Flower Appreciation Manual

Author: Chen Sen
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-07-01
Features: The Precious Mirror of Appreciating Flowers is a long novel in China that reflects the life of the (the opera world) with the beautiful and pitiful as its main characters. The novel consists of sixty chapters and was produced during the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty. Its author is Chen Sen from Changzhou, Jiangsu. The novel centers on the stories of homosexual love between the nobleman Mei Ziyu and the famous actress Du Qinyan, as well as between the scholar Tian Chunhang and the famous actress Su Huifang. It depicts the life experiences of ten famous actresses in the capital. The novel finally shows the ten actresses leaving the, burning away their hairpins, jewelry, and clothing in a fire, thereby expressing the author's ideal of glorifying the and giving voice to the famous actresses. As the first novel of the Qing Dynasty, The Precious Mirror of Appreciating Flowers truly reflects the prosperity of the capital's and the prevalence of the custom of favoring courtesans during the Qianlong and Jiaqing periods, as well as the real-life scenes of brothels, teahouses, and all aspects of life. It holds certain historical and literary value.