Child molestation refers to the love relationship between adult men and young men, which was popular in the period of the Yellow Emperor, who was regarded as the founder of Chinese civilization. At least, it has been recorded in various literary works throughout the ages.
Both folk myths and literary classics use short sentences and long sentences to describe the same-sex relationship between men and women.
Sociologist Pan Guangdan believes that homosexuality is a natural reality in life and has existed for a long time in human history. Pan was inspired to look for reliable clues about the existence of homosexuality in the history of China when he translated Psychology, a groundbreaking work by British psychologist Havelock Ellis, in 1930s. However, he found many clues. His research was included in the appendix of Chinese edition of Psychology, which became the first systematic study of same-sex relations in China.
According to Pan's research, homosexuality was first seen in Chronology of Shang Dynasty. In the early Shang Dynasty (about BC16th century-BC1century), Minister Yi Ying made the punishment of "10 criminal behavior" among officials. One of them is child sexual harassment.
However, Pan was surprised to find that there was a popular proverb in the subsequent Zhou Dynasty (about 1 1 century-256 BC) as follows: "Handsome men can distract the emperor from their old wisdom." Therefore, he thought homosexuality was very common in Shang and Zhou Dynasties. The historical records of that period provide a vivid and detailed description of same-sex relations, especially the records of the royal palace. Romantic gay love stories are told over and over again, even today when people try to judge homosexuality.
The earliest story of this kind is "hugging behind" recorded in Spring and Autumn Annals. When Gong Jing threatened to kill an official who often stared at him, the sage Yanzi told Gong Jing that it was wrong to kill someone who "appreciated your beauty". I agree with Yan Zi that Gong Jing asked the referee to "hug him from behind".
In the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), both Sima Qian and Ban Gu wrote reports about the "misfortune" of Emperor male concubine. Based on these, Pan concluded that almost every emperor had or suspected a man in the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-24 AD). One of the most famous Toy Boy is Dong Xian. It is said that Aidi woke up to find the sleeve of the dragon robe pressed under his partner's sleeping Dong Xian. He didn't want to wake his beloved "concubine", mourned the emperor, and then quickly left to deal with daily affairs. Since then, gay love between men has often been called "love with broken sleeves"-a euphemism for those who are still embarrassed to discuss gay relationships openly. By the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234), homosexuality had become a common phenomenon in the upper class, and it was often mentioned in official reports.
Pan said this is understandable, because the Jin Dynasty was one of several periods in world history when men paid special attention to appearance. Pan also said that another period was ancient Greece, and child molestation was an acceptable part of life. "Ancient Greek philosophers thought homosexuality was more sacred than heterosexuality (there is no relevant literature citation), and we can't say whether ancient people thought so, but obviously, homosexuality didn't have too much social prejudice and moral condemnation at that time," Pan said.
In China, soon after the Sui Dynasty (58 1-6 18), homosexuality gradually disappeared from official reports. Pan quotes novels and other random quotations, and its authenticity is often questioned. This situation lasted until the Tang Dynasty (AD 6 18-907) and the Yuan Dynasty (AD 127 1- 1368). It seems that homosexuality only reappeared in the Ming Dynasty (1368- 1644) and the Qing Dynasty (1644-191), but the plot is very different.
Homosexuality often appears in the works of famous writers such as Ji Yun, a great scholar, and Yuan Mei, a great poet. In the classic novel A Dream of Red Mansions by novelist Cao Xueqin, at least three characters are clearly described as homosexuals. It was also in the Qing Dynasty that China's first gay novel Treasure of Flowers came out.
During this period, the trend changed, and it was known as "Southern Fashion", with "South" and "Man" as homophones, because homosexuality was more common in southern provinces such as Guangdong and Fujian. However, lesbians were recognized for the first time. It is said that in Guangdong and surrounding counties and cities, it is acceptable for lesbians to live together without marriage for life.
During the Qing Dynasty, the so-called "private residence" business developed. After the implementation of the policy of prohibiting prostitutes from hiring female singers in the troupe, male actors began to sing female roles. While performing in private, some attractive actors, called "xianggong", also provide off-stage services for their male clients. However, they failed to escape social prejudice. According to Pan, due to the low social status of Xianggong, they had to sell their bodies. Female prostitutes often get a second chance to live a normal life after they get better, but Xianggong suffers social humiliation for life. Even their descendants are forbidden to take the imperial examinations.
There is a god who takes care of homosexuality in the folk literature of the Qing Dynasty. Is the famous "rabbit god", called Hu Tianbao, because he was killed with a handsome official. In hell, he was laughed at, and in order to show sympathy for them, the god of hell appointed him as the patron saint of homosexuals. This is an interesting anecdote, because it reflects the general attitude towards homosexuality in society at that time.
Li Yinhe, a sociologist in China, called social tolerance China's "cultural advantage". Li pointed out in her article "How China Leads and Falls Behind in Homosexuality Acceptance" that in the past, China was more tolerant of homosexuals than some western societies that persecuted homosexuals even to death. She thinks that people with cultural self-confidence in China are not afraid to accept another way of life, but they might as well ignore it instead of opposing it.