Paradise on Earth? The Lives of West Lake Pleasure Boat Courtesans

Support my channel by joining as a "Noble Bao Bun" and get exclusive Bao Bun Emojis:   / @amimisu   Support with Tea! https://ko-fi.com/amimisu Tang Dynasty Hanfu: https://amzn.to/4b1RvQm Tang Dynasty/Song Dynasty Hanfu: https://amzn.to/3Ps9uXN Ming Dynasty Hanfu: https://amzn.to/4fvgNsn White Camellia Flower Hairpin Set: https://amzn.to/3NrYqZ5 Red Flower Hairpin Set: https://amzn.to/4sI8ehK Flower Petal with Pearl Tassels Hairpin: https://amzn.to/3YGOH3x Hair Wig: https://amzn.to/3NthUMY Qing Dynasty of Chinese History:    • Qing Dynasty of Chinese History   Ming Dynasty of Chinese History:    • Ming Dynasty of Chinese History   Tang Dynasty of Chinese History:    • Tang Dynasty of Chinese History   Chinese History with Amy:    • Chinese History with Amy   Chinese Imperial Harem:    • Chinese Imperial Harem   Historical Figures of Chinese History:    • Historical Figures of Chinese History   An old Chinese saying compares Hangzhou to paradise on earth, and West Lake was one of the city's greatest attractions. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, wealthy merchants, officials, and scholars gathered aboard pleasure boats to enjoy music, poetry, drinking, and the company of courtesans. Some of these women became famous for their talents and relationships with celebrated scholars, while others spent their lives working on the boats, struggling to escape poverty and exploitation. Behind the beautiful scenery and lavish entertainment was a business that could be terribly cruel to the women involved. Although the world of the West Lake Boat Courtesans has long since disappeared, their stories remain a fascinating and often tragic part of Chinese history. Historical Sources History of Ming (《明史》) A History of Chinese Prostitution (《妓女史》) - Xu Jun (徐君) and Yang Hai (楊海) Dream Seeking by West Lake (《西湖夢尋》) - Zhang Dai (張岱) Dream Memories of Tao’an - (《陶庵夢憶》) - Zhang Dai (張岱) Zhang Juzheng (《張居正》) - Xiong Zhaozheng (熊召政) Officialdom Unmasked (《官場現形記》) - Li Baojia (李寶嘉) Forest of Discussions about the Tang Period (《唐語林》) - Wang Dang (王讜) Drunken Song, Shown to the Singer Shang Linglong (〈醉歌示妓人商玲瓏〉) - by Bai Juyi (白居易) The Chronicles of a Small Realm (《小腆紀傳》) - by Xu Zi (徐鼒) Notes on the Origins of the Nine-Surname Fishing Households (〈九姓漁民來源探析〉, 2006) - by Zhu Haibin (朱海濱) Research on the Nine-Surname Fishing Households of the Qiantang River (《錢江九姓漁戶攷》, 1931) - by Tong Zhenzao (童振藻) Brief Records of Yanling (《嚴陵紀略》) - by Dai Pan (戴槃) Study of the Nine-Surname Fishing Boats (〈九姓漁船攷〉) - by Dai Pan (戴槃) Petition Requesting the Abolition of the Jiande Fishing Tax (〈稟請奏裁建德縣漁課由〉) - by Dai Pan (戴槃) Inscription on the Abolition of the Nine-Surname Fishing Tax and Their Change from Degraded to Good Status (〈裁嚴郡九姓漁課並令改籍為良碑記〉) - by Dai Pan (戴槃) Jiande County Gazetteer (《建德縣志》) Sketches of Beauties on Painted Boats (〈畫船紀艷〉), from Songyin Manlu (《淞隱漫錄》) - by Wang Tao (王韜) Selected Historical Materials on the Nine-Surname Fishing Households (《九姓漁戶史料選編》) - Edited by Xie Yibiao (謝一彪), 2023 Licheng (《里乘》), “The Lady of the Yuan Family” (《袁姬》) - Xu Feng'en (許奉恩) Records of the Qiantang Pleasure Boats (《錢江畫舫錄》) Shenbao (《申報》), “The Drowned Pearl of Qiugu” (〈秋瀔沉珠記〉) - October 30, 1926 The Gift of Song: Courtesans and Patrons in Late Ming and Early Qing Cultural Production - Judith T. Zeitlin Footage used in this video: Joy of Life - 慶餘年 Rise of the Legend - 黃飛鴻之英雄有夢 Under the Power - 錦衣之下 Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace - 如懿傳 Nine-Surname Fishermen - 九姓漁民 Ripples of Desire - 花漾 A Dream of Splendor - 夢華錄 Legend of Zang Hai - 藏海傳 Guardians of the Dafeng - 大奉打更人 Liu Ru Shi - 柳如是 00:00 - Introduction 02:17 - A Story of a Boat Courtesan 06:27 - The Boat Courtesans of West Lake 11:11 - The Boat Courtesan Who Carried Books 17:39 - The Making of a Boat Courtesan 22:14 - The Lady of the Yuan Family 27:14 - Nine-Surname Fishing Households 31:44 - The Drowned Pearl 36:16 - Final Thoughts Disclaimer: Visuals used in this video are for reference/illustrative purposes and are not intended as accurate historical depictions. #chinesehistory #mingdynasty #qingdynasty #courtesan #brothel #pleasureboat #九姓漁戶