Artistic Awakening and Identity Discovery: Unique Culture of Chinese Female Poets in the 17th-19th Centuries

Abstract

While ancient China has long adhered to the traditional division of labor with men responsible for external affairs and women for domestic duties, the fact that women's production of "nü hong" (women's handicrafts) also constituted a vital component of the family economy has been consistently overlooked by a male-dominated society. From the 17th to the 19th century, as large-scale "guixiu" literature (literature produced by educated women) gained prominence, the voices of women gradually gained strength. In the tumultuous historical context of the time, Ming and Qing dynasty female poets were compelled to step out of their homes in search of means of livelihood. By studying their paths to survival, this research seeks to achieve several objectives: firstly, it presents a perspective distinct from the traditional image of female poets characterized by superficiality and fragility; secondly, to some extent, it illustrates the possibility of women leading independent lives during the Ming and Qing dynasties; thirdly, it unveils their self-awareness of identity in the social context of necessity for social interaction to secure their livelihoods. Consequently, this research strives to depict the image of Ming and Qing dynasty female poets as embodying "independent survival and self-awareness," which played a significant role in fostering the budding development of self-awareness among Chinese women.