chinese medical books of the Middle Ages along the edge of the coverlet:
describe a complaint peculiar to male-neglected A silver love-clip
concubines in large harems. It was termed ‘cox¬ A Cap of Everlasting-Desire
comb clitoris’, one of the indications of Harem A sulphur Lust-ring
Medically treated passion-ribbons
Nymphomania (W’ei-T’ung-Sh ’ih).
Jade Penis-ring
If one had to define a single area of sexual
Lust-rousing ointment
nonconformity in which the Chinese excelled, Tatar Love-bell
it would certainly have been in the use of sexual
‘There, what do you think of my whoring in¬
aids and instruments. As their sophisticated
struments,’ he asked.
society developed, and as a lusty naivety gave She was too speechless to reply and lay back on
way to the intellectual’s inventiveness, there the pillow, a picture of fear and anticipation. Her
evolved what might be described as the pedan¬ mouth had dropped open and her breathing had
tic lover. In his satchel, with presents of per¬ quickened, her hands felt weak but her knees were
fume and silk for his female, he carried his already rising into the air. When he had fixed the
pillow books; in his pocket, with his personal silver clip to the Jade Stem, he covered it with oint¬
necessities, he carried a pouch of love in¬ ment, then moved between her knees. He tried out
struments. These included couch-pleasure the position with a brief pressing at the Jade Gate,
then withdrew and added the sulphur ring and a
powder and other stimulants, equally exciting
yellow and blue ribbon. Thus reinforced, he made a
unguents to lubricate the hinges of the Jade purposeful entry into the Pleasure Pavilion, at once
Gates, sulphur rings, silver collars, clasps, caps causing her to scream with pain and joy, as if a blade
and ‘Jade-step Polishers’ (clitoral massagers), was driving deeper and deeper inside her.
and a rather primitive assortment of birth con¬
In a society where justice was often swift and
trol devices. For those who suffered from a loss
summary, where the Book of Rules and other
of erection once intercourse had begun, the use
authorities had clearly defined the nature and
of ribbons tied tightly round the base of the
consequences of offences, the infliction of cor¬
penis to prevent ‘the return of the semen’ was
poral punishment was a common feature of
recommended.
life. The bamboo rod grew in profusion, as if
A description of such a scene, the serio¬
Nature intended it to be used to enforce
comic interplay of the animal and the intellec¬
discipline, and the fatalistic character of the
tual in man, is given in the following passage
people accepted this and other forms of
from the Chin P’ing Mei:
violence. Such fatalism was encouraged by the
Miss Heart’s Delight invited him into the bed¬ absolute authority of the Emperor and his
chamber where a whole feast had been laid out. On governors, and by an innate sense of the
the table was a variey of chicken and duck dishes, established order of life and respect for their
meat and delicate savouries. He loosened his clothes ancient traditions.

107
 Indisputably there was an element of sadism European merchants and seamen of the 19th-century,
in every swing of a father’s arm, the teacher’s fearing disease, occasionally adopted this position. As
the girls would have been Fallen Flowers, the variation
rod, the executioner’s sword or the soldier’s
would have been passed on to other clients. From
foot, but the custom of the liberal use of cor¬ Yanwo 5, in the Mitchell Library.
poral punishment was no more to be question¬
ed than family relationships or social practices.
It was just one element of a much greater misdemeanours of a more criminal kind. Sixty
whole. An old Chinese maxim states that when strokes of the ‘long stick’ was the penalty for
a son knows he has offended his father, he can evading mourning for a grandparent by keep¬
do no more than carry to him a stick for his ing the fact a secret, for ‘ignoring’ grief and
own punishment. Equally, it is said that Po Yii, making music, or for prematurely putting aside
two thousand years ago, wept bitterly when mourning dress. Eighty strokes was the punish¬
flogged by his old mother. As he was almost a ment for a wife or concubine disobeying a hus¬
man, and had not wept for years, his mother band (should he take them to law), and a
asked the reason for this. Po Yii then confessed similar punishment with the ‘short and thick
that it was not pain that had reduced him to stick’ was inflicted for failing to observe certain
tears but the fact that the bamboo fell so feebly public festivals. The Code of Laws, it has been
that he knew that she was becoming infirm claimed, purposely regulated every offence
with age. within the clan, tribe or family, as a way of
These and other stories not only sentimen¬ achieving social harmony and balance, and the
talised about retribution and the time- aristocracy was expected, by its correct
honoured acceptance of the deserved and the behaviour, to set an example to the lower
unavoidable, they were part of a conception classes. In such circumstances — made more
that the punishment should fit the crime. For complex by the continuity of exacting tradi¬
this reason sentences were often inflicted in tions — the nature and degree of sadism pass¬
public, and the human sympathy for the victim ing as forms of discipline or punishment are
did not necessarily shake confidence in the difficult to define. If sexual sadism was less
system. This included many complex and prevalent among men, however, it was often in
brutal forms of torture. The Code of Laws (Ta evidence between women, particularly when
Ts’ing-luh-li) was drawn up during the Sung the polygamous pattern of the household
dynasty (960-1127), and the number of strokes created tensions and jealousies of an
fixed as penalties remained in force until the unbearable kind. A common situation, which
twentieth-century. Most offences calling for must have been repeated very often, is re¬
beating were infringements of behavioural counted in the Patterns of Light and Shade, an
customs or breaches of filial piety rather than early Ch’ing novel. The scene describes the

108
delight with which a dominant wife tortures This ‘Western’ picture has been added to the erotic
one of her husband’s concubines. Two servants album Yanwo 5. Its interest is because the Chinese
artist sees the European woman (testing her master’s
are ordered to truss Sweet Spring to a wooden condom) in the traditional role of a dutiful concubine.
post, then the savage beating begins. It lasts The 19th-century merchant also typifies oriental ideas
most of the day, during which both the wife of bullying Europeans. Courtesy of the Mitchell
and the concubine eat two meals. The wife’s Library, Sydney.

passionate application of bamboo and leather his favourite concubine, but unable to direct
strap finally reduces the victim to helplessness, her fury at that well-protected female, chooses
at which point her hair is cropped and the wife to attack her maidservant, Pure Crystal. The
enjoys the paroxysm of an orgasm. servant has the misfortune to spill some oil on
An accepted variation of this occurred in her mistress’s new shoes:
court circles when the new favourites of rulers
‘You clumsy donkey,’ screamed Fragrant
were often given the displaced consorts and Blossom. ‘Look what you’ve done to my best shoes!’
concubines to torture as they thought fit. The Pure Crystal leaned across to look and received a
malicious assault was usually directed at the sex blow from one of the shoes on her cheek, which
organs, the unfortunate victims being beaten to started to bleed. As she stepped back, partly from
a pulp, having irritants such as sand poured in¬ shock and partly from the pain, her mistress jumped
to the vagina or, even more brutal, having it forward.
pierced with red-hot rods and similar devices. ‘So you’re running away from me! You find me
objectionable, threatening,’ she cried. ‘Spring
Slicing of the breasts and buttocks was also a
Flower! Spring Flower!’ The older of the two ser¬
common occurrence, as was the coupling of the
vants came from the Outer Court. ‘This brainless
girls with goats, rams and even donkeys, an ex¬
slave has insulted me — fetch the leather whip!’
hibition staged before a jeering crowd, the Spring Flower obeyed with the full knowledge that
most vocal of which were their fellow females. her mistress’s fury could quite as unpredictably turn
Although the worst outrages were commit¬ against her, and when she returned with the whip,
ted in the courts of all-powerful kings and she was at once ordered to strip the now whimpering
princes, or of tyrannical governors, the Pure Crystal.
households of more modest families were not ‘Hold her hands — and if she gets away, you’ll get
spared scenes of violence. This did not, of the rest of the beating!’ raged Fragrant Blossom.
Pure Crystal seemed too terrified to resist Spring
course, go to the extremes of bloody torture
Flower’s haste to undress her, but as soon as she was
and killing, but the following account from
dragged over the high couch, and her mistress wrap¬
Chia-chang-yieh-shih (Unusual Family ped the writhing leather round her bare back, she
Stories), a Ming dynasty novel, gives a picture began to squeal like a half-slaughtered pig. After the
of a sudden eruption of violence in the home. fourth or fifth lash of the whip, Fragrant Blossom
Ti-jen’s wife, Fragrant Blossom, is jealous of paused and said,

109
 ‘This hurts me more than it hurts you!’ though not the work of any one particular moralist,
This sounded so ominous that the girl began to frequently incorporated a system of merit marks or
scream more loudly than ever. penalties. The purpose of this was to protect the
‘Isn’t that enough?’ Spring Flower ventured to Eternal Values of what they regarded as their unique
ask. heritage. The marks awarded by such texts, called
The whip again fell across Pure Crystal’s back, Kung-kuo-ku (Tables of Merits and Demerits),
and from the noise the room might have been an covered almost every conceivable virtue or offence,
abattoir. Her cries had already woken up Grand¬ though since it was for each individual to decide on
father Wei in the next room, and as he sat up Fairy his or her behaviour, the exercise was a little similar
Coral in the other bed shouted: ‘Go and stop that to the religious practice of the confessional. How did
daughter of yours before she wakes up the baby.’ one assess one’s own sins? An objective judgement
Grandfather Wei immediately ordered his wife to required a rare degree of self-honesty and willpower,
leave the warm brick bed and have the noise stopped, and there is no evidence of any lasting improvement
and when the old woman arrived in the next room, in the individual’s behaviour.
Fragrant Blossom had already brought down the Of the various categories, or Precepts, the one
whip thirty or forty times. relating to sexual behaviour is the most pertinent to
‘Your elder sister is afraid you’ll wake up the both this study and a chapter devoted to ‘the darker
baby.’ said Mother Wei. ‘I don’t mind you whipping side of loving’. Examples are as follows:
that donkey, but at least you might consider the in¬
Selection of Demerit Marks from Ching-shih-kung-
fant.’
kuo-ko
The request instantly added to Fragrant Blossom’s
Violating a chaste woman -1000
fury. She gave her old mother a push that sent her in¬
Turning a housemaid into a prostitute -1000
to the mandarin chair, then stood over her.
Producing pornography or painting
‘Are you telling me how I should treat my own
lewd pictures -1000
slaves! I won’t have anyone coming in to my room
Inviting a nun or a widow to
and interfering with what I want to do!’
become a concubine -500
‘I only came for a bowl of cold rice,’ the old
Abortion to hide an illicit affair -600
woman said timidly. ‘But I don’t think I want any
Abortion in the case of a wife -300
now.’
Taking a prostitute or young boy (each orgasm) -50
As Mother Wei withdrew, Fragrant Blossom seiz¬
ed the screaming girl on the couch, turned her over, Much is written about the distinction between
and scratched her face. Her nails were so sharp that
‘violent rape’, that is assaulting a woman
they left long gashes down both cheeks, but the girl
against her will, and ‘crazed rape’, which in¬
suddenly managed to slip behind the couch where
only the soles of her bare feet showed. This was dicates that the man is overwhelmed by blind
enough for Fragrant Blossom, however, who snatch¬ passion. Such offences against virgins and
ed the bamboo blow-pipe from the fireplace and widows are considered twice as sinful as against
began to beat the exposed feet. When she had ex¬ married women, but with prostitutes the
hausted herself, rather than her victim, she dropped demerit marks are relatively low. On the other
on to her bed, told the servant to get back to her hand, to fall in love genuinely with a prostitute
quarters, and lay waiting for the return of Ti-jen. was very sinful because it established beyond
She realised that perspiration was soaking her, but dispute the profligacy of the man.
even more moist than her body was that part of her
There was also a long list of offences drawn
anticipating the return of her errant husband.
from strict Confucian sources, which predated
For Western religions the Ten Commandments the Yuan or Mongol dynasty, and a selection of
emanated from an almighty and sacred deity but for those relating to the conduct of the head of the
the Chinese, who also had many moralistic texts bas¬ family are:
ed on the number ‘ten’, their commandments came
from less divine sources. They were usually Confu- Having more wives and concubines than
cian or Buddhist in origin and seemed to have receiv¬ one can satisfy -50
ed an extra impetus during the Yuan or Mongol Suggestive behaviour to rouse women outside
dynasty (1279-1367). It was in this period, when the the bedchamber -20
Empire was under the domination of the Mongol Showing favouritism among one’s women -20
conquerors, that a new sexual morality evolved Going whoring and gambling with friends -50
among the Chinese. Taoism and a more relaxed ap¬ Boasting to one’s women about other
proach to sexuality gave way to a secretive and con¬ love affairs -10
servative form of behaviour, this more withdrawn Putting erotic pictures on public display -10
society being a common reaction to invaders. For purposely displaying oneself when urinating -1
The Chinese equivalent to the Ten Command¬ For keeping aphrodisiac incense in one’s pocket -1
ments (or Ten Precepts, as they were often called), For base dreams, masturbation etc. (each time) -1

110
The ‘dragon’ ring ready to begin the yin-yang battle. One print in twenty, from a survey of erotic albums,
The faces express a sense of confrontation. Ming had a theme of cunni/ingus. The master’s bare foot,
dynasty blockprint. suggesting pedicatio, complements the erect Male Peak.
17th-century blockprint.

Sweet girl not sixteen years near or in their own houses, having given notice to
Soft breasts white and smooth that effect, so that those who desire may be present
But between her legs a vicious trap and behold the act.
That strikes at manly ardour. The real reasons which induce some widows to
practise sutteeism are various. Some, doubtless, are
Hers is the cunning called passion moved in a great degree to do it by a devoted attach¬
For which man dies with pleasure ment to the dead: others by the extreme poverty of
His blood and essence drain away their families, and the difficulty of earning an honest
For that girl of sweet sixteen. and respectable living; others by the fact or the pro¬
spect of unkind treatment on the part of their hus¬
Wang Shih-cheng
band’s relatives. Occasionally, when poor, the
brothers of her deceased husband advise or insist
The most cruel aspect of the darker side of lov¬
that the young widow shall marry again. In one of
ing concerns a practice — a custom — that was the cases which occurred here about a year ago, the
both heroic and tragic. It was prevalent until inciting cause why the young widow decided to kill
the beginning of the present century and one herself by public hanging was that a brother-in-law
can do no better than quote the relevant insisted that she should marry a second husband. On
passage on sutteeism from Justus Doolittle’s her refusing to do it, he insinuated that the only way
work on Chinese social life, published in 1867. for her to gain a livelihood, in the indigent cir¬
He wrote: cumstances of the family, was by her becoming a
prostitute. This unkindness maddened her, and she
Two singular customs which relate particularly to resolved to commit suicide. She appointed a certain
widows who do not marry again will now be describ¬ time for its accomplishment. On the morning of the
ed. day appointed she visited a certain temple, erected to
Some widows, on the death of their husbands, hold the tablets and perpetuate the memory of ‘vir¬
resolve not to survive them, and proceed to take their tuous and filial’ widows, and located near the south
own lives. Chinese sutteeism differs from Indian sut¬ gate of the city. She was borne to and fro through
teeism in that it is never performed by burning. The the streets, seated in a sedan carried by four men,
manner of doing it is various. Some take opium, and dressed in gaudy clothing, and holding in her hand a
lie down and die by the side of the corpse of their bouquet of fresh flowers. After burning incense and
husband. Others commit suicide by starving candles before the tablets in this temple, accom¬
themselves to death, or by drowning themselves, or panied with the usual kneeling and bowings, she
by taking poison. Another method sometimes prac¬ returned home, and in the afternoon took her life, in
tised in this place is by hanging themselves in public, the presence of an immense crowd of spectators.

1 1 1
 On such occasions it is the practice to have a plat¬ Actors played many roles and not always in public.
form erected in the house of the widow, or in the 18th-century painting. Courtesy of the Library of the
street before it. At the appointed time she ascends University of Indiana. Indiana.
the platform, and sprinkles some water around on
the four sides of it. She then scatters several kinds of suttee at this place. A public suicide by a widow
grain in different directions. These are done as always attracts a large crowd of spectators. Public
omens of plenty and of prosperity in her family. sentiment encourages the practice enough to make it
After being seated in a chair on the platform, she is considered honourable and meritorious, though not
generally approached by her own brothers, and by to make it a very frequent occurrence. The brothers
her husband’s brothers, who worship her. This is and near relatives of a widow who thus immolates
oftentimes accompanied by the offering to her of tea herself soon after the decease of her husband regard
or of wine. When everything is ready, she steps upon it as an honour to the family, and not unfrequently
a stool, and, taking hold of the rope, which is secure¬ feel gratified in having themselves referred to as her
ly fastened to a high portion of the platform or the brothers or relatives.
roof of the house, adjusts it about her own neck. She Sometimes a girl who has been betrothed to a man
then kicks the stool away from under her, and thus who dies before the marriage-day resolves to take her
becomes her own murderer. own life by public hanging, in view of his death,
Certain officers of government used to sanction rather than be engaged again in marriage, or live un¬
the self-destruction of widows, not only by being married. If she cannot be persuaded to take a dif¬
present on the occasion, but also by their taking a ferent course, she is allowed to appoint a day for her
part in the worship. Once, it is related, a woman, suicide, visits the temple referred to above, if not too
after the honours had been paid to her, instead of far distant, mounts the platform provided at the
mounting the stool and adjusting the rope about her house of her affianced husband, and launches herself
neck and hanging herself according to the understan¬ into eternity, in much the same manner as do those
ding, suddenly recollected that she had forgotten to widows who resolve not to survive the loss of their
feed the hogs and hastened away, promising to be husbands. The coffin of the girl, in such cases, is in¬
back shortly, which promise she omitted to keep. terred by the side of the coffin of her betrothed, and
Since that hoax no mandarin has been present at a at the same time.

112
 >4

There is little evidence that either sadism or

masochism was greatly favoured by Chinese
men though there are instances, both in history
and in literature, of some very colourful ex¬
cesses. Records from the Han dynasty mention
a Prince Chien who punished his erring con¬
cubines by having them sit naked in trees for a
number of days or, similarly naked, sentenced
them to beat the ‘time drum’ in the court until
they dropped from exhaustion or starvation.
The prince also found amusing the drowning of
young people in the palace lake.
The Emperor Hsiao-ching and Prince Tuan
of the same period were notorious sadists with Snuff bottles frequently had erotic motifs, possessing
a predilection for incest with their sisters, while them adding to a man’s yang power. Chinese ink on
white porcelain. Collection Gerard Levy, Paris.
the prince, during a period of impotence, turn¬
ed to catamites whom he frequently strangled
for such invented offences as secretly visiting ‘That’s entirely up to you,’ said the lady. ‘I’m in
the mood for anything.’
his harem. There was also the case of Prefect
He sat up and told her to lock the door, and from
Lu of Hsuan-chou who took every opportunity his sleeve-pocket produced three pyramid-shaped
to have prostitutes whipped in public — until knobs of passion incense. Then he removed her skirt
he fell in love with one. This conversion was and her shift, unbound her breasts and laid her nak¬
the subject of a famous poem by Mei ed on the couch. One knob of incense was stuck to
Yao-ch’en, the message being that a lovely pro¬ her just above the navel, one between her breasts, the
stitute, if driven away by cruelty, will always third among the glossy hairs of the ‘Silken Fan’. He
find other patrons. then lit each one with the tip of a burning incense-
One example of sadism is described in the stick.
The sight of the three tiny spirals of smoke, and
novel Chin P’ing Mei, and the quietly cerebral
the effect of the potion he had taken earlier, were
excess seems more in keeping with traditional
enough to stiffen his Male Peak, and his delight that
attitudes. But first the hero must be put in the he was not so exhausted that he would have to forgo
right mood: the pleasure for a day or two, made him plunge at
The effects of so many days of continuous love- once into the Inner Chamber. After a few minutes of
making had weakened Hsi-men Ch’ing’s legs so furious activity he reached for a hand-mirror and
much that he realised that he could either take a rest placed it below the field of battle so that he could
or take the longevity and aphrodisiac potion. He better view the assault. By this time the knobs of in¬
chose the latter course, then remembered that human cense had half burned away and the lady was beginn¬
milk had to be added to the herbs. Lady Any-Way- ing to feel the heat.
You-Like-It was in her room, flowers in her hair and ‘Please stop — it’s burning!’ she cried, biting into
looking very desirable. He instantly asked her if she her lip with the pain.
might squeeze him a little milk, since he needed it to ‘Whose whore are you!’ Hsi-men Ch’ing demand¬
blend with the potion. This she readily agreed to, ed.
and as the liquid dripped into the powder, she called ‘Usually I’m Hsiung Wong’s, but for today you
out to the maid to bring tea and some tasty dishes. can cal! me yours,’ she gasped.
When the girl had gone, and the tea had washed ‘You are Hsiung Wong’s whore!’ he shouted,
down the potion, Hsi-men Ch’ing closed the door busy again in the Jade Pavilion. ‘It’s only your body
and lay on the couch. Then he unfastened his white that you’re giving me!’
silken trousers and pulled out his Jade Root, which ‘But I want to be all yours .... Please, it’s burn¬
was held rigid by a silver collar. He indicated that he ing!’
would like Lady Any-Way-You-Like-It to encourage ‘Do you find me better at it than Hsiung Wong?’
it with her mouth, a suggestion to which she agreed, ‘You’ve got the greatest implement in the world!’
and while she was busy he proceeded to eat from the As he was indulging in these vulgar exchanges,
various dishes. Hsi-men Ch’ing continued to plunge into the Golden
‘You certainly work well with your mouth,’ he Valley and to study the view in the mirror
said. ‘I’ll buy you the best embroidered jacket I can underneath. The parted pink lips of her vulva looked
find. You can wear it on the Twelfth of the First like the open mouth of a tropical bird and the black
Moon.’ He watched her busy mouth for some hair at either side was damp and glossy as if its
moments, then added: ‘Would you let me burn pas¬ feathers had been soaked. Inspired by this extra
sion incense on your body?’ perspective, Hsi-men Ch’ing lifted her legs higher

113
 lapsed. It was reconstructed but the same thing
happened. Shih Huang then had the stones
whipped ‘until they shed blood’, after which
‘Yin was obedient’ and the pier was completed.

The writing apparatus of a Chinese scholar consists

of a square or cake of ink, a small black slab of
polished slate with a slight cavity at one end to hold
water, a finely pointed hair brush and a supply of
paper. These four articles are called ‘the Four
Precious Implements’. Such is the reverence paid
by the Chinese to letters and literary pursuits that
they will not tread upon written or printed paper.

Ten Thousand Things Relating to China,

W. B. Langdon

As in many communities, the incidence of

homosexuality was related to social factors as
Households supporting many women shared a common well as to the nature of the individual. Impres¬
practice with the ladies of the Green Bowers. Male sions gained by foreigners that Chinese men
dominance and egotism made them seek gentler
were more predisposed than Westerners were
comforts from each other. 19th-century album, gouache
on paper. Private collection, Paris. often due to immigrant communities of im¬
ported labourers and others being compelled to
than ever while she continued to scream with the live without their womenfolk. The Ch’ing
ecstasy of pleasure and from the burning pain of the scholar Chao I (1727-1814), however, states
incense. Her pleasure and pain were at their zenith that during the Northern and Southern Sung
when his own cloud burst, and as he fell forward he dynasties, homosexuality became more
remembered to brush away the last of the burning
fashionable and that there were so many male
ash.
prostitutes that new laws were brought in
‘You will certainly have the best embroidered
jacket I can find,’ he promised her. ‘And you must which added a hundred blows from a bamboo
wear it on the Twelfth of the First Moon.’ to the usual heavy fine. This was not enough to
drive them from the streets and for their pro¬
The ferocity of the sexual battle itself was not tection they organised themselves into a guild.
without sadistic significance, particularly its They made themselves even more conspicuous
association with battle and the need to by adopting transvestism, and since many
triumph. In such Ming-period pillow books as Chinese men had little facial hair, the heavy
Battle Manoeuvres for the Flowery Field, make-up used by them often made it difficult
women were openly termed the ‘enemy’ and to decide their sex.
much of the Yellow Emperor’s talks with his The palaces of the emperors had always had
three goddesses was concerned with the need to a complement of young boys, powdered and
enforce her submission. The idea of Yang rouged, wearing gold-pheasant hats and be¬
prevailing over Yin was not confined to the jewelled girdles, and they were therefore part
bedchamber, however, and in a universe that of the ‘sexual’ entourage of eunuchs, con¬
was divided into male and female elements, the cubines and palace maidens. This early in¬
idea of sexual domination was extended to the troduction into the excesses of the Dragon
inanimate. Fu Chien, a military commander, Ruler’s sexual programme meant that by
boasted that he had the power to stop the flow adolescence the youth’s vocation had already
of a stream (Yin). He lined up a brigade of men been decided for him. To the more conven¬
on the banks, each with a whip in hand, and tional love stories were added those concerning
ordered them to lash it (her) into submission. rulers and boys, and one such liaison, that bet¬
By nightfall the men had exhausted themselves ween Emperor Ai-ti of the Han dynasty and
but the water merrily continued to flow. A se¬ Tung Hsien, became immortalised. One day,
cond anecdote concerns Shih Huang (271-200 exhausted after love, the youth was sleeping
B.C.) who wished to build a stone pier into the with his head across the loose sleeve of the
sea so that he could observe from the end of it Emperor when a courtier summoned the ruler
the rising and the setting of the sun. The pier to urgent state business. Not wishing to disturb
was almost completed when it suddenly col¬ his young lover, the Emperor reached for his

114
 ly dishonest, the so-called healer and the midwife.
When such women descend on the household, they
should be regarded as the ‘three punishments’ and
the ‘six curses’ because the result will always be licen¬
tiousness and roguery. If the man wants to keep his
home clean, let him drive away such snakes and scor¬
pions.”
For those rulers who came under the in¬
fluence of Buddhist monks, one of the duties
of the religious men was to teach the young
princes the love arts and how to be invincible in
the Flowery Battles. The Buddhists were rather
more successful than the rival Taoist monks in
being employed by the courts as sex-
instructors, and the Mongol ruler, Emperor
Shun-Ti (1323-1368), went so far as to employ
them to improve his own performance. The
period of instruction lasted many months in
which the convert to Joyful Zen Buddhism,
obeying his Tibetan monks, had assembled the
most beautiful of his concubines and palace
The neglected concubine. Fresh from her bath and maidens and, to the accompaniment of chanted
stimulated by the pillow book on the table, she enjoys sutras and the sound of drums and gongs, pro¬
her solitary pleasure. Gouache on paper. 19th-century. ceeded to follow the teachings of the holy men.
Private collection, Paris.
Monks also played their part in the problem
of barren marriages because there was a
sword and sliced off a part of the sleeve and widespread belief that women who received
then soundlessly departed. From this came the ‘the Buddha’s seed’ would soon fall pregnant,
expression ‘the cut sleeve’ (tuan hsiu), which and provided the act was done with discretion,
became a synonym for homosexuality. so that the husband would receive the credit,
Centuries later, as a genre particularly the practice was tolerated. With such duties
favoured by writers, one collection of fifty forming part of the religious life, it was not
stories of homosexuals had the title Records of surprising that many ‘aliens’ dressed up as
the Cut Sleeve. A larger edition was called Col¬ monks, and in the thirteenth-century it was
lected Writings on Fragrant Elegance and was calculated that half a million men were claim¬
published in Shanghai in 1910. It contained the ing the privilege. The result was such caustic
story of Lung-yang-chtin, Minister and lover to poems as ‘The Wickedness of Monks and
the Prince of Wei (4th century B.C.), and the Nuns’ (Seng-ni-nieh-hai) by T’ang Yin (six¬
term lung-yang was adopted by literary circles teenth century):
for homosexuality.
There was an engaging tolerance towards Rumour has it that Monks lead saintly lives
most human weaknesses and deviations but A race of men straight and strong like pillar or beam.
this did not extend to monks and nuns, par¬ They shave their beards and cut their hair
ticularly Buddhists, who had the reputation of The top of them as shiny as their bare bottoms.
being venal hypocrites. Their religious duties Yet neither is quite so shiny as the implement
apparently included sexual instruction to the They are forever producing from their robes.
young, match-making, messengers in illicit The Monks’ eyes are like rats coveting wax,
And their hands grab everything that’s offered.
love-affairs and similar opportunistic dealings.
In pretending to be saintly and above the flesh
In an early Flan dynasty handbook, T’ao
They reveal the deceit of Buddha’s Holy Tooth,
Tsung-i warns against nine classes of profes¬ And surrender to lust at every opportunity,
sional women who, ‘for the sake of peace and Their holy cloaks flapping between the ladies’ legs.
quiet, should be kept out of the house:’
When caught at such moments they are quick to pro¬
“I write of the three ‘aunts’ and the six ‘old hags’. claim
The three ‘aunts’ are the Buddhist nun, the Taoist That they have nothing to fear from Heaven or
nun and the fortune-teller. The six ‘old hags’ are the Hell —
sorceress, the match-maker, the procuress, the pious¬ But let them await the Final Reckoning!

115
 Saying farewell after ten years of dreams in
Yangchow
The girls of the Green Bowers shed tears
And charge me with forsaking them. . . .
Tu Mu (803-852)

CHAPTER EIGHT With all its inequalities, cruelties and suffer¬

ings, traditional Chinese society survived until
modern times because of the complex balance

The Ladies of the of its institutions and a belief by high and low,
scholar and peasant, that they were part of a
superior social order of people. These institu¬
Green Bowers tions and this balance were achieved by a long
and careful application to detail, the legacy of
many generations of sages and scholars, and of
rulers and ministers who usually respected, and
sometimes shared, their wisdom. Their early
civilisation had taught them that a society of
different tribes, some settled, some nomadic,
of different cultures and beliefs, could only be
bound and held together by a common
allegiance to its institutions, and these became
the framework within which the pattern of life
functioned. Emperors ruled, fathers were
obeyed by their families, one’s Ancestors were
worshipped as gods, students and scholars who
did well in the Imperial Examinations were
automatically superior citizens to those who
could not use a writing brush.
In this rigidly evolved system the definition
of the place of women was subject to a similar
calculating design. In a society dominated by
men this inevitably meant not only a status of
inferiority but of doing exactly what was re¬
quired of them. As one needed wives to
perpetuate the race and to run homes, certain
women had to be nominated for that function.
They were not required to do more, however,
and they were not expected to; breeding and
good home-management was a full and wor¬
thwhile occupation and precluded them from
those activities that might detract from their
application and purpose. For a housewife to be
a musician, to be able to dance, converse elo¬
quently, to write poetry and to be coquettish in
the sweetest sense of the word, would have
been regarded as a violation of her destined
role.
Man, on the other hand, could hardly be ex¬
pected to deny himself the more passionate, in¬
Women disrobing. Under very loose trousers and robes spiring and colourful pleasures of body and
women usually wore a tight mo-hsiung (brassiere). This mind, nor would he submit to restraints that
was either buttoned at the front or tied with cords at limited him to the rigid and even dreary role of
the back. It was a garment not always discarded during faithful husband and father; he always
love-making, modesty often being related to the
smallness of many women’s breasts. 17th-century
demanded the freedom to be a lover. To this
block print. end his personal and family life was made flexi-

116
ble enough to accommodate the concubine, category of sex partner, and the importance of
consorts, courtesans and ‘serving girls’. The her profession, was accepted with both respect
‘second-status’ female enjoyed more intimacy and toleration.
with him than did his head wife, gave him more The growth of this professional class was
delight and served as his companion when he most apparent in the T’ang dynasty (618-906),
visited his friends or received them, but she was which was not only the Golden Age of Chinese
always legally and socially inferior to the First art but also a time of great social change in
Lady. which family discipline became less rigid and
Within the home the concubine obeyed a migration from district to district became more
wife without question, but since the time- common. In this more fluid society girls were
honoured system had created this necessary offered their first chance of independence, and
place for her, she was regarded as one of the those who were prepared to seize it found that
family. She was, however, subject to the in¬ they were not without the means of supporting
evitable system of Chinese customs. Her pur¬ themselves. And prostitution, if the girls were
pose was to please her master, and she would reasonably attractive, not only afforded them a
therefore be promoted over other concubines if good living, it granted them what no other class
she served him well. Similarly, bearing a male of women enjoyed, a degree of personal
child would improve her rank and bring many freedom.
privileges. Her fundamental role, however, was The girls, as social favourites and the source
to be desirable and pleasing, and for this she of inspiration for some of the greatest poets,
perfected her talents as zealously as the man¬ were affectionately called Fallen Flowers or
darins taking their higher examinations. The Flowers on the Wall, because they could be
most gifted concubines played the lute and the picked by anyone. They were also known as
mandolin, played chess when the master was in Women of the Wind and Dust since they were
a pensive mood, sang and danced when he was creatures who could be blown anywhere. The
gay, fenced or boxed (Chinese-style) when he brothels themselves, similarly, were given such
was feeling energetic, and wrote poetry to romantic names as ‘Hostels of the Sing-Song
record their shared pleasures. Girls’ (ch’ang chid), ‘Ladies of the Green
These qualities, nevertheless, were secondary Bowers’ (ch’ing-lou), and ‘Beauties of the Blue
to her ability as a sex partner. Not only was she Chambers’. This last term came from the blue
skilled in the techniques of love and in offering shutters of the brothel windows, a version of
her master the pleasures his wife could not of¬ the more universal ‘red light’, and was fre¬
fer, the concubine had constant need to be in¬ quently eulogised in song and poetry.
dispensable to the male by keeping him active For the man who simply wanted sex on a
sexually, by reviving him when he was tired, commercial basis, the street-brothel was a con¬
soothing him when he was worried, and even venient institution that had the advantage of
seeking to share some of his problems — an economy, and if he required girls to help him
unthinkable intrusion on the part of a wife. entertain at home, or to provide him with plea¬
The concubine would also be skilled in the con¬ sant company, flexible arrangements were easy
coction of aphrodisiacs for keeping him drink¬ to make. It was also possible for men to com¬
ing at the Jade Fountain, his Towg-strength, by mission a girl for a trial relationship with a
definition, constantly needing the revivifying view to promoting her to concubine if she prov¬
powers of the Yin waters. ed satisfactory. Prostitutes ranged from the
Resident concubines, however, were a luxury high-class courtesan, with her own servants
for most men. With the very rich, this was not and her own ‘foster-mother’, living in palatial
an unbearable burden, and the household fre¬ circumstances, to sing-song girls, dancing girls
quently supported as many as the courts of the and ‘barracks whores’ (Ying-chi) for soldiers in
lesser princes, but as the population increased, camps. Lowest of all, however, were ‘saltwater
and as more humble men coveted women other whores’, who not only worked in the brothels
than their wives, a demand for cultivated and of seaports but allowed their exalted Chinese
exciting females who need not necessarily be bodies to be possessed by foreign sailors and
established in the home was created. Again other species of ‘foreign devils’ (kwai-lo).
Chinese society adapted itself to the changed As with the more elevated concubines,
situation, and a new class of professional courtesans and prostitutes, if they were to rise
woman emerged. Whether as a higher above the lowest categories, had to apply
courtesan, however, or as a prostitute, the new themselves to their training, and for this they

117
 relied on a ‘foster-mother’ (chia-mu being an courtship approaching the real thing — the full
‘adopted-mother’). In turn the girls were given cycle of promise and denial, of hope and
the title of ‘adopted-daughter’, and since no despair, his spirit at once poetical or suicidal.
reason for shame attached itself to the profes¬ When he was finally allowed into her bed¬
sion, the relationship between ‘mother’ and chamber — perhaps after weeks of waiting —
‘daughter’ was often as close as that within a the innocent ‘spring chicken’ (tung-t’ze-ch’i)
family. The ‘mothers’ were also known by the would face his sexual initiation with the same
slang term ‘buzzard’ {pad), and were usually confusion of emotions as a young man with his
retired Fallen Flowers who had invested their first sweetheart.
savings in their protegees.
Old Chinese Proverbs:
As astute businesswomen, they were ever
A youth entering the Blue Chambers for the first
watchful for the opportunity of selling their
time is like the dogs of Szech’uan who see so little
‘daughters’ to any suitor who might see in one of the sun in that district that when it chooses to
of the girls a prospective concubine or wife. shine they bark back in terror.
The girl’s release would not only cost the man The nervous lover is like the idiot cattle of Kiangsu.
the expense the pao had invested in the They tremble at the rising of the moon thinking it
debutante’s training, it would have to cover her to be the sun.
future earnings and possibly the original cost
of the girl if she had been bought from her The reputation of the more famous courtesans
father. Within the brothel itself, assisted by was such that emperors were known to prefer
‘strong-arm men’ {pao-piao), Madame’s word them to their own thousands of concubines,
was law even to the customers. In the more one aspect of the characters of such women,
civilised and sophisticated establishments a their independence, being particularly attrac¬
strict ritual was laid down, tea-drinking tive to those Chinese males bored by sub¬
ceremonies, musical recitals, conventional in¬ missive partners. Some of the courtesans,
troductions and sometimes protracted court¬ because of their freedom, distinguished
ships preceded the eventual admission to the themselves in the arts and excelled even the
bed-chamber. ‘Sex-only’ brothels on a ‘quick- men as poets and song-writers. One such
cash’ basis were regarded as an outlet suitable woman was Yii Hstian-chi (844-871), who had
for only the roughest and least educated of the advantage of friendships with some of the
men, and such customers were bundled in with most brilliant men of her time. As a sixteen-
the next prostitute to fall available. Even in year-old girl only concerned with physical sur¬
better-class ‘Green Bowers’, the powers of the vival in a very competitive profession, she soon
pao were such that she not only regulated mat¬ picked up the basic art of calligraphy, went on
ters to the last detail, she usually assigned her to study the Classics, learnt three musical in¬
customers to the girls she thought most struments, discovered herself to have a voice of
suitable, an aspect of the art of ‘match¬ unmatched sweetness, and finally brought
making’ that was an important attribute of together these varied talents to become a much-
running a successful establishment. admired poetess.
One of the reasons why prostitutes were ac¬ In this early phase of her life, she wrote:
cepted in society and why there was no stigma
to the profession was because of their role as Brief Company
the sweetheart of young Chinese males. The Each man a prince
importance of virginity in all classes above Each man a beggar
Each wearing a crown
peasants and labourers, and the rigid traditions
Each asking for love.
that made a romantic courtship impossible for
unmarried men because of the total seclusion
of respectable girls, encouraged youth to direct They arrive like masters
his feelings to the Fallen Flowers as a substitute But soon become children
for courtship. His father, eager that his son They depart with a bow —
should excel both as lover and husband, often My smile never changes.
introduced him to courtesans for a course of
love-instruction, paying generously for the best What brought them here
education. With the right courtesan, and if she What took them away —
inspired the romantic side of his young feel¬ What are their memories?
ings, the young man frequently enjoyed a My smile never changes.

118
As a woman who was ‘larger-than-life’ Hsiian- The ‘flower boats' of Swatow often supplemented their
chi liked to match her physical prowess with income by transporting goods and passengers along the
rivers. A certain distinguished scholar, innocent of the
that of her lovers, and there are many stories of
true nature of the boat, called for one of the crew
her debauches, her extraordinary consumption during a rainstorm to repair his leaking cabin roof. The
of wine and alcohol, and the fatal attraction of crew member turned out to be a lovely woman attired
lawless characters and criminals. In the com¬ only in a red-sat in bodice. After replacing the roof-
pany of such men she eventually deserted her mats, the woman remained with the scholar for the rest
of the voyage and, after his departure, was able to
high standards, found she was unable to sup¬ charge higher prices for having had the great man as a
port herself in her usual style, and became the client. 19th-century gouache. Private collection, Paris.
concubine of one of them. The man’s
household, however, and particularly his wife, were centres for the high-spirited as well as the
could not tolerate such a self-willed and pas¬ holy-spirited, she was soon caught up in orgies
sionate woman, and Yii Hsiian-chi withdrew to and drinking bouts as demanding as any she
a nunnery. had ever known. The monks who ran these
Here she became interested in Taoism, and establishments expected such beautiful and
as such monasteries, behind their thick walls, talented courtesans to help support not only

119
 practising astrologer and immediately con¬
sulted her charts and omens, then announced
that the soldier had been the Celestial Tiger
Star. Raising her from the dust was symbolical
of his real purpose on earth, which was to offer
her a new destiny.
The two women hurried back to the young
man and invited him to dinner. At the table the
‘eight characters’ of the young couple were
read, and when the pao informed the soldier of
his real identity, he did not contradict her. The
old woman then informed them that they were
destined to marry and that she would release
her ‘foster-daughter’ without the usual com¬
pensation. It was an inviting proposition for a
poor soldier, and the girl had her attractions,
and Han, his name, accepted the offer. Once
married, however, his modest fortunes im¬
mediately changed and within a short period he
was promoted to command the army.
When the wars with the Tatars demanded his
presence at the front, Hung-yu insisted on ac¬
companying him. She took part in every battle,
fighting bravely at his side, and in a naval clash
on the Yangtze river was responsible for saving
the Empire. Han had put himself at the head of
an armada of fighting junks, but these had
come under such heavy assault from the in¬
Attempting to revive the debauched in a 19th-century
vading Tatars that he was on the point of
brothel. Courtesy of the British Museum.
signalling the retreat. Hung-yu, overhearing his
decision, ran up to the deck of the command
themselves but the monastery as well, and one ship and began to beat the war-drum to ad¬
of the men to visit Yii Hsiian-chi in her apart¬ vance. This was taken up by the other ships,
ment was the poet Wen T’ing-yun. In his com¬ the fleet went on to the offensive, and the
pany she soon abandoned whatever restraints a Tatars were chased down the river.
nun’s life might have imposed on her, and A thousand years before Hung-yu, the
departed with Wen on a pleasure-seeking fashion for women to be attached to the
journey round the country, her love for Wen fighting forces had been established when the
was’ the final passion of her life, and when it Emperor Wu (190-87 B.C.) set up a commis¬
had taken its inevitable course, she returned to sion to inquire into the mysterious disease that
the monastery, an exhausted and broken¬ had struck down his best officers. The Taoist
hearted creature, to write her sad yet immortal monks, to whom this was entrusted, reported
poem ‘Selling wilted peonies’. that the yang-spirit of the officers, for long
Another courtesan to inspire legends was deprived of ^//7-essence, was greatly diminish¬
Liang Hung-yu, who started her life in a small ed, and that their health and fighting spirit
town and became a heroine in the eleventh- would only return when their inner harmony
century wars against the Tatars. It was the was restored. Girls were quickly mobilised, not
custom at that time for the prostitutes to get only to provide yin for the officers, but for his
their permits renewed by the Governor, and she ten thousand troops as well.
was approaching the gate of his palace when a In later periods the recruitment of ying-chi
tiger seemed to materialise before her eyes. She (barracks harlots) became more systematised
momentarily fainted, then found herself being and they were employed on a salaried basis.
picked up by the soldier on guard duty. He was When there were not enough volunteers, the
the only other living thing in sight. When she womenfolk of criminals, and the female
returned home, she reported the remarkable vi¬ relatives of those out of favour with the
sion to her ‘foster-mother’. The pao was a authorities, were pressed into service. These

120
Government brothels led to later refinements, Marriage in China, as in other countries where the
and in the Ming period (1368-1644) houses patriarchal system is strong and where ancestor-
were set up for the many grades of the civil ser¬ worship is the chief cult of the people, has become
vice. Those for senior government personnel little else than an institution for the birth of
legitimate children. The principle of sexual selection
were particularly luxurious, the girls the most
does not decide marriages in China: and, since bride
talented and beautiful in the country. An ac¬
and bridegroom frequently have never met before
count of one such de-luxe establishment the wedding-day, when the bargain made by their
describes the variety of furniture and silk parents is ratified, love before marriage is almost im¬
drapes as coming from every corner of the Em¬ possible, and love after marriage is rare enough. Ac¬
pire, and that the temperature was controlled cordingly, in view of the fact that honourable love is
throughout the year by the installation of large hardly ever a theme of Chinese poetry, it is possible
copper heaters in winter and by enormous ice¬ to regard much of the imagery ... as euphemisms,
boxes in summer, the ice being successfully forced on the poet by the nature of his subject ....
stored and preserved in deep pits. ‘Arbours of flower and willow’, ‘haunts of vapour
and flowers’, ‘rouge and powder’, ‘the world of
Marco Polo, too, in the thirteenth-century, flowers’, and other such expressions, have only one
succumbed to the charms of the Fallen Flowers possible meaning to a China man and thereby lose
and in his account of life in Peking (Khan- something of the delicacy which they retain for
balik), after describing the beauty of the city, English ears.
... We are told in the Chronicle of Sundry States
with its palaces and fine mansions, broad
that in the seventh century B.C. a certain minister
avenues and gardens, he writes: ‘With regard named Kwun Chung ‘originated and developed the
to the prostitutes, they are made to reside in the practice of prostitution as a masterpiece of political
suburbs, and there are no fewer than 20,000, economy, making it a source of revenue to the coun¬
all selling their bodies and charms for money. try. Tshai Kwok, the modern Shantung, is described
It is an established part of city life and they are as being then a place of great gaiety and festivity,
organised into groups of one hundred and then and likewise a great commercial emporium; strangers
one thousand, each under a leader. One of the and merchants coming thither from all parts of
reasons for such organisation is because China, and finding there a ready sale for their mer¬
chandise. Kwun Chung, dreading lest the silver of
visitors and ambassadors to the Emperor are
the country should be taken away by these traders in
provided with women for every night of their
exchange for their merchandise, and be entirely lost
stay, the choice of the girls being left to the to the state, thought it good policy to legitimise and
leaders. The visitors, who have a different girl encourage prostitution, and hoped these traders
every night, are not expected to pay, this being would be induced to squander their earnings in pro¬
one of the ways in which prostitutes render fligacy so that their money, or a great portion of it,
their taxes to the Emperor.’ might by this means be left in the country, and
gradually filtered into the exchequer.’ This economic
The pleasure houses of other cities also evok¬ aspect of the question has remained unchanged,
ed Polo’s admiration, particularly those of though the centre of the evil has shifted from the
Kinsai (Elang-chau), and travellers returning state to the household. It is as the solution of a pro¬
home after enjoying the unforgettable charm blem in domestic economy that the father sells his
and delights of the local girls, used to repeat unknowing child, or the husband pawns his wife,
the words: ‘We have been to the City of though in the latter case the victim must be a consen¬
Heaven. Oh, Kinsai, when shall we see you ting party to the bargain. Debt has been known to
again?’ make a woman mortgage her person: while on occa¬
sion the Chinese Government has sold, as a source of
The Chinese prostitute retained her romantic revenue, girls who for their own fault have been
image through the ages, and this goodwill and discarded by their family. But it is always economic
affection was not confined to her own coun¬ necessity, and scarcely ever free choice, that sets
trymen. Cecil Clementi, in his Introduction to women to walk in ‘Willow Lane and Flower Street’.
the translation of Cantonese Love Songs For this cause an intense sadness broods over the
lives of these young girls. ‘Wide, wide is the sea of
(Clarendon Press 1904) relates the story of one
bitterness: ill-fated be more than half therein.’
such girl with a poetry and a sympathy similar Escape is wellnigh impossible. It can be attained only
to many generations of Chinese writers before by one of two means. Either the girl must by her sin
him. The tragedy of the prostitute who is still save money sufficient to ransom herself from the life
pure at heart and who pines to death at the par¬ to which she has been destined; or, if more for¬
ting of a favoured lover is a constantly recurr¬ tunate, she may, before her maidenhood is lost, meet
ing theme. He states: a ‘true-hearted guest-gallant’, whose love will ‘bring

121
her safe to shore’, either as his wife or concubine. say — ‘Would I might live once more!’ The flower-
This is the one ray of hope which lights up the debts [to her ‘foster-mother’] are not yet paid in full,
gloom. and her only hope is in the life to come. So, forced
In a series of varied pictures the Cantonese Songs back into her vile life, night after night she is paired
describe for us the life of such a girl. We see her at with a mate, but ever feels a very loneliness. Lovers
the toilet-table braiding her hair, with the quarrel over her but her heart remains true to her
significance of a love-spell in every action: for, as she departed.
parts her hair so will her lover part all troubles and Would that all men seeing her might come to hate
come to her: the centre of her head-dress symbolises her or, if that cannot be, would that they ceased
the concentration of her heart: the roots of the hair from hating her for jealousy of other men! Then
and the ends of the tresses are signs that she will come the reproaches of her ‘pocket mother’, who
follow her love to the end; the flowers she wears are sees old acquaintances draw back and no new guests
emblematic of her flower-debts, and will win her the arrive. The ledgers show debts only, no payments.
favour of the Flower King; the ‘moon roses’ will gain The Magistrate and his Police storm and threaten as
her the protection of the Old Man in the Moon. they levy the ‘Rouge-tax’, to supply pin-money for
Again, we see the girl, in the brief hour of her hap¬ ladies of the Imperial Palace, and amid this strife of
piness, weaving words with her lover as they stand tongues, old age begins to blight the beauty of this
beside the ring-fence, while he writes on the flower. An instant’s dullness makes her threefold
whitewashed wall the lotus-flower song which they viler in men’s eyes, white hairs hasten upon her, and
have sung together. Suddenly she overhears the chill she grows so frail that she can scarce bear the weight
words of men saying that the peacock and his mate of her garments. At last she dies and her dainty feet
will soon be torn apart. The spring dream is shat¬ tread the wide path of hell.
tered and she bravely takes up the burden of her But hell has no inn; where then can she rest?
predestined sorrow. Her lover is a young and Perhaps a lover will cast paper-money on her tomb,
brilliant scholar, whose debt to his books summons so that bearing money to the Lord of Hell, she may
him to pass examinations at Peking. purchase a place in Heaven’s sanctuary ....
The girl who loves him so tenderly cannot let her
love stand in the way of his advancement. She hopes As most high-class courtesans were women of
to see him one day arrayed in academic robes and some culture, they freely granted their favours
returning home in honour, but the hour of parting to poets and artists and felt well-rewarded to
haunts her .... She whispers in his ear on the pillow receive a poem or a sketch in return. ‘Poetic
her message of good-bye; ‘My love, fair though Pek¬ power’ was a real belief, not only out of respect
ing may be, yet forget not your sweetheart!’ Swiftly
for the writers but because their verse was set to
the hours pass, hope as she may that the forest bran¬
music and could become widely popular. Tales
ches would arrest the setting sun. In a moment his
carriage and horses will be at the door. She forces of heroism and love, starting as poems, often
herself to mirth and laughter, so that her lover may became the ‘pop’ songs of the people. This
go with a light heart; then he is gone northwards. power of the poet was also something to fear,
With yearning eyes she follows the carriage on its as the beautiful courtesan Li Tuan-tuan
way, and when he is out of sight, the girl retires to discovered. She gave great offence to the
her chamber and at last finds relief in long and heavy popular poet Tsui Hei by transferring her
weeping. Nature tries to comfort her, but the song of favours to a high official, and he struck back
the oriole, the fragrance of the flowers, and the ver¬
by immediately writing a poem which dwelt on
nal season only add to her woe. In a lonely bedroom
her duplicity and her ugliness. So convincing
she faces the red lamp set on her table, and in futile
effort raises in her hand a cup so that its shadow on
was his condemnation that Tuan-tuan was
the wall may delude her into seeming less forlorn. soon deserted by her clients. In despair she beg¬
Then she seeks rest in sleep, and in sleep she dreams ged the poet to redress the situation by compos¬
of reunion with her lover. ing a flattering poem. This he agreed to, pro¬
Hark! the sudden scream of the goose has divorc¬ vided their relationship was renewed, and then
ed the wedlock of her dreams. It is the carrier-goose, wrote his best verse, likening her to a white
but come without a letter from her lover. Is he, then, peony that never loses its freshness and its
grown careless — or was it mere indolence in fragrance. His ‘poetic power’ was enough to
writing? If her lover has unsent letters written in his
restore Li Tuan-tuan’s fortunes.
mind, let him send the empty cover so that,
spreading out the blank paper, the fond girl may im¬
agine it holds ten thousand words. He promised to Advice to Men Visiting Brothels
write but, as she counts up the days upon her finger¬ Li Shang-Yin
tips, she reckons that a full half-year has gone by
without news. In time comes despair. She thinks of Do not boast of your prowess as a lover.
suicide but fears to die amiss, lest dying she should Do not make excuses for your failures.

122
Do not perform your toilet in her presence. reach the mind as well as the body. The married
Do not spit on the matting. man, for example, will be more excited by behaviour
Do not bore holes in the partition to that would hardly be displayed by his wife. Reckless
observe others making love. words, praise, expressions of terror at his ferocity
Do not make false promises to her. and at his size — these, with giggles and sighs, should
Do not flatter her with poems unless they accompany the physical initiative. This initiative
are sincere. should not be obvious and can take the form of the
Do not believe her flattery or loving words. most exciting movement of all, that of moving the
Do not make it apparent that you covet her hips during intercourse in the circular movement
‘foster-sisters’. known as ‘millstone grind’. This technique,
Do not steal her possessions on the pretext however, should be avoided with men of dragon
of borrowing. dimensions, and the art of ‘yielding to the tempest’
or ‘riding the blow’ should be practised; and with
such men one must first copiously lubricate the Jade
Men were not the only ones to receive advice,
Gate with honey and buffalo-fat (ngiu-fei) ointment.
however, and the ever-flexible and functional
novel-form of writing was also used to help and The ‘foster-mother’ is equally sound with the
instruct the Fallen Flowers. An eighteenth- advice to her charges on the subject of acquir¬
century novel, Sisters of the Green Bowers by ing extra gifts and advantages. She goes on to
Sung K’ang, features the rise and fall of a wick¬ say:
ed ‘foster-mother’. But the advice to her
debutante ‘daughters’ was both practical and If a man returns to your side four or five times in
sensible: the same week, and insists on your company rather
than that of one of the other girls, the time has come
Yours is a demanding profession, and once your to raise your price. After all, if he wishes to
youth has passed, your usefulness is over. Therefore monopolise you, he must pay extra. It is more pro¬
do not exhaust yourself unnecessarily, accept all gifts fitable and more gracious, however, to obtain this
and offerings, always ask for an excessive sum of extra in the form of presents. The girl should indicate
money. Those clients who are rich will be too proud discreetly that she is wearing nothing to indicate his
to quibble, those who feel the price too high will of¬ love for her, while the other girls in the establishment
fer less, which can either be accepted or rejected. Old are constantly flaunting the jewellery they have
men are the best clients. They demand less, they received. This is the kindest way of saying that she
sleep more and they are more indulgent towards the expects to be taken on a visit to a jeweller’s, ar¬
moods and foibles of young women. The only disad¬ rangements already having been made with the
vantage with them is that one may have to work as jeweller about the pieces that should be recommend¬
hard in arousing them as in satisfying a dragon lover. ed to them. When the visit takes place the girl should
On the other hand they will be prepared to pay extra show no eagerness for expensive pieces since they will
for aphrodisiacs, and the most expensive rather than be suggested by the craftsman. If the finest pieces do
the most effective should be used. If aphrodisiacs not meet with the approval of the lover, this is
fail, recommend a long sleep, flattering them with because they are too expensive. After criticising the
references to the exhausting nature of their impor¬ fine pieces, however, he will still buy what he cannot
tant work and affairs. When they waken, offer them really afford. When he has been persuaded to do
a bowl of chrysanthemum tea. this, remove the jewellery you are wearing, and
With men who are sensitive about a small Jade which he knows to be a present from a previous
Stem, be quick to reassure them, not only with words lover, and contemptuously throw it into the craft¬
but with deeds. A client should be made to feel that sman’s waste-basket. This discarded piece will later
he is a dragon lover, even when he discharges im¬ be returned by the jeweller.
mediately on entering the Flowery Gates. In this case
one should quickly lock the Flowery Gates by con¬ As China was a country of many rivers and a
tracting the vagina, holding him firm with legs long coastline dotted with seaports, the floating
behind his back. If he is normally virile, and if you brothel (hua-chuan) was a feature of most
soon start to move the inner muscles, he will quickly areas with a waterfront population. Junks,
return to the attack. If not, resort to aphrodisiacs or sampans and similar oriental craft were tradi¬
Jade Stem ointments. Great care should be taken tionally used as homes, workshops and eating
with those containing ‘telini fly’ {pan mao), as this establishments, and a constant traffic of small
can create vomiting or irritation.
boats supplied and traded in foodstuffs, hard¬
A woman will preserve her youth and vigour if she
rouses the man to discharge quickly. This is com-
ware, clothing and all the various needs of a
monsense. If a mason can break a stone with one community that preferred to live afloat. Enter¬
blow of the hammer, why should he chip away at it tainment was provided by boats of musicians
with a chisel? The secret of the ‘quick blow’ is to and singers moving along the lines of moored

123
craft, and diversions of a more venal nature The ladies of the Green Bowers were frequently gifted
were offered on the stationary ‘flower boats’. singers and musicians, qualities which were not
necessarily precluded during The Clouds and the Rain.
These were often floating palaces, contain¬
From Yanwo 5 (Harmony), in the Mitchell Library, Sydney.
ing their own restaurants and bath-houses, and
having clients brought from the shore in a ing every advantage of the wealth brought in by
flotilla of tenders, the ‘flower boats’ the foreigners, still managed to retain much of
diminishing in splendour until they were no their own way of life. An area that was par¬
better than sampans with a canvas screen ticularly affected by the unavoidable duplicity
round them. But whether first category ching- and ‘two-facedness’ of such a state of affairs
nu or third category yieh-chi (wild-fowl), the was that of pleasure houses and pleasure girls.
prostitutes still qualified as ‘Celestial Water- There were as many as two hundred dance halls
lilies’. High or low, rich or poor, the girls that were regarded as socially respectable, at
belonged to an honourable profession, which least on the surface, but which were places
obliged them to greet their clients with a where introductions could be made which later
preliminary tea-drinking ceremony, an in¬ took the couples to hotel bedrooms or the girls’
troduction of politeness and grace, and any apartments; and there were over three thou¬
references to payment and money would be sand brothels. These were divided into
similarly discreet. And by moonlight, with categories ranging from the traditional Green
many of the craft covered with flowers, climb¬ Bowers to the low-class establishments in the
ing plants and decorated lanterns, with the Fourth Ayenue area (Si-Ma-Lu). In turn, both
breeze cool after the hot day and the current high and low categories provided separately for
creating a slightly swaying movement, the Chinese and foreigners, or allowed them to
flower boats must have seemed a most roman¬ mix. They were open twenty-four hours a day,
tic setting for the pleasures of the Clouds and and since the city was a place of bright lights
the Rain. and constant activity, the brothels were an im¬
In the nineteen-twenties and thirties portant and vital element in the life of the
Shanghai had the reputation of being ‘The Sin metropolis.
Capital of the World’. Most of the city was In this last gay era, before Communist rule
divided into foreign enclaves which were ruled eventually eliminated the brothels and Fallen
by the western and Japanese occupying Flowers within twenty-four hours, one was also
powers, and the Chinese population, while tak¬ conscious of the establishments being a

124
meeting place of East and West, the Chinese re¬ Kissing and the fondling of breasts, not usual in the
maining true to themselves yet adapting the older erotic paintings, became more common as
Chinese artists were attracted to the ‘export ’ market.
traditional ‘Green Bowers’ to the tastes and
From Yanwo 5 in the Mitchell Library, Sydney.
customs of the ‘foreign devils’. The following
story, My Night with Miss Ace by Li-Chung, for the best, and that elementary law applied as
from Shanghai Stories (1928), creates much in my humble village as it did here. So I was in¬
trigued to know what I was paying for. I was also
something of the atmosphere of the end of an
curious to discover what made a woman like Miss
era; in fact of two thousand years of Willow Ace Number One rather than Number Two.
Lane life. The prostitute in the story, while re¬ ‘Look,’ I said, ‘I’ll pay a bit more if you can push
maining essentially Chinese, has already ab¬ me in tonight.’
sorbed much that was western: The receptionist did not even trouble to open the
gold-edged leather appointments book.
In my small village sixty miles from Shanghai the ‘Your appointment, sir, is at nine next Sunday
bright lights of that wicked city, even though they evening.’ She handed me a receipt which she had
could not be seen at that distance, still blazed each been completing. ‘I’ve put the time on, so you can’t
night in the minds of young men like myself. And as make a mistake.’
soon as I was able, at the age of twenty-two, I had She was quite a beauty herself and I wondered
saved up enough money for that greatest of earthly how much of her time was spent in secretarial duties.
blessings, a few nights of sin. I followed my cousin’s But I said: ‘I’ve come a long way and I can’t wait a
advice and walked straight into The Mists and Dew whole week in Shanghai. Surely Miss Ace can’t be
of Paradise establishment, which he had recom¬ completely booked up?’
mended as the best in that great city, but instead of ‘Our basis of business is strictly first-come-first-
being welcomed with friendly informality I might served,’ she replied. ‘With someone like Miss Ace,
just as well have walked into an office. no one ever misses an appointment, so a vacancy is
Before I had realised what was happening I had hardly likely to occur.’
paid over one hundred dollars as a booking fee, the It was true that there were plenty of foreign devils
balance to be paid on the date of my appointment, in Shanghai [1928] and they had introduced all kinds
and had been told to return on the following Sunday. of western style pressures and procedures, but I had
The price was bad enough, but I had certainly not hardly expected their presence to affect things like
foreseen a week’s delay in meeting the woman of my this.
choice, their Number One Poule de Luxe, Miss Ace ‘Look,’ I said impatiently. ‘I can’t believe that
or White Fragrance. Miss Ace is like one of these foreign medical
I had been saving up for two years for this trip to specialists where you have to wait days. This is a
Shanghai and I wanted only the best. One had to pay pleasure house not a hospital!’
 ‘With doctors it’s sometimes a matter of life and ‘She needs a little rest, you know. Besides, it’s still
death,’ she said sharply. ‘With us nobody dies if they only eight-fifty.’
have to wait a few days. In fact the wait could pep A serving girl brought in a large tray of tea, cakes,
them up.’ candies and melon seeds, as if the stage was being
‘Is there really nothing today?’ I asked again. prepared for the purpose of my visit.
A second receptionist came out of an adjacent ‘If I find tonight to my liking, when could I make
room, holding a similar appointment book and a roll another appointment?’
of money that must have been quite five hundred ‘In two weeks. After all, she’s the Number One of
dollars. At least customers were given privacy from the metropolis.’
the very beginning, I thought. As the receptionist’s eyes moved from my face, I
‘To take only today,’ went on my receptionist, was aware that she was smiling at someone who had
showing a little sympathy, ‘Miss Ace is now with a entered soundlessly. I turned quickly and knew in¬
rich Peking client at the House of Peace and Hap¬ stantly that the magnificent figure standing inside the
piness. She leaves him at four and is with a high- curtain to the annex must be Miss Ace. How does
ranking army officer from four-thirty to six-thirty. one describe this kind of overwhelming beauty? By
From seven to nine she’ll be at the Great Oriental saying that she looked the part? That she was regal,
Hotel with a Cantonese lawyer, and from nine-thirty as if we were honoured by her presence? She moved
to eleven-thirty she goes to a regular customer at the forward — and with what effortless grace. Her dress
House of Fragrance Hotel. So how can I possibly was western and she was tall, her skin was a creamy-
squeeze you in?’ white, and each feature of her face made a dazzling
‘And she keeps that up every day? She must have contrast to this lightness of colour.
the constitution of a champion athlete.’ It was not only love at first sight, it was ‘erection
‘She isn’t Miss Ace for nothing. Just make sure at first sight’. Like someone rising from a chair to
you don’t lose your receipt otherwise you won’t be greet the visitor, within five seconds my Jade Stem
received even next Sunday.’ was standing upright. When I turned round, the
I placed it in my wallet as if I were taking care of a receptionist had disappeared.
land-register certificate. And a first-class plot of land ‘Well, I’m sure you haven’t come just to stare at
at that! When I left the establishment and began to me,’ Miss Ace said at last. ‘If you’ll tell me what
wander back to my lodging room I again reflected on pleasure you prefer, we can proceed.’
the possible difference between Miss One and Miss The question puzzled me. Surely it was obvious
Two. Was it her body, her technique, what she gave, what I’d come for.
what she promised? And for the next seven days, Then she explained: ‘Do you wish to enjoy the ex¬
which I decided to spend in Shanghai, it was a ques¬ citement of sex or the sensuality of sex?’
tion that never quite left my mind. ‘What’s the difference?’
But days inevitably arrive; and so did that Sunday. She replied by extending a hand, and her touch
In the afternoon I went to a cinema, but did not real¬ caused me to tremble.
ly see the film, and then called on a cousin, but was ‘Let’s get undressed.’ she whispered.
so preoccupied I must have left the most awful im¬ I was totally obedient to the command but being a
pression of rudeness. I took a rickshaw to The Mists little shy, I was only half-undressed when she was
and Dew of Paradise and gave the coolie an extra standing in front of me like one of those western
dollar for being so quick, then discovered I was fif¬ statues of naked women. I forgot my shyness in my
teen minutes early. Would it look as though I were haste to complete my undressing, and once I had
too eager to push between the doors? The hesitation given her body a general survey my eyes stayed on a
was momentary, and at last I was facing the woman neat triangle of the silkiest black hair imaginable.
who had received me on the previous Sunday. ‘Since you seem so interested in that part — here!’
‘Follow me, please,’ she said to once. She reached into a bedside cupboard and handed
I followed her, expecting to be led to a waiting me a magnifying glass, then swung round one of the
room. adjustable standard lamps. But in the direction of
‘But this surely can’t be a waiting room.’ I gasped. the sofa, not at the bed. When she lay down she was
I had never seen such luxury. The carpet was like therefore illuminated by a beam of light, and as I ap¬
stepping on to fresh snow, the furniture fit for a proached she placed one leg on the high wooden bar
millionaire’s apartment, the bed covered with a silk that had puzzled me. I rested my knees on the edge
lace spread and under the glow of numerous stan¬ of the sofa and took up a position that allowed me to
dard and bedside lamps. But what surprised me most stare directly into the lovely Flower Heart. I needed
were six mirrors forming a screen round the bed and some moments to find the courage to separate the in¬
placed so that the reflection went on to infinity. ner pink lips, and since this was a very special ex¬
Before the receptionist left me I asked her the pur¬ perience, I was aware of myself trying to memorise
pose of a curiously solid piece of wood dividing the every detail. The Jade Gate is really heart-shaped, I
sofa into two sections. thought, a little like a firmly-curved mouth. The
‘You’ll soon find out,’ she said mischievously. term commonly used among my friends, the ‘one-
‘When is Miss Ace coming?’ square inch’, was not quite accurate, because it was

126
The pose, as well as the voluptuous treatment of limbs
and breasts, suggests that the artist was influenced by
Western painting. Gouache on paper. Private
collection, Paris.

127
neither one inch nor square but more like two by cancel all my appointments for the night. Would you
one-half inch. care to be my guest until daylight?’ I decided there
At this point of my inspection I was overwhelmed must be a catch somewhere, and she added: ‘Your
by a wonderful perfume which became stronger the “monk” can take a five-minute rest, then I shall ex¬
more I opened the Flower Heart. Did all women pect him to be ready for the next battle.’
smell like this, I wondered. I threw aside the magni¬ When I returned from the bathroom, she was
fying glass and gave the moist centre a firm kiss, then reclining on the bed. My mind was suddenly full of
looked at her with boylike adoration. She winked in spring thoughts no doubt encouraged by the idea of
return. being in a bower of jasmine, lilac, peonies and lilies-
‘Is your bald-headed “monk” ready to visit the of-the-valley. As I joined her on that wide altar-of-
“temple”?’ she inquired pleasantly. love, she pulled from under the pillows a miniature
‘The “monk” is quite ready. Will you receive him mushroom-shaped cap.
now?’ ‘This is for that bald-headed warrior of yours,’ she
‘Except for the goddess Kwan-Ying, who will do said gaily. *
battle with your warrior “monk”, the “temple” is I looked inside what appeared a deep pouch, and
all yours.’ noticed that it had been dusted with a pepper-like
‘Unfortunately this is the first battle for my powder and that round the brim there were sprays of
“monk” so I don’t think I can match Kwan-Ying.’ stiff bristles. My ‘monk’ was only half-erect but as
‘He may be better than you think.’ soon as I crowned him with the silken bag, he reared
With these encouraging words, we moved from forward and up as if inflated with air. Miss Ace lay
the couch to the bed, across which she spread herself back and proudly ^surveyed her achievement.
like a starfish, then she guided the ‘monk’ into the ‘You really have a shining knight in armour there,’
‘temple’. It was a slow, even formal introduction in¬ she exclaimed. ‘I think I will light an incense stick to
to that well-lubricated chamber, but this was decep¬ my goddess Kwan-Ying.’
tive. Once across the threshold, before he had time, My impatient monk managed to control himself as
really, to become familiar with the surroundings, my the object of his desire slipped out of bed and walked
poor ‘monk’ was seized in a stranglehold that was naked to a small bead curtain across a recess in the
loose and tight at the same time. Suddenly I realised wall. When she pulled the red beads aside, a small
he was fighting for his life and that I had to help him gilded goddess on a pedestal was revealed, and when
in every possible way. I therefore swung one way she pressed a switch, a red electric bulb bathed the
then another, pulling him back, shooting him for¬ figure in the rosy light.
ward. With this Miss Ace, it wasn’t sex but a fight to Miss Ace lit an incense stick and placed it in a
the death! brass urn, knelt before Kwan-Ying, mumbled a plea
I looked into her eyes, which had momentarily for divine help, bowed again, then rose to her feet.
opened. Her mouth sucked forward into a kiss that ‘Now I’m ready for battle,’ she said firmly, lying
was as devouring as the clutch of the Lower instantly on the bed, raising her knees and position¬
Chamber. ing those exquisite parts in readiness for the assault.
‘Your “monk” is proving a better fighter than you ‘Why do you hesitate?’
thought,’ she gasped. ‘My “goddess” hasn’t fought ‘I will go and close the curtain,’ I said. ‘It’s not
like this for a long time.’ fair on me to have Kwan-Ying watching.’
How beautiful are those limbs, I thought, when I
This flattery was worth every cent of the small for¬ was back on the bed and kneeling between her legs.
tune I had paid for this session, and I was suddenly And how luscious the moist Gate seemed, and the
confident that I could take the initiative. Getting my silken phoenix hairs flanking it ... But this was not
knees solid in the mattress, I sent the ‘monk’ into a the moment to feel poetical. My ‘knight’ made an in¬
series of really savage assaults, and my reward was to stant rush for the ‘pleasure temple’, the plumes of his
see the last trace of her smile vanish and become an new helmet disappearing through the Gate, and was
expression of concentrated passion and fury. She instantly creating havoc. My beautiful companion
moaned and swore, she whimpered and begged for reared instantly, and I felt the passion to be genuine
more, one word contradicting the next. But the rather than a pretence to keep a customer happy. A
message was clear. I was winning and she was enjoy¬ few wild jerks with the intention of throwing me off
ing it. When we reached the Ultimate, our bodies yet keeping me there were followed by a vicious
had turned so that our feet were on the pillows. We biting of the pillow and only a slightly less mad suck¬
lay sweating for some minutes, and this rest was ing at my neck and ear. Once the battle movements
almost as consuming as the sex had been. had been established at this explosive level, the
Eventually she led me into a bathroom, douched pleasure came with the infliction of violence and pain
herself then used perfumed water to wash my Jade on each other. The kisses turned to biting, the
Stem. She did this in a leisurely way, turning it and caresses to snatching and thumping, the thrusting in¬
raising it with some curiosity. to the solid impact of bodies. It could not last long,
‘This is really a most powerful and beautiful battle and it didn’t; and once we had burst the clouds we
implement. I’m going to tell the receptionist to collapsed into a silent heap.

128
The girls on the numerous ‘flower boats' of Canton
were usually of the Tanka (tan-chia) tribe, did not bind
their feet and were not permitted to marry other
Chinese. 19th-century erotic album. By kind permission
of the British Museum.

Sex Position for the Garden. The male body was

usually painted a darker shade than the ‘lily’
complexion of the woman. 19th-century erotic album.
Courtesy private collection, Paris.

129
 But only briefly. She pulled off my plumed ‘cap of side, not to mention all her other qualities, it took
desire’, reached for what looked like a pot of make¬ Miss Ace exactly two years to become Shanghai’s
up cream, and lavishly greased my now rather sadly- Number One.
limp ‘warrior’. The lifelessness in the soft flesh ‘And now, to turn from my past, we shall try one
quickly turned to a tingling sensation, not painful of our imaginative and traditional methods,’ Miss
but distinctly burning, and to my astonishment, since Ace concluded.
this was the third time within the hour, my warrior- I had already noticed the surprising number of
knight was again ready for battle. As if satisfied with lights hanging from the ceiling. Now, as she took me
the miracle she had produced, Miss Ace again cross¬ by the hand, I realised that four of them were
ed to the recess that curtained the goddess Kwan- decorative chains and that what appeared to be
Ying, and having completed her devotions, returned lampshades were in fact wide leather collars. With
and said: the help of a high stool, I fastened the collars round
‘You have clearly conquered the Front Chamber. her ankles and wrists and soon she was swinging free¬
Now let’s see what you can do at the rear. You won’t ly through the air. The^chains were so placed that the
find it quite so easy, I can assure you.’ Jade Gate was wide open for the visitor, and the
The sheets of the bed were a peacock green, and as visitor at the sight of Miss Ace’s helplessness, had
she knelt to receive me, with her forehead pressed on already begun to rise in anticipation.
the pillow, I was reminded of a white pony eating the ‘Just the slightest touch will be enough.’
blue-mountain grass of Tai-Shan. When I found her This remark from Miss Ace was true in two senses.
body a little low, I took two of the pillows and made She clearly liked being at the mercy of my ‘warrior
her kneel on them, then aimed for the rear pleasure knight’, and as soon as I moved between her knees
chamber. Despite my cream-coated ‘monk’, it was a and took a good grip on her swinging buttocks, she
very difficult entry. Miss Ace had given me to closed her eyes and sagged like a corpse. And once I
understand that my dimensions were something to be had guided myself into the Flower Heart, it needed
proud of, and so it appeared. She gasped and moan¬ only the merest pressure to push her a few inches
ed as I slowly completed possession, lifting her under away from me. Once released, the return of the sw¬
the stomach and drawing her towards me as I pressed ing slid her back against my body. Of all the battles
forward. No virgin was ever tighter. It was a curious we had so far enjoyed, this was the gentlest, the one
variation of our previous two battles, and because of that required least effort yet the one that gave most
this was infinitely more exciting. Particularly as I pleasure. Miss Ace was completely helpless, a
realised why this love-variation was called ‘the strait plaything, slave to whatever rhythms and motions I
and the narrow’ or ‘the slippery and the dry’. cared to indulge in. And when I finally enjoyed the
It was a mark of the Number One qualities of Miss Ultimate, I collapsed over her and together we
Ace that, despite her body being turned away from hovered in the air like two phoenixes.
me, she still managed a number of touches and sup¬ ‘Well, that’s enough of this imitation of our il¬
porting effects, and it was not long before I clutched lustrious ancestors,’ said Miss Ace. ‘Now help me in¬
her as the spear finally transfixed her for an ecstatic to bed.’
sharing of the ‘cloudburst’. To say that I was now exhausted was an
This time we both needed a longer rest, and tea understatement, and once in bed I found myself
was served by a maid who stared at me with interest; struggling to find my breath. My wonderful hostess,
not at my body, which was now between those however, was as cheerful and lovely as ever. She call¬
peacock green sheets but as if I must have special ed for more tea and cakes, and I was soon sitting up
talents to be allowed to stay the whole night. The tea and feeling a little livelier. When I spoke, there was
revived me and during the interval Miss Ace told me only one thing I could say.
a little of how, at twenty-two, she had reached the ‘You richly deserve your title of Number One.
top of her profession. At sixteen she had come to When I return to my village, I’ll start saving every
Shanghai from Peking, become the mistress of a dollar I can so that I can come back soon.’
French diplomat, been discovered by the man’s wife For the first time that night, Miss Ace’s profes¬
who, instead of showing fury or jealousy, had then sional manner changed. Instead of the brightly char¬
instructed the young girl in the finer arts of the ming and efficient courtesan who could entertain
courtesan. A trusting friendship had developed bet¬ rich businessmen, highly-placed foreigners and more
ween the two women, and the wife eventually confid¬ modest customers like myself, she became the simple
ed that each afternoon, unknown to her husband, and unspoilt girl she must once have been.
she spent two or three hours entertaining rich ‘You should look for a girl in your village, so¬
Chinese businessmen prepared to pay excessively for meone you can love with your heart and liver as well
the comparatively rare experience of a beautiful and as with your body. The Yin-Yang pleasures we are
talented Frenchwoman. When her husband was having now, and which deceive you because of my
assassinated by one of these Chinese suitors, who expertness and experience, still cannot equal the
had become jealous of him, both Madame Lucille deepest ecstasy of the Clouds and the Rain, that
and the woman now telling me this story had entered which comes with the true Yin partner. But you’re
the Mists and Dew of Paradise. With youth on her young. You’ll learn.’

130
 I looked at her with disbelief. She was betraying all a shrug and a twitch of mouth and eyes. Miss Ace
the wonderful joys we were experiencing. Could any began to fondle my Jade Stem as if reflecting on
true Yin partner have made me feel better, more what variation we should try next, and I was glad
triumphant and manly than I now felt? What foreign that she was getting back to business. In life, as our
romantic nonsense had this girl picked up in Confucian beliefs teach us, we should know exactly
Shanghai, in this cosmopolitan city? And as for her what we are and where we belong in society. Miss
remarks about my youth — what could be more im¬ Ace was Number One in Shanghai, and in my mind
mature than her talk of love, of thinking that there that was something to be proud of, not ashamed of.
was more to a woman than the sex-pleasure she What was all this western nonsense about finding
could give to a man. As I lay on her bed, surrounded love in one’s village, putting the Yin-Yang Harmony
by furnishings that were more western than Chinese, second to some vague spiritual thing called love? But
and realised that Miss Ace had somehow crossed a Miss Ace had not lost her expert touch in that mo¬
frontier and would never again really belong to her ment of romantic weakness. Once again Yang was
people, the extent of my triumph and my superiority being prepared for battle. Miss Ace really had that
seemed even more apparent. With all her experience, bit extra. And I meant what I had just said to her.
she was the immature one of the two of us. I was still The day I got back to my village I’d start saving for
a part of our old and superior civilisation, the Yang my next trip to Shanghai.
expression of it, while Miss Ace was just another
Old Chinese Proverb:
female, with a Chinese face, of this modern and
The poison of the black scorpion
deluded society of the West.
Or of the green snake
‘I’d still want to come and see you again,’ I said at
Is less deadly
last. ‘But what are we going to do now?’
Than that in a woman’s heart.
The question brought the bright professional look
back to her face. The sweet peasant girl of a not-so- A young woman wakens from an afternoon rest
distant yet infinitely lost earlier life disappeared with watched by a neighbour. Gouache. 19th-century album.

131
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 As early as the Chou dynasty (eleventh cen¬
tury B.C.) the importance of stories and poems
had been recognised by the court and were
commissioned, frequently set to music and
distributed throughout the state. A further
development of this growing appreciation of
their culture was the annual tour by ad¬
ministrators and rulers to discover new works
and talent, which were then taken back to the
capital, recorded and sent into general circula¬
tion. The success of this ‘grass roots’ culture
depended on the popularity of the works, and
their being understood when recited by story¬
tellers to illiterate villagers, and they formed an
early corpus of folk songs and tales. As such
their comprehensibility to the simple and pagan
audience was related to the directness and the
familiarity of their themes. Love and war,
heroes and tyrants, beautiful women and terri¬
fying monsters were therefore the ever-popular
subjects.
Among the Five Classics dating from Con¬
fucius (551-479 B.C.) or earlier, the Shih-ching
or ‘Book of Odes’, a collection of such tales
and songs, is regarded as the only one to sur¬
vive with a minimum of deletions and changes.
One of the reasons for its good fortune in
resisting censorship and frequent literary
purges, which occasionally struck at the most
If in my heart I love him
Why should I not tell him. innocuous works, was the fundamental
If with my body I want him simplicity yet timeless morality of their
Why should I not tell him. message.
From the Shih-ching (600 B.C.)
The river Chen flows sweetly
In his preface to Gems of Chinese Literature, The knight and his maid lie together
published in 1884, H.A. Giles deplored the The water is clear in the sunlight
And after love they give peonies to each other.
failure of western readers to discover the
Shih-ching
treasure house of Chinese literature. He stated:
‘Dr Legge’s colossal labours have indeed plac¬ The delight of simple people in natural
ed the canonical books of Confucianism wihin pleasures inevitably caused a censorious reac¬
easy reach of the curious but the immense bulk tion among the more conservative and moralis¬
of Chinese authorship is still virgin soil and re¬ ing of scholars and administrators, and a little
mains to be efficiently explored.’ Almost a cen¬ after the Early Chou Dynasty, Confucius ut¬
tury later the position has improved a little but tered a warning against vulgarity in poetry and
in no way commensurate with a literary tradi¬ music: ‘These “people’s odes” composed for
tion older, more varied and versatile, and more the lower classes and sung by both men and
prolific in its output, than any of the other an¬ women, encourage lewdness and base
cient and continuing civilisations. H.A. Giles thoughts, play on the senses rather than on the
added another pertinent observation which is mind, and cause riotous behaviour at festivals,
not without relevance today: ‘The sickly marriages, and even at funerals.’ Five hundred
praises lavished . . . upon Japan, the odious years after the severe strictures of the Master,
comparisons drawn by superficial observers to however the growing influence of Buddhism,
the disparagement of China — these are gall together with Taoism, again encouraged that
and wormwood to all who know under whose which was most individualistic and pagan in
tuition it was that Japan first learned to read, Chinese poetry and literature. The Golden Age
to write, and to think.’ of Chinese writing during the T’ang Dynasty

134
that followed, undoubtedly owed much to the house, market place and social occasion, and
naturalism of both of these faiths, if not direct¬ his repertoire extended to romantic tales, con¬
ly then to a revival of romantic and lyrical temporary scandals and other departures from
simplicity. Among the outstanding poets of traditional narratives about remarkable
this period were Wang Wei (699-759), Li Po ancestors and the supernatural. Emperor Kao-
(701-762), Tu Fu (712-770), Po Chu-1 tsung in the twelfth-century found this new
(771-846); and the glorious era of T’ang dynas¬ genre so exciting that he ordered his eunuchs to
ty literature at last brought relief from the entertain him with an original story every day,
over-refinement and formalisation of classical and for preference recited or sung by the street-
writing. entertainer himself.
An example of Li Po’s romanticism is the Such stories now began to be adopted for
nostalgic She Who Stays Afar: more sustained narratives, and formed the
During her days here themes of early novels. The techniques that
— My enchanted — were so successful in the tea-houses and on
Flowers were everywhere street corners, reciting complete episodes yet
With her departure making them part of a longer and suspenseful
— My enchanted — tale, were now used in printed fiction. A wide
Her empty bed remains
variety of characters could be set in motion,
On it the coverlet
progressing from one exciting episode to
— Three years later —
That still holds her scent another, breaking out of the limitations of
The fragrance will stay both academic writing and the recited story or
— My enchanted — song. It was an ideal form for pornographic
Though she never returns novels; and they soon followed. It was not by
As I hold to the memories coincidence, that some of the masterpieces of
Autumn leaves fall the Ming dynasty were set in the Sung period,
And tears of dew
Lie on the green moss
The Busy Mother. Another example of Chinese
humour. Behind her a child is pacified with a candy as
During the Sung Dynasty (960-1279), the the father is welcomed at the Jade Gate. 19th-century
itinerant story-teller was a feature of every tea¬ gouache. Private collection, Paris.

135
 The Lady Submits to the Leaping White Tiger. K’ang-
hsi (1662-1722). A painting on silk from the C.T. Loo
collection, Paris.

136
and such novels as the Chin P’ing Mei, the Ko- essential Chinese quality of cheerfully accep¬
lien-hua-ying (Flower Shadows on the Curtain ting the inescapable forces of time and fate.
Screen or Silhouettes of the sex-act) and the The Jou pu T’uan by Li Yu was first publish¬
works of Mao Hsiang (1611-1693) and Li Yii ed in the seventeenth-century, and the follow¬
have the timeless human qualities — and much ing extract is translated from the 1705 edition,
humour — that bridge the centuries between printed in Japan. The hero, usually referred to
those early street-entertainers and the modern as the Scholar, or the Night-time Scholar to
Chinese. define the period of his most intensive studies,
Fiction was now committed to entertaining temporarily leaves his wife for a long journey,
rather than inspiring or instructing, though the on which he hopes to improve ‘his mind and
novel often contained lengthy dissertations on soul’. In the course of the sex odyssey that this
subjects regarded as too trivial for scholars or journey becomes, he has acquired the enor¬
too dangerous politically to be presented in a mous penis described in Chapter Four, and
more direct form. The worst pornographic puts it to use at every available opportunity.
literature, in the eyes of Chinese rulers, was The following exploit features a sex-
preferable to books questioning their authori¬ competition, and begins when Auntie Morning
ty, upsetting Confucian ideas and values, or Flower, a middle-aged woman, walks into a
opposing traditional practices such as bound bedroom where the Scholar is making love to
feet or pigtails. But there were times when even her three young nieces. She at once marches
pornographic literature was caught in the him off to her own room and enjoys a little fun
recurring periods of book-burning. So for herself. Her three nieces, however, are not
thorough were these Empire-wide ‘puritan’ prepared to allow her to be possessive with the
crusades that many of the masterpieces of the Scholar, and they connive to involve their aunt
past have only survived because, in earlier in a game which, though apparently a sex com¬
times, they had found their way to Japan, petition, will also punish the older woman for
which always had a high regard for Chinese her intrusion. The competition begins with a
card-game, each card being illustrated with a
erotica.
position for intercourse; and the wine flows
The Chinese erotic novel, despite the
freely.
boundless flights of fancy in the story itself,
conformed to a certain classical style and form. The rules were agreed and Auntie Morning Flower
persuaded to be Chairman-Commander and the
With solemn ‘hand-on-heart’ propriety, the
Scholar her deputy. She started by drinking a cup of
novel began with an introduction extolling wine herself and ordering Aromatic Cloud to drink
‘right-thinking’ and high morals, warning the two, Precious Jade to drink three and Priceless Pearl
reader that the story to follow was to be taken to have four. As the Scholar had to match their total
seriously, and that the riotous adventures of consumption, he proceeded to drink ten cups in suc¬
the characters — or hero — led to their repen¬ cession. When he had finished, Auntie Morning
tance, well-deserved punishment or downfall. Flower ordered Precious Jade to wipe the cards with
Once the sermon was over, however, the hero a damp cloth so that they would not stick, then told
was let loose among the girls. A second her to keep the cloth in her hand to clean away any
secretions that would flow during the competition.
characteristic that paid lip-service to the
They drew lots to decide who would pick the top
classics was the habit of breaking off the nar¬
card, the arrangement being that intercourse would
rative to insert a poem or verse, the purpose of copy the sex position illustrated but that the Scholar
which was to point the moral of the chapter or would raise his performance from one hundred
situation. But actions — or the adventures of thrusts with the first partner to four hundred with
the characters — spoke loudest of all, and the the last. He was also, with the partner fortunate
Chinese erotic novel was at all times a gay and enough to be last, to nourish her with his Vital
pagan affair. Essence. Any failure to join in the spirit of the com¬
In previous chapters the authors have of¬ petition, by refusing to adopt the love position on
fered excerpts from a number of novels, usual¬ the card, would be punished by having to drink
twenty cups of wine and being disqualified from all
ly to illustrate or comment on the subject under
further frolics with the Scholar.
scrutiny, but the extracts that follow are situa¬
Priceless Pearl, however, with the trick they had
tion pieces that can be appreciated for what prepared for her in mind, then asked Auntie Morn¬
they are. With excerpts from the two master¬ ing Flower: ‘And if the Chairman-Commander
pieces, Joupu T’uan and Chin P’ing Mei, there herself should choose to dishonour her word — sure¬
are presented more modern examples of erotic ly there should be a specially severe punishment for
fiction and verse, but all seem to share the her?’

137
 The older woman reassured her at once.
‘In that case I undertake to drink a triple quantity
of wine and I will submit to being forced to go
through every position illustrated on all thirty cards.’
The young nieces, all between seventeen and twen¬
ty years of age, were satisfied at last, and Priceless
Pearl proceeded to take the top card. It showed a
splendid picture of a man supported on his hands
and feet and arching over a naked woman lying
beneath him. His Jade Stem was clearly flicking at
the Pavilion Gate and as the position was called
Dragon-fly Skimming the Surface of the Pond, they
all knew what that entailed. The card was replaced in
the pack and the Scholar and Priceless Pearl were
quickly disrobed by the other women, then helped
on to the bed. But if they expected the Scholar to be
content with a delicate dance within the Gateway,
they were certainly surprised. With remarkable
energy he proceeded to thrust into her one hundred
The Bamboo Grove was considered an erotic setting for
times, disregarding the rules but hardly causing lovers as welt as an inspiration for poets and thinkers.
Priceless Pearl to complain. In fact, for her part, in¬ 17th-century blockprint.
tent on reassuring her aunt about the genuineness of
the competition, she moaned and gasped as if every The nieces remained silent, pretending to wait pa¬
movement was arousing unendurable pleasure. tiently to be shown the card. But instead of Auntie
Aromatic Cloud was the next to pick a card. It was Morning Flower speaking, she had gone deathly
called Guiding the Boat by the Current and showed a pale.
woman reclining in an armchair and a man standing ‘Is something wrong, auntie?’ Priceless Pearl ask¬
between her legs, which had been thrown over his ed at last.
shoulders. The likeness to a boatman was because he ‘There’s been a mistake,’ replied her aunt quickly.
was holding on to the arms of the chair as if they ‘I’ll have to take another card.’
were two oars. And when he plunged into the glisten¬ The girls, however, had anticipated this reaction,
ing Golden Gulley, the upheaval of bodies was as if and before Auntie Morning Flower could replace the
they were really being tossed about on a swirling cur¬ card, the pack was snatched away and held out of
rent. reach.
Meanwhile Auntie Morning Flower was becoming ‘Remember the rules!’ cried Priceless Pearl.
greatly excited by what she was witnessing. Although ‘After all, you’re Chairman-Commander!’
having been married quite twenty years, her own sex Suddenly Aromatic Cloud pulled the card from
battles had always been conducted in the dark. And the older woman’s weakened fingers, studied it, and
she had never been able to stand at the feet of others shouted:
enjoying the Clouds and the Rain and see at close ‘Why, it’s the position known as Slave Girt Must
range the thrusting into the Jade Pavilion. She was Accept Anything! Oh, auntie, auntie . . . ’
so affected that she felt her own organs trembling The three nieces burst into a simultaneous fit of
and moistening with anticipation; when it was her uncontrollable laughter, and the situation was made
turn, she remembered joyfully, the Scholar was to go even funnier by the fact that Auntie Morning Flower
on until she had gained his Vital Essence. As she wat¬ clearly suspected nothing. The position on the card
ched, however, she could not control her body from revealed a girl being forced over a high couch by two
copying the up-and-down movements of Aromatic others while the man indulged in the anal variation
Cloud. of ‘fire behind the mountain’.
Precious Jade was the next to receive the merciless Without troubling to pull up her trousers, which
and apparently tireless Male Peak, and this time, as remained round her ankles, the aunt cried: ‘This is
if now anxious to get at Auntie Morning Flower, the one thing I never expected. In all my twenty years
Scholar went through the three hundred thrusts with your Uncle Wei, not once did I. . . ’
without pause in the position known as The Lotus The girls at last controlled their laughter and
Upside Down. And he had hardly withdrawn his pointed out that if the card was so objectionable, she
glistening implement when the older woman was as the chairman-commander should have removed it
reaching to take the top card. Her other hand impa¬ before the game had begun. They then turned to the
tiently loosened the knot of her trousers, and as they deputy for support, and though the Scholar
dropped round her ankles she eagerly turned over the suspected that the card had purposely been placed
card. fourth, he had no firm proof of the fact.
Her eyes narrowed for a moment as the picture Holding his enormous implement in one hand, as
came into focus, then she uttered a gasp of disbelief. if its weight required some support, he therefore

138
compromised by suggesting that the aunt should be patron of the arts, nevertheless upheld the cen¬
spared a slave-girl’s indignity but that she should sorship and was, in fact, responsible for exten¬
submit to four other positions without pause. ding its severity. Suppressing the interpreta¬
The nieces’ reply was to shout, ‘Fang-pi (dogs’ tions of the Classics by Hsieh Chi-Shih, Ch’ien
fart)!’ But Aromatic Cloud went on to say that at
Lung uttered the terse order of: ‘Destroy the
least her aunt should go through the motion of ben¬
lot. Let none be saved.’ And banning the books
ding over a chair even if the Scholar did not actually
press into her.
of Ch’ien Ch’ien-i, the Emperor’s edict stated:
Three pairs of hands seized the distraught aunt, ‘Let the governors of every district search the
completed the removal of her trousers then forced bookshops and the libraries of every town and
her over the back of the chair. The sight of what was village, every hamlet hidden in the mountains
exposed to him, and its vulnerability, instead of ad¬ and the valleys. Not a volume must be left to
ding to his earlier concern for the aunt’s self-respect, posterity; and I give the governors two years to
caused the Scholar to go wild with excitement. He carry out these orders.’ From time to time the
approached the exposed posterior with a rush of order was reinforced by warnings that despite
small steps and instantly tried to insert his hand- the encouraging flow of censorable books to
tailored implement into what now seemed an im¬
the capital, the governors could do still better.
possibly small orifice. At the first pressure Auntie
They usually did.
Morning Flower screamed as if she were being
murdered, but the three nieces applauded with loud The greater proportion of the censored
enthusiasm. After five unsuccessful assaults by the books were published in the late Ming and ear¬
Scholar, the girls then showered the target area with ly Ch’ing periods, and were usually found ob¬
spittle, and Priceless Pearl came behind him and jectionable because of the topical and contem¬
began to push with all her strength. porary nature of their contents, but those
Their efforts coincided with a degree of willingness critical of dynasties regarded as ancestral to
or surrender from Auntie Morning Flower, because these were also placed on the Index. With
her struggling diminished. Aromatic Cloud instantly regard to novels, the grounds for their suppres¬
seized the opportunity to fetch a jar of couch-
sion were presented as an action to safeguard
pleasure ointment, and after a generous application
the highest standards of scholarship and craft¬
of this, the position on the card was faithfully im¬
itated. But not without further screams from Auntie smanship. Without reference to the por¬
Morning Flower. She made a last attempt to escape, nographic contents, they were branded as of in¬
but now that the Scholar was as determined as the ferior quality, badly written, the style unsuited
girls to keep her over the chair, she was completely to the contents. A novel by Shu Hung-hstin
helpless. And her screams soon suggested delight as was burned because it was ‘unclear and confus¬
well as pain. Priceless Pearl reminded the Scholar ed’. A work by Yang Ming-lun was consigned
that he had to continue until the ‘bursting of the to the flames on the grounds of ‘vulgarity of
clouds’, and when eventually this happened, Auntie language and a common style’. In some in¬
Morning Flower had apparently lost all con¬
stances the offences of the authors not only
sciousness. Her eyes were closed and she draped
brought torture and death to themselves but
like a limp cotton garment over the back of the chair.
The maids were then called to carry her to her frequently led to the same punishment for all
apartment, and triumphant laughter followed her the males in the family, and the deporting into
through the house. As Priceless Pearl said, it would slavery of the women folk. Ch’ien Lung sup¬
be some time before she again tried to take the pressed approximately three thousand
Scholar from them. In fact, Auntie Morning Flower volumes, though the list of writers suffering the
remained in bed for four days, three days with a high same fate was not recorded with the same
temperature, and an extra one because she could not diligence.
sit down in a normal manner. This suppression, as in similar instances in
many diverse countries and periods, coincided
The Jou Pu T’uan was believed to have ap¬ with, and seemed to encourage, a profusion of
peared in 1634, and this date coincided with the very works that were being banned. It was
one of the harshest periods of literary suppres¬ not by coincidence, therefore, that the Ming
sion. In 1663 seventy scholars and writers were period produced many of the most erotic, por¬
beheaded by Empeor K’ang Hsi and an Index nographic and colourful novels of Chinese
Expurgatorius was compiled. Most of the ban¬ literature. As well as providing a remarkable
ned books were political or revolutionary and catalogue of sexual practices and vignettes of
Lu Liu-liang (d. 1683) had sixty-eight works the intimate moments of Chinese lovers of the
listed in the Index. Emperor Ch’ien Lung, who period, they offer a grand panorama of social
came to power later and was regarded as a and domestic life. The Chin P’ing Mei, for ex-

139
ample, begins with the conventional warning swallowed his tonic with a sip of wine. ‘Those han¬
against worldly sins and the pursuit of material dkerchiefs are only made in Yan-chow. Here, come
wealth, against fornication and the weaknesses and drink wine from my mouth.’
He filled his mouth with wine, and when they kiss¬
of the flesh. As the hero, however, has to keep
ed, it passed from one to the other without the spill¬
his six wives happy, and his intimate relations
ing of a single drop. When the wine was finished,
with them are accompanied by love affairs with their mouths stayed together and their tongues con¬
numerous other females, his bedchamber bat¬ tinued to entwine and play, and soon Hsi-men
tles cover every imaginable manoeuvre and Ch’ing had his hands inside her clothes and was
strategy. He finally dies from an overdose of stroking her breasts. He found them both soft and
aphrodisiacs, a fitting end for the hero. An ex¬ firm, the nipples like the small pink cherries of Sze¬
ample of Hsi-men Ch’ing’s non-stop activities, chuan. Although they were not altogether a novelty
and the quality of the writing, is illustrated in a to him, he was overwhelmed by the curiosity of so¬
scene with the beautiful courtesan Moonbeam. meone eager to uncover a hidden secret, and quickly
Dressed in his best summer gown and black unfastened her jacket. He was not disappointed. Her
breasts were mounds of pure jade, white and
and white shoes, he is conveyed to the brothel
smooth, and of unbelievable beauty.
in a sedan chair to spend the afternoon with his As his hands touched them again, he was aware
new favourite. He is welcomed by the Madame that his Jade Stem was hard and erect, and that he
of the establishment who orders Moonbeam’s was sitting in such a way that his trousers were caus¬
‘foster-sister’, Delightful, to summon the beau¬ ing discomfort. He therefore stood up, removed
ty and to offer the gentleman tea. Moonbeam’s them and invited Moonbeam to arouse him even
appearance, when she enters, is as softly dazzl¬ more. To his surprise, since they had previously
ing as her name. Her gown and skirt are of spent a night together, Moonbeam seemed shocked
white and purple and green, her shoes red, and by the suggestion.
her movements are accompanied by an audible ‘Have I said something wrong?’ asked Hsi-men.
‘This must be the effect of your tonic,’
tinkling of embroidery and jewellery. She sips
Moonbeam said, her expression still one of shock. ‘It
her tea behind a fluttering gilded fan, her
looks so big and red. It makes me pity anyone who is
glossy dark hair circling her face like the night at the receiving end.’
sky round the moon. When they have all en¬ The remark caused Hsi-men Ch’ing to laugh.
joyed the formal ceremony, the two ‘sisters’ ac¬ ‘In that case get used to it by playing a tune on it.’
company Hsi-men Ch’ing to Moonbeam’s But Moonbeam’s neat and pink mouth continued
room. Here the maid prepares a light meal of with words rather than action.
scented cakes and sweet dumplings, which are ‘This is only our second meeting. I will play a tune
served on gilded plates, and when the food has later. Meanwhile let me get the maid to clear away
been cleared away, they play dominoes with the dishes.’ And when this excuse for a delay was
over, the beautiful courtesan said: ‘The days of the
ivory pieces. At the end of the game wine and
future which we can spend together number more
fruit are served, and now in a sensuous mood,
than all the leaves of the trees. Why don’t we spend
Moonbeam picks up her lute, Delightful her this afternoon in becoming better acquainted?’
guitar, and together they entertain the The answer to this question seemed only too ob¬
gentleman with love-songs. At last Delightful, vious from the behaviour of the roused Male Peak,
on a pretext of needing to change her clothes, and Hsi-men said:
withdraws: ‘Well, if you won’t suck me, let’s get into bed.’
‘But you’ll half kill me with that. It was a struggle
The moment Hsi-men Ch’ing found himself alone last time, but I swear it’s even bigger today,’ replied
with Moonbeam, he pulled from his sleeve a small Moonbeam. And when this caused Hsi-men to utter
gold box. a delighted laugh, she said: ‘I’m going to ask the
Ts that your fragrant leaves?’ asked the young maid to bring more wine. I really need all my courage
woman. to give a royal welcome to an ambassador like that.’
‘No, it’s a tonic. I take it every day to keep up my ‘No more drinks. I’m getting into bed.’
strength. I wouldn’t buy a gold box just for my And Hsi-men’s voice was so determined that there
fragrant leaves.’ was nothing she could do except remove his shoes
As he replaced the box, he took out his handker¬ and jacket, and loosen her own hair. She then went
chief, the design of which caused Moonbeam to ex¬ behind the screen to wash herself, and Hsi-men
claim: T have only seen two such handkerchiefs Ch’ing snuffed out the incense burner, let down the
before, and they belong to my “sisters” Silver Wu bamboo curtain, fastened the door, and returned to
and Cassia.’ the bed. He was now naked, and when Moonbeam
‘Yes,’ admitted Hsi-men. ‘But that was before 1 appeared, he made haste to have her in the same
was introduced to you. Here, take this one.’ He state. When her bed-robe had been removed, he en-

140
joyed the first sight of her body, the previous occa¬ when he parted the Jade Gate to peer into the
sion together having been in the darkness. Her skin Pavilion itself, the remarkable perfume made his
was as glossy-smooth and white as were her breasts, head spin with dizziness.
from her neck to her feet, but he was surprised to ‘This scent could not be bought for a thousand
notice that no shadow of hair fell over the Pleasure pieces of silver,’ he exclaimed breathlessly. ‘But let
Pavilion. us enjoy the Clouds and the Rain. ’
Greatly intrigued by this discovery, he laid her The attack on the Jade Gate was preceded,
across the bed and subjected the Precious Flower to however, by a preliminary use of the Cap of Eternal
a close inspection. The same jade-white skin con¬ Desire, which helped to prepare his entry into the
tinued from her stomach and between the legs, and Flower Heart, and once this had been expanded, he
there was not a single hair in evidence. He ran his was able, despite Moonbeam’s pleas, to insert the
fingers over the smoothness, then said: ‘turtle head’. He allowed himself a further sight of
‘It reminds me of a freshly steamed dumpling — the smoothly white lips that were now welcoming
warm and soft and full of good things.’ him inside, and the excitement of their purity caused
He placed his face very close to the object of his him to plunge forward furiously. His pleasure at
fascination and found that it seemed to exhale the overcoming this last resistance was accompanied by a
natural perfume of a field of spring flowers. And cry of pain.
‘You’ve killed me,’ gasped Moonbeam.
The garden seat was a favourite article of furniture ‘Let us begin with seven shallow and two deep.’
both inside and outside the house. The best were of Moonbeam took hold of the pillow with both
porcelain, later inferior ones of earthenware. They had
hands.
many uses and could be warmed. 19th-century erotic
‘Please be considerate.’
album. By kind permission of the British Museum.
Hsi-men Ch’ing relented by raising both her feet
and placing them on his shoulders, and began a series
of very slow and very shallow movements. The
slower the rhythm, the greater the pleasure — he felt
that he was casually rowing a boat on a lake. But
after a half-hour the waters began to be ruffled by a
strong wind, and his slow rhythm changed to livelier
movements.
‘You are quite different from last time,’ said
Moonbeam. ‘Are your wives pleasing you?’
‘It is the afternoon light. Food eaten in the
darkness never tastes as nice as it should.’
But in fact the afternoon light was beginning to
fade, and as if aware of the advancing day, Hsi-men
Ch’ing began a more powerful assault on the Flower
Heart, which quickly caused Moonbeam’s chatter to
change to a series of squeals and gasps. These proved
even more exciting than the bare whiteness of the
Jade Gate, because in his determination to achieve
one thousand thrusts without pause, he completely
forgot his private fascination.
Chinese Humour:
Ch’en Ta-lang was woken by his wife who wanted
to know why he was panting and jerking in his
sleep. When he confessed that he was dreaming of
another woman, she jumped out of bed, picked up
a broom and gave him a sound beating. He pro¬
tested, once he had recovered, that a man was hard¬
ly responsible for his dreams. She then charged him
with not making love to her often enough, and that
this was the way to avoid beatings in the future.
Ch’en replied by saying that he could show no
greater devotion than by advising her to sleep with
the broom always by her side of the bed.
Erotic stories and romantic tales were not con¬
fined to novels, and verse was a favoured form
for much that was most entertaining and
popular. The Hwa-tseen, by two anonymous

141
Ming poets, is an example of the love epic, and
tells of the tyro Liang and Yao Seen, the pure
maiden. Although not pornographic either in
intent or language, a rich eroticism gives pas¬
sion to such poems. The work is prefaced, as
with the more loosely constructed novels, by an
introduction which explains the writer’s noble
purpose. The following excerpt of the In¬
troduction (and from the poem) is based on the
1824 translation by P.P. Thoms:
When evening after the hot afternoon
Finally brings cool relief
Leave the shelter of walls
And breathe the fresh air.
The autumn breeze carries the fragrance
Of water-lilies, and the new moon
Rises in a sky like a motionless lake.

Tonight the stars of Chih-neu and Keen-nu

Enjoy their conjugal intercourse,
And if love is for the stars
Then it can also be for man.
Let him covet the pearl,
Steal the joys, of Precious Flowers
And exhaust himself in that fair field.
Offering to (he Male Warrior. Engraving from (he
Why should love be for the arranged marriage 17th-century novel Su Wo P’ien.
When the deepest pledges of adoring lovers
Do not permit the same close union. Chinese Humour:
So I tell you this, lovers, The King of Ch’i offered his daughter, together
You are not forgotten, and with these lines with a large dowry, in marriage to a lowly butcher,
1 shall narrate your story T’u. Butcher T’u declined the honour by pleading
That posterity may judge your lives. impotence and sickness of the sex parts. His
brother, on hearing such a story, instantly
The poem describes the courtship from the first ac¬ reprimanded him. ‘You are the most virile man in
cidental meeting to a more formal introduction, and town — do you want to spend your whole life in
then to the moment when Liang, impatient for the this stinking shop? Why did you refuse a princess?’
joys of marriage, secretly meets Yao-seen in a field. ‘Because she’s ugly,’ T’u replied. T haven’t been
His responses to her rebuff have a timeless familiari¬ a butcher all these years without learning
ty: something.’
‘But how do you know she’s ugly, honourable
But do you really refuse me, lovely Miss, brother? You have never even seen the princess.’
Cast doubts on my purest intentions, When meat is good, one doesn’t have to persuade
Dishonouring our closeness and even, people to buy it. They come for it freely. On the
If I may remind you, your loved one’s other hand, most worthy elder brother, when meat
parents? If you will not yield for love is not good I can only sell it by offering twice the
What higher consideration can there be? quantity for the same price. The princess is like my
Yao-seen, seeing the torment on his face, bad meat — the dowry that goes with her is the
Knew well that words of sympathy same inducement as something at half-price’.
Would in his ears sound vexatious, The following week they learned from a Palace
But said: ‘Our marriage is decreed eunuch that the princess was as ‘thin as a bamboo
Let us wait until the chosen day pole’, that her eyes were ‘as small as splits in
To be consumed by Clouds and Rain. apricots’, her mouth ‘as large as that of the Giant
Carp’, and her teeth ‘like a row of tiny insect larva’.
‘1 know the distress men endure,
The humour of the erotic novel ranged from
Scholars and poets forgetting noble thoughts,
Restless nights instead of serene sleep.
the boisterous to the subtle and the oblique,
But please be patient, dear love,’ And Liang but invariably evolved from the unexpected
Realising he could not persuade her and the unbelievable in sex situations. For so¬
Restrained his desire and sat quietly among meone to behave out-of-character, for the
the Bowers. predictable to take a sudden and surprising

142
turn, as with modern farce, was a stock method
of raising a laugh at the expense of lovers. In
the following passage from an early Ming novel
(Ming-Tai-Yen-shih), an innocent maiden has
been peeping on her mistress while she enter¬
tained The Gentleman. The sight has so excited
her that when she is asked to lead him from the
house at the end of his visit, other ideas pass
through her mind:
’Will you follow me, sir,‘ said the maid.
With one hand she held up the pole to which was
hooked the lantern, then placed her other hand on
his sleeve.
’It’s dark night,4 observed the gentleman.
As if this were an invitation to be even more
helpful, her hand slipped into his. She was hardly fif¬
teen, and a virgin, and what she had seen through the
screen had not only intrigued her mind, it had caused
responses within her body that were even more over¬
whelming. Her legs were both strong and weak at the
same time, and between them a moisture of wonder¬
ful warmth was spreading over her thighs. Halfway
across the courtyard to the gate, at a spot which was
particularly dark, she realised that this was an oppor¬
tunity that could not be missed.
’Sir,4 she said, ’can you spare for this humble The maiden Wu San-ssu is introduced to the Mists and
maiden just a crumb of all the sweet cakes you have the Rain. Engraving from the 17th-century novel Su
Wo P’ien.
been feeding to my mistress?4 She held the
gentleman’s hand more tightly than ever. ’She’s had gentleman. ’Either you want the pleasure or you
so much and I have yet to taste such delights.4 don’t.4
The gentleman was horrified to realise that he had ’How is it that it gave so much delight to my
been waylaid by a sex-starved virgin. Did one listen mistress yet gives me such a pain? Are you sure you
to the voice of reason or did one consider only the are using the same implement?4
need to please the child? ’It’s exactly the way it was when it gave your
’Then put down the lamp,4 he said, deciding on mistress such delights,4 he assured her.
what seemed the less ungentlemanly course. ’And lie ’Then perhaps you should try again — but more
down on this garden bench.4 gently.4
She seemed to read his thoughts because she was Again he aimed for the Flower Heart, and though
already removing her lower garments before he had the maid suppressed her screams, he found himself
finished speaking. When she lay on the stone slab lodged with only the ’turtle-head4 beyond the Jade
only the upper part of her body was clothed. Gate.
The gentleman now found himself faced by a se¬ ’Dear child,4 said the gentleman, again troubled
cond problem of gallantry. If he made love to this by his conscience, ’this is something that cannot be
lowly maid, surely her mistress would regard it as an managed with this haste. For a virgin to enjoy it, it
insult to the hours of delight they had just enjoyed requires at least ten encounters of the Clouds and the
together. But a solution immediately presented itself. Rain.4
He would give this impatient maiden a quick taste of The girl, still transfixed by the tip of his instru¬
what she had so far missed, then chase her back to ment, and apparently lifeless, replied at once.
the house before her mistress had noticed her ’Then let us enjoy the Clouds and the Rain ten
absence. He therefore placed himself between the times, honourable sir.4
girl’s legs, opened the narrow lips of her virgin ’No, this is neither the time nor the place,4 the
vagina and tried, without any preliminaries, to in¬ gentleman went on firmly. ’Besides, 1 am much too
troduce his battle-worn yet ever-eager Male Peak. big for you, which is neither your fault nor mine but
’No!4 she gasped. Then, in an even more tortured the way nature made me. Tomorrow 1 will send one
voice, she cried: ’Stop!4 of my young servants to you and you can taste all the
As her plea had been accompanied by a jerk of the honey you like with him.4
body that caused it to draw away as if the seat was of With which words the lodged implement was freed
softest down, he found that he had momentarily lost from the painfully tight Flower Heart, and he step¬
contact. ped to the ground. When the maid had pulled on her
’Please make up your mind,4 requested the trousers, she picked up the lantern and continued

143
guiding the way across the courtyard. And being a the creation of the novel. In those days the
gentleman, he repeated his promise to send one of paper of Chinese books was so thin that the
his young servants the following night. reader had to lick his finger before turning the
page, and the copy that Yen received from
The writers of such novels were not insignifi¬ Wang had a little powdered poison rubbed into
cant literary figures, nor men seeking quick the corners. As Yen finished the book, the
fortunes or notoriety by offering to the public legend claims, and had been made to realize
stories likely to titillate their basest instincts. As that the finally poisoned hero was himself, he
sex was remarkably free of moralising and collapsed and died. Whether the author of the
social strictures, apart from the necessary lip- work was Wang or Hsu or even a certain Feng
service to Confucian beliefs, the erotica of the Meng-lung of the ‘Crazy-ink School’, they
time was a subject worthy of the scholar and
were all major writers respected for their learn¬
the writer. Some of them, in the variety of their
ing and literary style.
talents and in the vast sweep of their im¬ The most prolific of such authors in fact
aginative work, matched the creative geniuses
blended the erotic and pornographic, drawn
of the West, and Li Yu, with his fame as a
from a life rich in travel and adventure.
dramatist as well as poet and producer, could
Li Yu (1611-80) was born in Kiangsu, and his
fairly be compared with Shakespeare.
early life was affected by two traumatic events.
Who were these writers of such books as the
One was his repeated failure to pass the provin¬
Jou Pu T’uan and the Chin P’ing MeP. They
cial examinations, the other the upheaval of the
were men who had brought together the three
civil war and the invasion by the Manchus that
necessary virtues of writers appreciated by, and
preceded the end of the Ming dynasty. Even in
reaching, a universal public — those of
his early years he revealed the mature sense of
wisdom, intimate experience with all kinds of
humour of someone accepting human society
people, and a personal humility. The creative
for what it was, making the best of it and being
expression of such human qualities therefore
philosophical about his own misfortunes. His
gave to their work a benevolence and humour
home in Nanking, which was a not incon¬
that reached the hearts of high and low and of
siderable estate, was called Mustard Seed Villa,
many different societies, and enabled such
a reference to smallness and the fact that the
writers to indulge in an irreverent and quite
Great Mountain itself could, figuratively, be
uninhibited approach to the subject of sex.
placed in such a seed. At the age of thirty-five
Wang Shih-cheng, the reputed author of the he began to write as a means of supporting
Chin P’ing Mei, was a distinguished Confucian himself and his forty wives, concubines and
scholar of the Ming dynasty and one of the children, and he had soon added a troupe of
leaders of the traditionalist forces in the coun¬ singing girls to his household. He then had the
try. The authorship as well as the date of the idea of writing for the girls, and such was his
first publication have, however, been matters talent that he was persuaded to form them into
of controversy, and the name of Hsu Wei a travelling company.
(1520-1593) is favoured by such authorities as He toured the country, producing and direc¬
Arthur Waley. To add to the conflicting claims ting his dramas, adding to his reputation and
of authors and sources and dates, there are increasing his household of concubines. During
some remarkable legends, the favourite being the fifteen-year period of his travels, he wrote
that Wang was asked one day about his literary numerous novels, essays and poems, as well as
activities by Yen Shih-fan, the son of the man the plays, and his fortunes constantly varied
responsible for his father’s execution. The en¬ between success and failure, wealth and pover¬
quiry was posed as the two men stood by a ty. The range of his essays illustrates Li Yu’s
metal vase of plum-blossom, and Wang im¬ versatility and they cover architecture and
pulsively replied: ‘I’m finishing a novel called travel, human and social affairs, feminine
Chin P’ing Mei (Metal Vase and Plum- beauty, drama and acting, diet and hygiene
blossom).’ Wang was then under a compulsion (Hsien-ch’ing-ou-chi). Towards the end of his
to write such a novel, and in the short period of life his health troubled him and in 1677 he re¬
a few weeks completed a work of 1,600 pages. joined his sons in Chekiang, dying approx¬
It was a work devoted to a bitter satirization of imately three years later. His humour and
the Yen family, the central character of Hsi- playfulness, and his benevolence towards
men Ch’ing being the hated Yen Shih-fan. human failings are nowhere better revealed
The legend does not, however, concern only than in the seduction scene from his novel

144
Chueh-hou-ch’an (Enlightenment higher than the unmistakable sound of splashing, but as there
knowledge): were no cracks in the wooden frames, and the parch¬
That afternoon Scented Jade decided to take a ment through which the daylight passed was almost
bath. The tub was brought into her bedchamber and new, there was no way of peeping at the incom¬
she was soon happily splashing about, the windows parable body of his jealous employer’s lovely wife.
closed but her activities audible to anyone who pass¬ Although only a gardener, Honest Chuan was not
ed by. At the same time Honest Chuan, the without cunning, and with a great deal of stealth he
gardener, chose to return to the house, and on hear¬ wet his finger and began to rub at the opaque paper.
ing the sound inside the bedroom of his employer’s Soon there was a hole big enough for one eye, and to
beautiful wife, hopefully emitted a loud cough. this he instantly pressed his face. In the room itself,
Scented Jade could have ignored the sound but in¬ Scented Jade was not unaware of what was happen¬
stead chose to shout: T’m having a bath. Don’t you ing, and of the identity of the watcher. But her in¬
dare come in!’ dignation was muted by the flattering thought that
Honest Chuan’s reputation of having an imple¬ his tremendous Jade Stem must now be reacting ex¬
ment the size of a sea-cucumber had briefly stirred citedly to her beauty.
his mistress, and this thought had caused her warn¬ The idea made her stand in the tub, which came to
ing shout to sound both coquettish and inviting. For just below her waist, and as she sponged her breasts,
his part, he could hardly disregard the warning, and she casually turned her body towards the black dot
as all thought of returning to his work had disap¬ that had appeared on the window paper. She pro¬
peared, he walked past the door, out of the building longed the teasing for a few moments, then lifted
and began to inspect the windows in the courtyard. herself a little so that she could sit on the wide rim of
Soon he reached one through which could be heard the tub. As usual, this had been next to the bed, and
The Embrace. In this beautiful 19th-century painting once she had made herself comfortable on the rim,
the artist creates a ‘chain' impression of arms and legs she placed her feet on the opposite edge of the tub
binding the lovers. Courtesy private collection, Paris. and leaned back so that her shoulders lay on the bed.

145
For a full minute she kept her feet and knees
together, then suddenly allowed them to fall apart.
The sight of the Flower Heart now revealed to him
instantly caused Honest Chuan to become so excited
that he rubbed a second hole in the parchment and
set his other eye to feast on the scene. The second
black dot, in turn, added to Scented Jade’s delight,
and in an abandoned upheaval, she flung feet and
legs into the air and began to kick about playfully.
To Honest Chuan, the message was clear. This was
an invitation, and if he rushed into her bedroom she
was hardly likely to chase him out.
Scented Jade slipped back into the water when the
two eyes disappeared, and she was not surprised,
despite her pretence at indignation, when the door
was flung open and Honest Chuan immediately
dropped to his knees.
‘Most noble young mistress, forgive this coarse
brute. I know this is a crime for which I can be
beheaded, but I will gladly suffer that fate.’
His mixture of terror and pleading was interrupted F/ower Heart. From the game of Flying Darts in the
illustrated 17th-century edition of the Chin P’ing Mei.
by a sharp: ‘How dare you burst in when I’m in my
bath!’ ty conscience and convinced it that her husband’s
‘But most noble beautiful mistress, ever since I neglect was an excellent reason for her imminent in¬
was first employed here, Fve waited to see you like fidelity. Finally, she ordered sprays of jasmine to be
this. It’s an opportunity I couldn’t miss. What am I placed around the room.
to do!’ At the second watch of the night, two hours after
The man looked so terrified that Scented Jade was she had retired to bed, the door creaked as it was
now afraid he was about to run off. Her reply was opened, then creaked as it was closed.
worthy of the honesty of Honest Chuan himself. ‘My heart-chasing pursuer — is it you?’ she
‘Well, we can’t do it right here. I’m in the bath whispered.
and all kinds of people are about.’ The man’s ‘This is your slave,’ he replied.
pleading and panting had paused, and she added: In case he stumbled on his way across the un¬
‘There’s a right time and place for everything.’ familiar room, and so made too much noise, she left
The gardener became a little more coherent at last. the bed and guided him back to it. But once they
‘I realise that the afternoon is hardly the time, and were naked and lying next to each other, Scented
a bathtub overflowing with water hardly the place Jade said:
for it. But your lowly slave is ever-willing to attend ‘This mighty club of yours is the subject of gossip
you anywhere and at any time — just tell this insect, among all the women of the household. I must ask
this maggot, when he should come.’ you to respect this favour I’m granting you by being
‘At night you’re in bed with your wife As-You- very gentle. At least until I get used to it.’
Please. She’s hardly likely to let you come.’ ‘This coarse creature could hardly bring himself to
‘She can’t stop me,’ replied Honest Chuan. cause the least discomfort to my mistress’s delicate
‘Besides, once we have enjoyed the Clouds and the and aromatic body. You can rely on me to be as gen¬
Rain she falls asleep instantly and there’s no waking tle as the wafting of willows in a light breeze.’
her.’ But as soon as he had covered her body and she
‘Then come tonight,’ Scented Jade said. ‘But had carefully guided him to the very step of the Jade
make sure you’re not too exhausted.’ Gate, he decided that her timidity was part of her co¬
Before leaving, the gardener found enough quettish behaviour and that she really wanted him to
courage to plunge his arms into the tub, enjoy the be brutal. Once she had removed her restraining
first touch of the Golden Pleasure Palace which that hand, he therefore made a tentative and gentle push
night would be welcoming him, and then rushed or two, then hurled himself forward. The effect on
happily from the room. By nature Scented Jade was the lovely woman underneath him was instan¬
a very methodical woman and, once alone, she taneous, but it was hardly the passion he had ex¬
prepared herself for her appointment with all the pected.
care of an actress or a musician about to take the ‘You brute! Have you gone mad!’ The exclama¬
stage. First she dried and scented herself, and lay tion was followed by a gasp and a cry. ‘What do you
down to rest and relax. Then she ordered chrysan¬ think you are — a bull in a field of cows!’
themum tea for her breath, lychees, pomegranates The protest was too genuine to doubt, and as
and peaches to freshen her spirits, and Moon Festival Honest Chuan hesitated before making further
cakes for her pleasure. She then argued with her guil- movements in that Jade Pavilion of apparently

146
 Ivory diagnostic figure. The sick patient symbolically
reclines on her couch. By courtesy of the Wellcome
Trustees.

limited dimensions, he realised that he had behaved insult and he was now determined to make her suffer
like an animal. for the hint of inadequacy. Placing both her feet on
‘Please forgive me, precious mistress,’ he exclaim¬ his shoulders, he took hold of the sides of the Golden
ed. ‘I have never before been with a lady of such Valley, and by pulling them apart, gained an extra
perfection — how could I be other than like the man inch. Then he pressed forward as deeply as possible
who has drunk five jars of Kwangtung wine! I pro¬ and created a rhythm of movements that were both
mise to proceed with double gentleness and triple strong and steady. It was apparently exactly what
care.’ Scented Jade desired.
‘My husband is a man of very small dimensions, Inside Scented Jade’s mind she was convinced that
but even he has difficulty.’ she was no longer either a body or a life but part of a
‘Have no fears, precious lady. It is only three movement. For half an hour not a coherent word
months since I lay with my virgin bride, and I will passed her lips, then for the next half hour the ex¬
behave as I did with her.’ pressions of her feelings came as a series of explo¬
He kept faithfully to his promise, and once the sions and climaxes, paroxysms and outpourings of
giant Male Peak had been freed from captivity, he vital essence inside and outside the Pleasure Pavilion.
lightly played up and down the Pleasure Valley, oc¬ When Honest Chuan had exhausted himself, and
casionally knocking at the Gate but making no at¬ she was in the same state herself, her first words
tempt to invade the Inner Chamber. Soon a flow of were:
pleasure essence from numerous deep spring began ‘I’m very pleased with myself. For a woman built
to flood the valley, magically transforming it. The in¬ as delicately as myself, I think I did very well.’
undations of the Yellow and the Yangtze rivers could ‘Oh, precious lady, not even the Emperor has
hardly have equalled it, and he quickly found himself found such a wonderful Treasure Pavilion for his
swirled along by the current. dragon implement.’
But it was Scented Jade who showed her impa¬ Scented Jade, as has already been said, had a very
tience first. calculating and careful mind, and she was already
‘When is your “envoy” going to present his considering the future.
credentials at the palace?’ ‘We must think of a way for you to come often to
‘My “ambassador” is like a ship waiting for the this bedchamber,’ she said. ‘I am not worried about
right tide, precious lady.’ my husband, because he is often travelling abroad,
‘Make sail at once, I beg you.’ but I am worried about your wife. The best way to
‘Perhaps you would like to push me into mid¬ stop her from being jealous would be to persuade her
stream.’ to join us. Do you think she’ll agree?’
His suggestion caused her to seize the slippery eel ‘Precious lady, when I have beaten her enough,
and unceremoniously plunge its head into the Flower she will certainly agree. And she will consider it an
Heart. It was at once apparent to Honest Chuan that honour to share the bed of so considerate a mistress.’
any difficulties she might have had with her But it was now the hour of the third watch. As the
diminutive husband could hardly have been her night-watchman, beating lightly on his bamboo
fault. In a moment his full ten-inch Jade Stem had drum, passed by the window dotted with the two
been accommodated even more comfortably than in holes made earlier that day, Scented Jade decided
the spacious chamber of his wife As-You-Please. that she would not trouble to have the parchment
‘Oh my heart-and-liver,’ gasped Scented Jade. repaired. If this was what happened when a man
‘But are you sure you have nothing more for me!’ peeped on a woman, who could say it was better for
Honest Chuan had never before received such an her to take offence.
 She had to wait on him (her husband) day and
night. When he went to sleep she had to take off his
shoes and clothing; in the morning, she had to put
them on again. She had to light his cigarettes, pour
his water, hand him the cup with both hands and
with a subservient smile on her face. He struck her
daily as a matter of course and beat her unmerciful¬
ly if she did not obey his commands on the instant.
Golden Flower's Story
(Early 20th-century) *

The Great Leap Forward, to conclude a

study of the long history of sex in China with
its colourful practices and strange beliefs, to
the modern Communist state, is like a jump of
centuries rather than decades. But it has hap¬
pened. It is a fact. The Dragon Emperors and

148
eunuchs, with bewildering swiftness, have political system and morality, people still carry
given way to Party leaders and cadres, Confu- their natural instincts. Whatever the new cir¬
cian disciplines have been exchanged for Com¬ cumstances that inhibit free sexual practices,
munist principles, and Bound Feet and Fallen place constraints on marriage, regard roman¬
Flowers have become the steady march and the ticism as a bourgeois sickness, the changes have
unpainted faces of liberated women. A quarter been imposed in the manner of adopting a new
of the world’s population, its civilization and style of dress. Those wearing it remain
traditions the oldest and most idiosyncratic in Chinese.
history, has set itself on a new course. The People’s Republic is considered to be a
No society, however, completely buries its puritanical and ‘anti-erotic’ society but the
past. Along this new course with its different constant factors are its heritage and its men
and women. The catalogue of recent changes,
Traditional pillow books are now regarded in China as that is during the last forty or fifty years, do
pornography. In their place is the plain instruction
not contradict this. ‘Anything may happen in
book Information on Sex. The remedies for the sexual
urge are abstinence and correct political thinking. 19th-
China,’ wrote Lin Yutang, citing a Shanghai
century erotic album. By kind permission of the British court case of 1934 when a nun sued a monk for
Museum. infidelity. He was expressing his belief not only
in the unpredictability of his people but in its
unchanging nature, and the same can be said of
sexual patterns following the Great Leap For¬
ward.
Sex practices during the early years of the
Communist Party were very different from to¬
day. In Yenan in the nineteen-thirties, where
the surviving comrades of the Long March had
established themselves, a system of free love
was adopted. This was in keeping with the
pragmatism of the Chinese who, in the moun¬
tains of Shensi and with men outnumbering
women by eight to one, encouraged promiscui¬
ty under the revolutionary pretext of furthering
sexual liberation. If a man and woman desired
intercourse, then it concerned no one else. The
‘political correctness’ of the Yenan period
demanded that love-making be regarded in the
same way as having ‘a drink of water’, which
became the popular term. One’s sexual desires,
like one’s thirst, were too personal to regulate.
When the Party came to power, however,
and had responsibility for a population in 1949
of seven hundred million, ‘drink of water’ sex
seemed not to be the right policy for the tasks
ahead. The old feudal system hacf to be
abolished, the flourishing sex commerce in
such major ports as Shanghai and Canton had
to be stopped, women granted equality and
liberated from concubinage and male tyranny,
and orderly marriage laws introduced. Most
important, however, was the need to control
the growth in population and to change the
traditional belief that large families gave pro¬
tection to parents in their old age.
Any study of the sex practices and attitudes
of modern China must accept that the principal
influence since 1949 has been the policy to con¬
trol population growth. It may be true that the

149
 need to work single-mindedly for a new and ‘Planned Parenthood’ is a programme con¬
better society has diverted the normal sex drive ducted by labour unions and political organisa¬
into more productive channels, similarly with tions, women’s federations and student
the conscription of youthful libido for more groups. Special committees function at all
important exertions than Yin-Yang battles, but levels to advise on birth control, sterilization
the major reason for the ‘less-sex’ campaigns and abortion, to exert pressure for late mar¬
has been to reduce the birth rate. riages or even total sexual abstinence, and to
These campaigns have been conducted with fix communal ‘targets’. The keeping to target
a zeal not unlike the moral exhortations of figures is the responsibility of special advisers,
Western churches. A Party song has the usually women, who visit homes to give per¬
following lines: I am a propagandist / For sonal guidance to parents. The importance of
family planning. / Insist on delayed marriage / the adviser’s role is such that her location may
And do not waver. A Party slogan is, simply: be as small as twenty mothers.
Practice birth control for the Revolution. In Modern China is therefore a society in which
such an atmosphere, the consequences of un¬ the sexual side of marriage, extramarital rela¬
wanted pregnancies or of having more than the tions and romantic feelings between Yin and
recommended norm of one child, create even Yang are either ignored, discouraged or pro¬
more inhibitions than the usual fear of hibited. If there has been a degree of relaxation
pregnancy. The mistakes, the carelessness, of in the post-Mao society, it is only apparent
the parents incur both the disapproval and among those small groups most likely to come
penalties of the state. into contact with the foreign influences of
Western and Japanese visitors. For the great
This contemplative Lotus Position evokes the spirit of
Taoist tranquillity. 17th-century pillow book. By kind majority, sex remains a relatively joyless func¬
permission of the British Museum. tion, socially acceptable only between those
legally married, the practice of which is best il¬
lustrated in such handbooks as Information on
Sex.
The traditional manuals are no longer
published, the illustrated pillow books are
regarded as bourgeois pornography, and in
their place is the plain instruction book. Infor¬
mation on Sex was reissued in a revised
publication in 1980 and explicitly states that
one should not, ideally, have intercourse
before the age of 25, and that one should avoid
masturbation because it caused ‘physical
weakness and nervousness.’ The ideal of
abstinence for the celibate would be helped if
one renounced alcohol and cigarettes, books
and entertainment that provoked sexual desire,
and if one dressed sensibly. Such dress, in the
case of men, meant the wearing of loose under¬
pants since tight briefs ‘heated’ the genitals.
There are no references to Heaven and Earth
Postures or Glorious Passion-rousers.
The old manuals believed in repeated enjoy¬
ment of The Clouds and the Rain but the new
one states: ‘After marriage, couples will in¬
dulge in intercourse perhaps once or twice a
week for the first few months. Later, with in¬
creasing familiarity and age, sexual desire
declines and it is customary to have intercourse
two or three times a month.’ The complaints of
the Yellow Emperor to his First Minister that
the Yin-Yang essences were not flowing
through the land as they should, and that this

150
lack of virility meant that the Laws of Nature to mean economic freedom and political
were being flouted, seem even more pertinent freedom, freedom from physical harm,
five thousand years later. And the greatest of freedom from working like a slave, freedom
the dragon emperors would be mortified by the from one’s mother-in-law, and freedom from
advice of modern Party rulers: ‘If, after mak¬ having ten children, but distinctly not sexual
ing love during the night, the couple find they freedom.’
are worn out and short of breath, suffer from The Great Leap Forward is therefore an
weak legs and headache, then they are over¬ uneven advance. Social revolution will permit
indulging. The remedies include abstinence and only so much, and nothing that will divert
correct political thinking.’ energies and purpose from the main task. Like
The remarkable contradictions of a system traditional parents, the rulers believe, correct¬
that seeks to liberate men and women while at ly, that sexual freedom creates an in¬
the same time imposing such constraints on the dependence of spirit that will not be so subser¬
most natural of their feelings is summarized in vient to authority. This is not the only instance
a recent work by Ruth Sidel. She writes: ‘In of Party thinking coinciding with the old Con-
China ... liberation is not interpreted in any fucian beliefs. Some of the current puritanism
way to mean sexual freedom. It is interpreted is also based on the ancient concept of Yang
suffering at the hands of Yin in the nightly
Flowery Battles. Feuerwerker, in a study of
‘Variations in love-making distinguish men from earlier Chinese novels, writes: ‘A man done in
animals, the educated man from the ignorant. ’ Sex
Methods by Yeh Te-hui. Illustration from a 19th-
by lust, for which the woman is to blame, was a
century album. Courtesy of the W.H. & Elizabeth M. common theme in popular fiction.’ Today it is
Deane collection, University of Sydney Library. Party policy to discourage men from being

151
‘done in’ by lusting wives and concubines and, Anticipation. Late 18th-century painting. Courtesy
concurrently, to induce women to come from private collection, Paris.

under the embroidered silk coverlet and direct

their passions elsewhere.
The legal framework for the great changes
A woman factory worker, Shu Ting, in a
was the formulation of the Marriage Articles of
poem written in 1979, expresses the feelings of
1950. This not only provided the basis for
the liberated woman:
lawful marriage but pronounced the equality of
I am one of your thousand million hearts, women. The Marriage Articles were therefore a
Country of ten million square kilometres. powerful instrument of revolution. They
With your breasts, despite your wounds,
began: ‘The feudal system of marriage, based
You suckled me, this girl comrade
Who grew up faithfully and fervently. on the superiority of man over woman, is
Now, in my maturity, abolished. Bigamy, concubinage, child
I offer my body and passions betrothal, interference with the remarriage of
For your prosperity and your glory .... widows, and the exaction of money or gifts in
My motherland, arranged marriages, are all prohibited. A mar¬
Dear motherland! riage can only be contracted when the man has

152
reached 20 years and the woman 18 years.’ daughter was a consenting partner was unim¬
The success of the new law, and the portant, and Hung received a three-year
remarkable achievement of the equality of the sentence. Mrs Chung was regarded as more
sexes after thousands of years of male culpable because not only had she been a party
superiority, must be related to the puritan to the ‘rape’ but, in the opinion of the court,
nature of the new regime. Old customs and she had wanted her daughter to find a husband
beliefs, from Yin the subservient to Confucian to insure herself against old age. She received a
ideas on the misfortune of having a girl child, five-year sentence.
were more easily swept away when men might The second case concerned an adopted
suffer penalties for indulging in promiscuity or daughter, Ho Ch’un-yii, who went to live with
trying to insist on their traditional authority. old school friends, the Wang family. They
The feudal system is therefore seen as being soon introduced her to Mr Wen. When he pro¬
abolished with the introduction of the Mar¬ posed marriage, she refused. The Wens and the
riage Articles. The transition occurred with Wangs then devised a plan to get round legal
spectacular suddenness and completeness. problems and, unknown to Ch’in-yu, she was
After a certain date, a woman’s life was no registered as Wen’s wife. Once this had been
longer restricted to the home or, in rural com¬ done, and in face of persistent persuasion by
munities, to labouring in the fields. She had a the families, she felt obliged to resign herself to
role in the political cadres, in the administra¬ the situation. A little later, however, she was
tion and the armed forces, and in the ‘leap for¬ visited by her father, to whom she told the
ward’ to modernization and industrialization. story, and he angrily called on the local
The ‘re-education’ of Fallen Flowers and other Women’s Association to take up the case. The
unfortunate females was also her responsibili¬ court subsequently sentenced Wen and his
ty, and it was claimed that prostitution disap¬ daughter to two years for ‘arrangement’ and
peared ‘overnight’. ‘coercion’, Mrs Wang to one year, and one of
Occasionally the prosecution of recidivists Chun-yii’s old classmates to two months for
was over-zealous and a Shanghai newspaper of encouraging her to live with Wen.
1953 reported a case of ten women, two of The success of the ‘instant’ equality of
them pregnant, being punished for soliciting in women has been accompanied by campaigns to
neighbouring villages. A local ‘mass struggle’ minimize the physical distinctions of the sexes.
meeting was held to try the women and, when If people can be seen as comrade workers
found guilty, they were bound and exposed to rather than men and women, their service to
the sun, had needles inserted under their nails the community will be greater. In her work on
and were subjected to other brutal women in China, Sidel has written: ‘The
punishments. Chinese have eliminated most forms of sexual
Inevitably, there were violations of the laws differentiation. Although there have been
on marriage, usually for what the Articles variations over the years, currently women’s
regarded as ‘feudalism’, which included such clothing is purely functional, designed to cover
male misdemeanours as ‘contempt for and protect, not to delineate or arouse.’ But
women’, driving an unhappy wife to suicide Bernal, on the same subject, suggests that while
and expecting certain traditional privileges for the outward differences might have been
himself. Although arranged marriages were il¬ eliminated, a deeper reality is concealed. ‘In
legal, ‘semi-free’ marriages, as they were call¬ China, with its unisex clothing, sexual passions
ed, between a willing boy and girl introduced run hidden and deep.’
by parents, were permitted. Traditional arrang¬ With the more relaxed regime that has
ed marriages however, were legally regarded as followed the Mao period, that is from 1976,
rape, the girl being seen as ‘unwilling’, and for evidence is accumulating of the extent to which
this the courts inflicted severe sentences. Two these passions were hidden. Such manifesta¬
such cases were reported in Chungking Ta tions are currently limited to elitist circles and
Kung-pao (1951-52). In the first, a widow, Mrs those most exposed to the Western influences
Chung, invited a man, Hung, to lodge at her that have recently begun to infiltrate into the
home with a view to eventually marrying her closed society of the People’s Republic. An ex¬
daughter. The device was so transparent that ample of this has been the rehabilitation of the
neighbouring ‘women’s groups’ managed to poet Feng Xuefeng (1903-76). Feng was expell¬
catch Hung making love to the daughter and ed from the Party in 1957 for his ‘Rightest’
reported the matter to the police. Whether the views but some of his poems have now been

153
printed. One, in particular, captures the at¬ the despised old matchmakers and professional
mosphere of repression. Even Though You go-betweens. Yang and Yin, the Party seems to
Can't Stop Work For Me was published in be admitting, need to complement each other
Chinese Literature in March, 1980: after all. Love for the abstraction of a new
social order is not enough.
When I stroll by the brook where you are As the system slowly submits to the human
washing clothes
factor, further proof is evident in divorce cases.
Even though you can’t stop work for me,
In the civil courts of Peking in 1980, 40% of
Please raise your stick higher
And pound more vigorously, cases were concerned with divorce. Of these,
For this is a secret sign half were granted, and Judge Li Cheng said:
That I shall understand. ‘Since marriage is based on mutual affection
When I pass under your window, and freedom, then that freedom must also
Please light your lamp. cover divorce.’ This enlightened opinion
Though you cannot allow me to stay for reflects the greater willingness of people to risk
the night, bringing their problems to the courts. Grounds
Please signal with the lamp; for divorce divided into 15% for infidelity,
For this is a secret sign
12% for maltreatment and 30% for ‘constant
No others will understand.
quarrelling over in-laws and money.’
When we meet in a crowd,
Though you can hardly greet me, An anomaly is a stricter law to protect
Please knit your brows soldiers on duty from being divorced during
And cast me a tender glance, their absence from the marital home. Too
For as I am very observant many wives, deciding to make use of their new¬
I can receive your love without others ly liberated status, seized opportunities
noticing it.
Hsueh T’ao, T’ang dynasty courtesan, one of the
Hundred Beauties of the period (618-907). 19-century
If the picturesque wooden bridge to the Bam¬ collection.
boo Grove has been demolished by the new
political order, the steel and concrete construc¬
tion that has taken its place is beginning to lose
a little of its rigidity. At this early stage, follow¬
ing the uncompromising years of the Mao
period, such changes are apparent only in the
large cities where women are again being temp¬
ted by more feminine dress, fashionable hair
styles and cosmetics, and where new hotels fill¬
ed with foreign businessmen and tourists are
creating a fresh variation of the old imperial
enclaves. These concentrations of ‘foreign
devils’, with their economic advantages, are
now welcomed as friends.
In 1980 certain changes were made to the
1950 Marriage Articles, and these provide fur¬
ther evidence of a slight liberalization even if
some of the details are contradictory. For ex¬
ample, the need for strict control of the birth
rate is as great as ever and, to this end, the per¬
missible marriage age has been raised to 22 for
men and 20 for women yet the penalties for ex¬
ceeding the one-child family are less rigorous.
Other inconsistencies are apparent. Marriage
between cousins is forbidden and those looking
for partners ‘of good class background’, a still
desirable distinction, are accused of
‘feudalism’. On the other hand, bourgeois
marriage bureaux are now permitted and run
by student and Party cadres, an evolution of

154
 previously denied them. Military morale suf¬ for them? These are the questions that must be
fered as husbands found themselves divorced applied within the present context of the first
or feared for their domestic arrangements, and moderating shifts from revolutionary
the Marriage Articles were accordingly ad¬ Puritanism.
justed. Such promiscuous behaviour, however,
is untypical and the appraisal by Delia Davin of The morality of the People’s Republic in sex¬
the Mao period continues to be valid: ‘Social ual matters is the very opposite of much that is
attitudes remained extremely puritanical so happening today within The Golden Triangle.
that for a couple to hold hands in public would Large Chinese communities in Taiwan, Hong
be considered ill-mannered. Pre-marital sex, Kong and Bangkok, following their traditional
though not theoretically illegal, met with strong life patterns, have created societies in which
social disapproval, and when classed as seduc¬ Confucianism, Taoism and Western commer¬
tion has occasionally joined adultery in being cialism, continue to flourish and to permit the
treated as a crime punishable in the courts.’ existence of ‘sex playgrounds’ unrivalled in
The Shanghai Court of the 1950’s, perhaps other countries. Lin Yutang has written: ‘For
because that region had been the ‘Sin City’ of the Chinese are a hard-boiled lot. There is no
China before the liberation, was particularly nonsense about them; they do not live in order
severe on fornicators and adulterers. Prison to die, as the Christians pretend to do, nor do
sentences and periods in reform camps were they seek for a Utopia on earth, as many of the
common punishments, a severity apparently seers of the West do. They just want to order
supported by the public. There was little com¬ this life on earth, which they know to be full of
radely understanding on the part of a divorced pain and sorrow, so that they may work
wife who ‘expressed her satisfaction peaceably, endure nobly, and live happily.’
that her husband’s girl friend (and future wife) Love Games. From the novel Su Wo P’ien. Courtesy of
must serve eight months.’ Adultery was, and is, the Library of the University of Indiana, Indiana.
regarded as a social offence as well as being an
example of bourgeois selfishness. The implica¬
tions of ‘undermining another person’s family’
(fang-hai chia-t’ing) are serious matters. There
have been public debates on the extent of a
women’s guilt when she does not know that her
lover is married, and a Peking newspaper pos¬
ed the rhetorical question: ‘Should we marry?’
This referred to the private torment of a
salesman who wanted to marry someone else’s
wife. ‘In asking her to marry me, will not a
divorce mean undermining another person’s
family?’ The newspaper (Kung-jen-jih-pao)
was uncompromising in its verdict. ‘To fall in
love with a married woman is immoral because
her knowledge of that fact can turn her against
her husband. This is an example of putting
selfish bourgeois happiness before Communist
morality and will result in undermining another
person’s family.’
After the present, comes the future; and the
future is already becoming evident. The long
history of China has seen a succession of
natural disasters, political turmoil and social
changes unparalleled elsewhere, but the out¬
come has always been a return to the tradi¬
tional character of the people. Past invaders
have departed or been absorbed by their sub¬
jects, disasters have been accepted stoically,
change has been moderated by pragmatism.
Does it really suit the people? Is it of them and

155
 This fatalistic philosophy, though it may From the modest dance halls of Hong Kong
seem a somewhat lofty concept when related to and Taiwan, with their exotic sense of occasion
the commercialization of sex in the Golden and hostesses trained in oriental social graces as
Triangle, is not specious. If the profitable well as in the bed arts, to luxury palaces for the
ordering of ‘this life on earth’ is conducted wealthy, the need to satisfy traditional male
with the consent of all parties involved, it will fantasies is paramount. To be obedient and
hardly seem a reason for guilt. As the con¬ submissive, bowing to male superiority, is as
tinuous traffic of Japanese men to Taiwan and profitable for the Fallen Flowers of today as it
Hong Kong, and of Chinese from Hong Kong was in the past. To protect the male from ‘los¬
to Bangkok and Taiwan, enjoy their ‘package ing face’ is also improtant. The ‘escape hatch’
tours’ or slip through the ‘escape hatches’ to tours describe the hostesses as ‘guides’ or ‘in¬
Hot Springs, they are not only indulging in terpreters’, visits to temples and museums give
modern permissiveness but returning to a time the occasions respectability, while the descrip¬
when man was master. Money, as it has tion ‘business trip’ covers everthing. The ex¬
throughout history, can buy almost anything. pensive game of make-believe includes ‘tem¬
Even a little of past society. porary wives’ with luxurious domestic ar¬
The style of sex-commerce in this Chinese- rangements, and a variety of massage parlours
dominated region of the world is very different where a good masseuse treats every customer as
from the red-light districts of Western cities. In her Ford Yang.
place of the brash and the sordid, much of the There is also a demand for western women,
presentation continues a tradition of subtlety the traditional contempt for foreign females
and complexity. Among those who fled from giving way not only to curiosity but, in this
Shanghai when it came under Communist rule modern age, to a greater self-confidence with
were the leading figures of the film and theatre the alien. Nevertheless, the opinion in The
communities, fashion models and aristocratic Diary of Tseng Kuo-Ting (Peking, 1932) is still
beauties, as well as the local sex ‘barons’ and shared by many Chinese men: ‘For us the
entrepreneurs. The women, with little oppor¬ western woman is extremely voluptuous. She
tunity to follow their careers, made the most of has large limbs and large breasts, her eyes are
their one instantly saleable asset, while men, of many colours and round, and her laughter is
particularly in Hong Kong, quickly prospered uninhibited and free. Every time a western
at a time when Overseas Chinese communities female laughs, I imagine it is an invitation to
were enjoying the beginning of the industrial the bedchamber. But the most obvious dif¬
boom. ference from our own women is the well-
Precious Moments in the Fair Field. K’ang-hsi
covered body. One does not have to treat her
(1662-1722). A painting on silk from the C.T. Loo too gently, one does not have in one’s arms a
collection. fragile, delicate-boned doll. When the Euro¬
pean female beckons with those large eyes,
when her face lights up with a brazenness that a
Chinese woman’s face simply cannot match,
then which of us men can remain indifferent to
such blatant sexuality? There is also the glory
of her hair, the range of colours, the different
textures, straight and curly, wavy and fluffy.
This, too, is a most exciting characteristic.
‘But there are two features of western
women that can hardly gain favour with the
Chinese male. The rawness of her odours are
exactly as one would expect from ’raw‘ bar¬
barians, and no amount of soap or scent can
change this. Secondly, the pubic hair of many
western women — how coarse it seems after
the Chinese female. It reminds one of riding
camels and donkeys bareback, rough and wiry,
and sometimes extending in a fuzz towards
navel or knees.’

156
 The two extremes of sexual behaviour, that their culture. But the Taoist side of the old
practiced in the People’s Republic and by the dualism and which, through the ages, en¬
sex trade of the Golden Triangle, now co-exist, couraged the joyful bedchamber arts, still
though in different societies. One has been im¬ unobtrusively survives. The ‘truth’ of which
posed by the Party and the state while the other Confucius wrote, ironically for such a
is a reflection of the transient capitalist market disciplinarian, implies natural desires, erotic
conditions of supply and demand. Has playfulness and self-expression.
nothing, then, from the past endured? One One of the characters of a Li Yii novel wrote
must return, again, to the human factor and the following quatrain. From the Bamboo
what is essentially Chinese, the character that Grove of Lord Yang and Lady Yin to the new
has evolved over thousands of years. Con¬ society of the People’s Republic, the meaning
fucius proclaimed: ‘Truth does not depart will be understood:
from human nature. If what is regarded as So be it, throw aside the rough-sack matting
truth departs from human nature, it may not Of self-denial in this world,
be regarded as truth.’ Sex is an aspect of that And for your prayer mat take flesh
truth. In neither one society nor the other is it As the place for your devotions.
being true to itself.
And yet, having stated that, truth is not
totally isolated from circumstances and
change, and one must consider the form that
sexual behaviour will take when the people of
China can again exercise freedom in their per¬
sonal lives. There can be no going back to the
colourful, and frequently cruel, excesses of the
past, while the sex commerce thriving among
the Overseas Chinese is part of the frenetic pur¬
suit of material wealth among people becoming
increasingly remote from their heritage and
Lovers. Their bewildered expressions suggest that they
have seen a future society that no longer enjoys the
Bedchamber Arts. 19th-century. Courtesy of the
Mitchell Library, Sydney.

157
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159
Charles Humana began writing in the
1950’s and has published a number of
highly praised, prize-winning works
of fiction and non-fiction. They have
been translated into a number of
languages and leading critics in
America and England have likened
his understanding of people to such
writers as D,H,Lawrence and de
Maupassant. Under a pseudonym he
wrote two successful sex satires which
prophesied the later work of Masters
and Johnson.

His interest in the Far East began

when he was a correspondent for
The Guardian during the 1967 Cultural
Revolution, and his articles on the
subject also appeared in London
Magazine and similar periodicals.
At present he is working on a major
human rights handbook.

Born in Fuzhou, China in 1913,

Wang Wu studied physics at Peking
University and later English literature
at Cambridge and London. His
scholarly interest in his cultural heritage
and his trans-cultural experience
has made Wang Wu a popular writer
and lecturer on aspects of Chinese
culture to Western audiences.
He has pursued a variety of careers in
his time in Britain: as diplomat, fine
art publisher, journalist, industrial
relations and welfare officer to
Chinese seamen and restauranteur.
Wang Wu has now lived in London
for over forty years.