Illustrated Mirror of the Flower Sea

Author: Li Ruzhen (Qing Dynasty)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-09-01
Features: The Mirror of Flowers and Fruits inherits some materials from the Western Sea and Western Wilderness sections of Classic of Mountains and Seas, and through the author's re-creation, with his rich imagination and humorous style, employs exaggeration, metaphor, and contrast to create a unique and innovative novel in structure and thought. However, what makes it particularly unique is the author's idealized "country of daughters" in his works, where "men wear women's clothing and act as women to manage household affairs; women wear men's boots and hats and act as men to manage external affairs." The intelligence and abilities of women are no inferior to those of men, with both emperors and ministers being women. This reflects the author's good wish for gender equality and women having the same social status as men. Although there have been many works praising women's talents since the middle of the Ming Dynasty, the "country of daughters" is Li Ruzhen's original creation.