Eight Beauties of Qinhuai

The Eight Beauties of Qinhuai (Chinese: 秦淮八艳; pinyin: Qínhuái Bāyàn), also called the Eight Beauties of Jinling (Chinese: 金陵八艳), were eight famous Yiji or Geji during the Ming-Qing transition period who resided along the Qinhuai River in Nankin (now Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China). As well as possessing great beauty, they were all skilled in literature, poetry, fine arts, dancing and music.^[1]

The name originates either from the 1693 book Banqiao Zaji (板橋雜記) by Yu Huai (余懷),^[1] or from the 19th century book Qinhuai Bayan Tuyong (秦淮八豔圖詠), in which authors Zhang Jingqi (張景祁) and Ye Yanlan (葉衍蘭) chose the eight most famous (in their view) Yijis of the period to be the subjects of the book.^[2]

During the late Ming dynasty, elite Yijis challenged the gender stereotypes of Confucian values. In contrast to the women of the gentry, who were often discouraged from cultivating talent, lest it undermine their virtue as wives and mothers, the Yijis were educated in painting, poetry, and music. In addition, they owned property and participated in the public scene.^[3]

Also known as The Elegant Eight of River Qinhuai^[1] and The Eight Great Courtesans of the Ming,^[2] the Yijis were Ma Xianglan (馬湘蘭), Bian Yujing [zh] (卞玉京), Li Xiangjun (李香君), Liu Rushi (柳如是), Dong Xiaowan (董小宛), Gu Hengbo (顧橫波), Kou Baimen [zh] (寇白門) and Chen Yuanyuan (陳圓圓).^[2]