Flowers of the World (Volume 1 and 2) -- Popular Library of Famous Ancient Chinese Novels

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 (theatrical world) with its main characters being the pitiful and lovely. This novel consists of sixty chapters and was produced during the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty. Its author is Chen Sen from Jiangsu Changzhou. The novel centers on the homoerotic love stories between the nobleman Mei Ziyu and the famous actress Du Qinyan, the scholar Tian Chunhang and the famous actress Su Huifang, depicting the lives and experiences of ten famous actresses in the capital. The novel finally depicts the ten actresses leaving the, burning away their hairpins, hair combs, 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, possessing certain historical and literary value.