Jinling Eight Beauties (Part 1 and Part 2)

Author: Liu Peilin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: ★16-inch paperback, published by Guangming Daily Press ★The Eight Beauties of Jinling have long been favored by scholars and literati, and their stories have been widely circulated in streets and alleys. They are diverse in style and exceptionally talented, making them a hot topic in terms of appearance, skills, temperament, and life experiences. ★The book spans 700,000 words, divided into two volumes, each containing eight chapters, with each chapter focusing on the story of one of the Eight Beauties. ★It provides a relatively comprehensive and complete record of the biographies of the "Eight Beauties of Jinling," as well as the national and familial grievances and turbulent times of that era. Among the renowned beauties introduced in this book, many transcended the typical image of gentlewomen. Though they resided in brothels, they cared about the world, maintained their chastity, acted bravely in the face of injustice, and were willing to help others. Some even daringly punished villains. For example, Kou Baimen allied with the beggar gang to help the poor, Bian Yujing outsmarted the Japanese invaders and upheld national dignity and personal integrity; Gu Hongbo, filled with anger and ingenuity, cleverly eliminated the vicious Yangling Salt Commissioner; Ma Xianglan sang sarcastically about the contemporary censor in court, and so on. The heroic deeds of the Eight Beauties further ignited the "art of needlework" and established the new perspective that "lowly women can be noble." As Lu Xun once said, to some extent, courtesans were pioneers breaking free from the constraints of feudal ethics and rushing toward the dawn of a new era. These eight Jinling beauties were involved in poetry, painting, music, and prose. Some were their own creations, while others adapted or quoted the works of others. However, their poetry, imagery, literary charm, and colors were unique, ranging from fresh and delicate to passionate and magnificent. The author intentionally included these works in this collection to make it enjoyable for both the refined and the common, as well as for all ages.