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Bian er chai
Ming dynasty-era anthology of homoerotic short stories From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Bian er chai (Chinese: 弁而釵; pinyin: Biàn ér chāi)[a] is an anthology of homoerotic short stories by an unknown author published in the late Ming dynasty.
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Contents
Bian er chai comprises four short stories that revolve around homosexual relationships; each story is five chapters long.[3] "Qingzhen ji" (情贞纪) or "A Story of Chaste Love"[4] follows a member of the Hanlin Academy who poses as a student to seduce a boy;[3] in "Qingxia ji" (情侠纪) or "A Story of Chivalric Love",[4] a decorated soldier is seduced by a man;[5] "Qinglie ji" (情烈纪) or "A Story of Sacrificing Love"[4] explores the love life of a young male opera singer;[6] and in "Qingqi ji" (情奇纪) or "A Story of Extraordinary Love",[4] a young catamite is rescued from the brothel by an older lover, only to encounter further tribulations.[6]
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Publication history
Bian er chai was written in classical Chinese[7] by an anonymous writer using the pseudonym "The Moon-Heart Master of the Drunken West Lake" (醉西湖心月主人),[8][b] who is also believed to have written another homoerotic short story collection titled Yichun xiangzhi (宜春香質) or Fragrance of the Pleasant Spring,[8] as well as a preface for Cu hulu (醋葫蘆), a novella about a shrewish wife.[3] Surviving editions of Bian er chai also contain interlinear commentary by "The Daoist Master Haha What Can You Do About Fate" (奈何天呵呵道人).[10] The novel was first published during the reign of the Chongzhen Emperor (1628–1644)[11] by the obscure "Plowing the Mountain with a Brush Studio" (筆耕山房),[10] and was later banned by the Qing government.[12] Two extant editions of Bian er chai are known to exist: one is housed at the Beijing Municipal Library and the Tenri Central Library in Japan, while the other is held in the National Palace Museum in Taipei.[10]
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Notes
References
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