Geji

Geji is a type of female entertainer in ancient Chinese society. They performed Chinese classical music, songs and dances in history. The zajus in history were also performed by geji. Some gejis were even poets.

Five Dynasties gejis are performing

The "ji" in geji has three expressions. "伎" in ancient Chinese refers to people with skills, including male and female entertainers,men and women who are engaged in medical skills, stargazing, and divination, but the word "歌伎(Gējì)" only refers to female. "妓" has two meanings in ancient Chinese, one refers to female performers, and the other refers to female sex workers. "歌妓(Gējì)" means female singer and dancer, which further emphasizes gender. "姬" is a respectful title for all women in ancient Chinese, also used to refer to princesses and noble women. "歌姬(Gējī)" is a more respectful usage for female singers and dancers. According to the art that women are good at, commonly used words include "wuji(舞妓)", "yueji(乐妓)" and "shengji(声妓)", which are all synonyms of geji, further emphasizing the areas they are better at.

The profession of geji originated in the palace at the end of the Xia Dynasty. It gradually declined in the late Qing Dynasty, blurring the functions of gejis and prostitutes to a certain extent. There were many dynasties in ancient China, the specific status of geji varied in different periods. At the same time, there were some differences in income and status between geji in large cities and geji in economically underdeveloped areas. Although gejis had a lower social status than nobles and officials, but most of them were not prostitution women, nor did they exist as high-class prostitutes and sex slaves. Female performers in ancient China can be roughly divided into geji, xiqu actress and acrobatic female entertainer. Among female performers, geji's status is often higher than that of xiqu actress and acrobatic female entertainer, because gejis are more educated.

In today's China and the West, many people misunderstand geji as "prostitute who know some arts". In today's Chinese, the word "geji" has become a word of insult, but this was not the case in history.

History development

Before the Han dynasty

Early singing and dancing in ancient China also originated from sacrifices. The earliest dance used by the Han Chinese to worship gods, drive away plague and avoid epidemics, express peace was called "Nuo dance".There are records of Nuo sacrifices in the oracle bone inscriptions of the Yin Ruins, and there are also explicit records of Nuo dance in "The Rites of Zhou".Wizards and witches would sing and dance during sacrificial activities. These witches who participated in singing and dancing may be the predecessors of later gejis.^[1][2][3]During the Xia dynasty, there were already geji. Jie was a monarch in the late Xia dynasty who had many female musicians in his court. These female musicians started practicing early in the morning, sounds can be heard outside the palace.^[4]During the Shang dynasty, music and dance performances focused on entertainment began to be performed in the court of the monarch King Zhou. King Zhou had entertainers perform entertaining songs and dances in the court to entertain himself.^[5]

Ensemble of female musicians, 2nd century BCE

During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period in China, many musics and dances were further removed from the scope of religious sacrifices. In the second year after King Yan Zhao came to the throne, Guangyan State presented two gejis, one named Xuanjuan and the other named Timo. The two of them performed three dances: "Yangchen", "Jiyu", and "Xuanhuai",they have extremely high dance attainments.^[6]At the end of the Warring States Period, Mochou a girl from the Chu State, entered the palace as a geji and brought folk songs and dances into the palace. King Qingxiang of Chu extensively collected folk songs and sang them to music,and also sent special personnel to compose music and train musicians.Mo Chou, a geji of the Chu State in the late Warring States Period, made friends with famous poets Qu Yuan and Song Yu, received guidance and help from them. Mo Chou sang ancient and elegant repertoires, blending Chu Ci with songs, she completed the singing of the elegant repertoire "Yangchun Baixue(陽春白雪)".^[7] There were a large number of gejis active in the court of Qin Shihuang Ying Zheng. These gejis were once from the original six kingdoms. They played musical instruments such as bells and drums in the Qin court.^[8]

Han dynasty

Album Gathering Gems of Beauty (畫麗珠萃秀) Dancing Lady Li

Liu Bang, the founder and first emperor of the Han dynasty, was a supporter of popular entertainment including folk songs and dances. He was the first to introduce Chu music and dance into the palace as forms of court music and dance. Therefore, the court music and dance of the Han dynasty were secular feasts with a hedonistic mood, gejis who were good at singing and dancing became the objects of appreciation.^[9] During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty, yuefu was established, and the government paid closer attention to music. Some of them managed ritual music and military music, while others managed secular music, they went to the folk to learn and collect music, wrote lyrics and tunes based on the collection results. Yuefu also arranges musical instruments for singing and playing. During the Han dynasty, there were many geji in the imperial palaces and aristocratic mansions, used for performances at banquets, entertaining monarchs, nobles, ministers, etc. In the cities of the Han dynasty, there were singing and dancing places where geji used to perform. The upper classes such as nobles, officials and the merchant class enjoyed music and entertainment in such houses.^[10] In the Han dynasty, there were families of performers who were engaged in music and dance as a profession. Some families were composed of parents and children, with brothers and sisters all taking music and dance as a profession.^[10][11] In the Han dynasty, an important part of the emperor's daily entertainment was banquets. In folk banquets, banquets are a bond of interpersonal communication and a symbol of etiquette. The most common entertainment during the banquet is singing and dancing, but there are also acrobatics and rap performances. In addition to professional actors performing songs and dances at the banquet, the host and guests of the banquet also need to sing and dance impromptu. Typically the host dances first and the guests dance in return.^[12]

Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern dynasties

During the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern dynasties, the practice of cultivating geji was prevalent. During this period, geji played the most obvious role as nobles in displaying their wealth. Nobles competed for singing girls from time to time. Stories about geji are recorded in "Shishuoxinyu". Zhao Yun a geji in the Northern Wei dynasty, was good at playing the Chi (篪chí, a flute-like instrument), and could perform "Tuan Shan Song" and "Long Shang Sheng". Volume 4 of Yang Xuanzhi's "Luoyang Jialan Ji" in the Northern dynasties records that the geji Zhaoyun's music can move the rebellious Qiang in Longshang to "come back and surrender", and the music she plays is more powerful than the "quick horse runners".^[13] During the Three Kingdoms period, Caocao also raised geji. The sing and dance gejis in Caocao's family were called Tongque Jis.^[14]The gejis also participated in the singing of Yuefu music, the literati who had close contact with the gejis during the Southern Dynasties learned new forms and transformed the songs sung by the gejis into literary carriers.^[15]During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, authors of the folk songs of the Southern Dynasties were Han Chinese, many Yuefu poems were written by gejis.^[16]The popular palace poetry in the Southern dynasties was for the geji in the palace to sing to entertain the monarchs and nobles.Palace poems often depict gejis singing and dancing, they played musical instruments to entertain guests at banquets. The emperor also praised the gejis for their excellent pipa playing skills.^[17]During the Northern Wei dynasty, Luoyang, as the capital at that time, had a gathering area for music and dance artists. It is said in "Jiyang Jialan Ji" that Luoyang, the capital city, is divided into tune and rhythm, and there are many singing and dancing artists. As the political center and people of the Han nationality migrated southward, female music and dance from the north were also brought to the south of the Yangtze River, so the songs and dances in the south of the Yangtze River were also very popular. The most famous one is the "Qianxi Dance" spread in Qianxi Village, an area where artists gather. Qianxi Village in Huzhou, according to historical records, was once a gathering place for music and dance artists in the Southern dynasties. During the Tang dynasty, there were many places to learn music and dance performances here. Jiangnan's music and dance performances were once famous, and most of the music and dance artists came from Qianxi Village.^[18][19][20]During the Northern Wei Dynasty, dance culture flourished, gejis or female dancers widely participated in dance performances.^[21]

Sui and Tang dynasties

The performances of the "Seven-part Music" and "Nine-part Music" of the Sui Dynasty generally have three forms: "songs", "dance music" and "interpretation music". "Songs" are those with both sound and words, "dance music" is the music that goes with the dance, and "interpretation music" may be instrumental music with sound but no words, and is generally faster. "Seven-part Music" and "Nine-part Music" belong to the court music of the Sui Dynasty, gejis also participated in the performances together with male musicians.^[22]

A Tang dynasty dancing girl

During Tang dynasties,some literati even referred to geji as confidants, there were many descriptions of geji in literary works at that time. Some female protagonists in the legendary stories of the Tang dynasty are also geji. For example, Hongfu girl in "Biography of Qiu bearded Guests" was originally a geji in Yang Su's mansion, the Liushi in "Biography of Liushi" was also a geji, and the Huo Xiaoyu in "Biography of Huo Xiaoyu" was expelled from Huo Wang's mansion and became a geji.^[23][24]There are also many works about geji in the poetry, such as Bai Juyi's "Pipa Xing" which depicts a geji married to a merchant.^[25] And Bai Juyi also raised geji himself, among which Fan Su had the best singing skills. Bai Juyi wrote a poem: "Cherry Fan Su Mouth" praising Fan Su's singing skills. Li Shangyin wrote a poem titled "Two Songs to a geji". The female poet Du Qiuniang was also a geji. Xue Tao, a geji from the Tang dynasty, was the leading female poet of the Middle Tang dynasty, earning the titles of "literary demon" and "Tang peacock".The Huajian School of Poetry, represented by Wen Tingyun in the late Tang dynasty, is closely related to geji. There were also many geji in the palace, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang was fond of music. In the second year of the Kaiyuan era (724 AD), he established the Left and Right Jiaofangs and was in charge of the haiyu acrobatics in the palace. The Yichun Courtyard is composed of nvling(女伶), known as "neiren", who often perform in front of emperors, also known as "predecessors". At that time, there were some out standing palace geji, such as Niannu (念奴) and Xu Hezi, whose deeds can be seen in Wang Renyu's "The Legacy of Kaiyuan Tianbao" of the Five Dynasties. According to records, the singing voice of xiunu is like drilling out the morning clouds in the sky, and the noise of bells, drums, and sheng yu cannot be suppressed. Therefore, Emperor Xuanzong greatly favored her. Yuan Zhen also described the situation at that time in his poem "Lianchang Palace Ci". According to Duan Anjie's "Miscellaneous Records of Yuefu", once Emperor Xuanzong of Tang held a grand banquet at the Qinzheng Building, but the noise from the audience interfered with the music, which made him very unhappy. Gao Lishi suggested that Xu Yongxin perform on stage to stop the noise. Xu Yongxin's singing was accompanied by silence, and the audience was attracted by her singing voice. Xuanzong often said that her songs are worth a thousand gold.^[26][27]

During the Tang and Song dynasties, the culture of gejis was considered to have reached its peak.^[28] Literatis and gejis created poetry together and exchanged poems with each other. Many poems were written by male literatis and then adapted into songs by gejis. Tang Dynasty literatis looked to gejis for inspiration for their writing.^[29] Some gejis composed their own songs, even popularized a new form of lyrical verse that incorporated quotations of famous historical figures.^[30] Some gejis were poets themselves, Tang poetry and Song Ci were also sung by gejis. Gejis sang poems in the form of songs, playing a key role in the spread of ancient Chinese poetry.^[31][32]From the perspective of content and form, the Huajian School of Poetry mainly focuses on romance, tenderness and simplicity, and is inseparable from the nature of "relying on sound to fill in lyrics" and Xiehe lyrics. It mainly describes the shallow consideration of deep boudoirs and theaters. These words are usually sung by geji at banquets, so they have been widely circulated.^[33]During the Tang and Song dynasties, it became fashionable for literatis and aristocrats to invite gejis to go on outings, such outings were inseparable from singing, dancing, drinking and tea tasting.^[34][35] During the Tang Dynasty, emperors highly patronized the arts. The gejis in the Tang Dynasty's Jiaofang had high artistic attainments and also enjoyed high treatment and status.^[36]Xue Tao, Gongsun Daniang and some gejis were praised by the people and the upper class. Xue Tao was called "female Jiaoshu(女校書)" because of her outstanding literary talent.^[37] Gongsun Daniang can perform various sword dances.^[38]In the Tang Dynasty, gejis were divided into "zuobuji(坐部伎)" and "libuji(立部伎)". The gejis who played music while sitting were "zuobuji(坐部伎)", those who danced and sang while standing were "libuji(立部伎)". The gejis who were good at pipa, sanxian, konghou and zheng were also called "choudanjia(搊弹家)".^[39][40]There were also gejis from Central Asia during the Tang Dynasty. These Central Asian gejis were called "Huxuan girl(胡旋女)" and specialized in performing the Huxuan dance.^[41]

Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

Geji Wangwu Shan performing Liuyao dance

During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, the south was relatively stable, there were gejis both inside and outside the palace. Bashu, a remote area in the southwest, was relatively stable. During the former and later Shu periods, Chengdu's shops were prosperous,singing, dancing and entertainment were very popular. The emerging popular music form, the word was favored.Mrs. Huarui once wrote more than 100 "Palace Cis" describing life in the palace. These verses vividly record the grand music and dance scene in Chengdu during the Five Dynasties period. These poems describe a complete set of music and dance performances in the palace, from learning, rehearsal to performance. In order to make the performance successful, Liyuan Zidis and the gejis studied and rehearsed every day.In the performance of team dance during the Five Dynasties, "dance head" is equivalent to the "bamboo pole" in the team dance of the Song dynasty. Among the team dances during the reign of King Yan of the former Shu dynasty, the Red Lotus Picking Team Dance is very famous. The stage setting for the Red Lotus Picking Team Dance is extremely luxurious, and there are 220 women singing and performing.In the early years of the Northern Song dynasty, Zhang Yong's "Poems in Mourning for Shu" described Chengdu during the Later Shu period: "The shadows of candles are sinking like stars, and the songs are falling with the moon." Lu You records that during the Shu period, there were many folk musicians in Chongzhou alone."Han Xizai's Night Banquet" is a painting by Gu Hongzhong, a painter of the Southern Tang dynasty during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. It depicts the scene of the official Han Xizai having a night banquet at his home, singing and having fun.^[42][43]

Song dynasty

During the Song dynasty, many scholars trained geji, interacted with geji and exchanged poems and songs, which also affected literary creation and the spread of poetry. Liu E once was a geji who was good at beating the drum and singing drum lyrics. She was good at playing the drum and singing while playing it, her singing voice was beautiful.^[44]The Wanyue Ci in the Song dynasty had a close relationship with geji. The Wanyue Ci in the early Northern Song dynasty was written for geji to sing, their contents were mostly about love affairs between men and women, boudoir love, etc. Zhang Xian, Yan Shu , Liu Yong and other poets have many poems about geji. Liu Yong often had contact with geji and often wrote lyrics for geji and musicians. He also often composed new songs himself and then wrote lyrics for geji to sing. His official career was not smooth, so he had special feelings for the geji who were also in the lower class of society, and maintained a harmonious relationship with them.^[45]At that time, the geji liked to talk about poetry and songs with Liu Yong. Every year during the Qingming Festival, geji go to Liu Yong's tomb to pay homage, which is called "Diao Liu Qi" or "Diao Liu Hui".^[46]Liu Yong has many poems about geji, such as "Xi Chunlang", "Feng Title Cup", etc. The content includes describing the geji's life, describing the geji's appearance and talents,expressing his love for the geji.Yan Shu is a poet of the Song dynasty, wrote part of his poems about separation and sorrow, which were written in response to the needs of the geji. Yan Shu's son Yan Jidao had deep sympathy for those smart but unfortunate geji, which was revealed in his lyrics. In addition to the poets of Wanyue Ci,who Haofang Ci poet Su Shi also had contacts with geji.^[47] When he left Hangzhou for Mizhou, when passing through Suzhou, there were geji guarding Changmen when he left the city and held a farewell banquet for him. Su Shi wrote "Drunk and Desolate·Farewell at Suzhou Changmen" was given to her.^[48]

Qin Guan, a scholar from the Su Men, also had close contacts with geji. Su Shi's good friend Chen Zhen had many geji, which made his wife Liushi dissatisfied. Liushi even reprimanded Chen Zhen loudly in front of her guests, which made Chen Zhen very afraid of his wife. This incident is also the origin of the idiom "Hedong Lion's Roar".^[49] Song dynasty poet Xin Qiji also dated geji, he likes to watch singing and dancing performances of geji. Xin Qiji also wrote about geji in his works.^[50]Song Huizong Zhao Ji was also an artist himself. He was fascinated by the geji Li Shishi and began a romantic relationship with her.^[51] Liu E and Empress Yang of the Song Dynasty were both empresses who were born as gejis, they also achieved certain achievements in art.After the Southern Song dynasty, lyrics gradually became "elegant". There were fewer lyrics describing geji, many of them were no longer suitable for singing by geji. However, some poets at that time still wrote lyrics for geji. Geji in the Song dynasty were good at singing "small singing" and "piao singing (嘌唱)". Small singing belongs to elegant singing, such as "slow music" and "qupo". The geji sing and dance, they themselves beat the rhythm with their hands or clappers, while the musicians next to them accompany them with bamboo flutes, dragon flutes, and shengs. Geji should sing elegant tunes, with "soft and beautiful voices", slow rhythm and preciseness. Meng Yuanlao of the Northern Song dynasty recorded that the geji who were good at singing include Li Shishi, Xu Poxi, Feng Yinu and Sun Sansi. Among them, Li Shishi was the best, represented by "Youth Tour (少年游)", "Lanling King", "Da Mo (大酩)", " "Six Ugly". There were more famous singers among the geji in the Southern Song dynasty. "Mengliang Lu" mentioned Jin Sailan, Fan Duyi, Tang An'an, Ni Duxi and so on. Piao singing is a popular singing method, singing songs, singing tunes, and singing small orders. The geji use drums to accompany them, playing fast and complex strings, lively and indulgent.^[52]

The song and dance songs of the Tang dynasty developed into team dance performances in the Song dynasty. According to the "Song Book·Yue Zhi", the court dances in the Song dynasty included the "Children's Dance Team" and the "Female Disciple Team". The female disciples mentioned here refer to the female artists who studied song, dance and drama. "Yun Gongshifeng Zhenyin Manlu (鄖公式峰真隱漫錄)" by Shi Hao of the Song dynasty records in detail the performances of the "Lotus Picking Dance", "Taiqing Dance", "Zhezhi Dance", "Flower Dance", "Sword Dance" and "Fisherman Dance" in the Song dynasty.^[42] The book "Complete Song Ci" contains poetry works by 23 gejis.^[53]

Yuan Dynasty

Some of the actresses who performed in Zaju in the Yuan dynasty were themselves gejis from Jiaofang.In addition, many gejis will sing Sanqu in gelou and banquet to entertain them. "Qinglou Ji" by Xia Tingzhi of the Yuan dynasty and "Chuogeng Lu" by Tao Zongyi recorded the life details and deeds of some gejis. In addition to performing dramas and singing Sanqu, geji also sang Xiwens, slow lyrics and Zhugong Diaos. Famous gejis in the Yuan dynasty include Liang Yuanxiu, Shunshi Xiu, Zhulianxiu , Tianranxiu, etc. They also made good friends with literati. Some gejis who performed in dramas also established deep friendships with Yuan opera writers, such as Zhulianxiu and Guan Hanqing, Tianranxiu and Bai Renfu, etc. "Qinglou Ji " records the deeds of gejis, performers and other people in Dadu, Jinling, Weiyang, Wuchang, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Huguang and other places in the Yuan dynasty. Each of these Gejis had different artistic attainments, which recorded their talents in Zaju, Yuanben, Piaochang , Zhugong Diao, dance and instrumental music. In particular, there are detailed records of the expertise of some Zaju actors. At the same time, it also records gejis entertainment and interactions with some dignitaries, literary talents and writers of opera or prose at that time.^[54]Tao Zongyi's "Yeting Ji of the YuanShi" writes that the famous banquets in the palace, as well as the banquets "named after the events", are all inseparable from the singing, dancing and drinking of the palace gejis.A court music and dance of the Yuan Dynasty, the Sixteen Heavenly Demon Dance was created in the 14th year of the reign of Emperor Shun of the Yuan Dynasty. The dancers are sixteen court gejis. When they are in the palace praising Buddha, they dance and play music.^[55]

Ming dynasty

Female musicians by Ming Dynasty Qiu Zhu

In the early years of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang established Nanjing as the capital, most of the gejis were concentrated in the Qinhuai River area. In the early Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang built sixteen buildings in Nanjing, five of which were owned by gejis and the rest were owned by prostitutes.^[56]In the 19th year of Yongle (AD 1421), Emperor Zhu Di moved the capital to Beijing, and he established Jiaofang in Nanjing and Beijing. Jiaofang was officially renamed Jiaofangsi in the Ming Dynasty, and some prostitutes were also managed by departments under Jiaofangsi. But in the Ming Dynasty, Jiaofangsi still had a department responsible for performing arts.^[57]In the middle of the Ming Dynasty, the trend of scholar-bureaucrats looking for singing girls became more and more popular. There were also gejis in Lingnan, such as Zhang Qiao, who was close to the Nanyuan Poetry Society.^[58][59]It became popular in the late Ming Dynasty for young talents to take advantage of the opportunity to travel to Nanjing to participate in the provincial examination and associate with gejis. Scholars of letters took exams, some celebrated success with gejis, or were comforted by gejis after failing the exams. In the late Ming Dynasty, due to the disrepair of imperial regulations and other reasons, the literati class generally lacked confidence in governing the country. Members of the Fushe , represented by Maoxiang, Fang Yizhi and Chen Liang, could only laugh and curse in the Qinhuai gelou. Way to express inner resentment to the eunuch group. Gejis come from poor backgrounds, only through the acquisition of art can they win the favor of the literati class and bring considerable economic benefits. At the same time, gejis participated extensively in artistic creation, making artistic taste more refined and catering to the spiritual needs of the literati class.In the late Ming Dynasty, gejis who were well-acquainted with male literati were trained in high cultural arts and produced their own paintings, poetry and calligraphy.^[60] Gejis did not just perform poetry at gatherings, many gejis were also professional writers and artists, just like the male literati. In the last few decades of the late Ming Dynasty, writing poetry had even replaced singing and dancing as the most basic criterion for defining an elite geji.^[61]

Qing dynasty

In the early Qing Dynasty, gejis were allowed to perform in the court, but it was during the reign of Emperor Qianlong that gejis were banned from performing in the court.^[62]Some gejis from the late Ming dynasty continued to perform singing and dancing as geji in the Qing dynasty. During the Qing dynasty, geji Lang Yuan performed the famous Tang dynasty dance "Zhe Zhi" at noble family banquet and was praised.^[63] The playwright Li Yu formed his own family theater troupe. The main actresses in Li Yu's theater troupe, Qiao Ji and Wang Ji were both former geji. ^[64]During the Qing Dynasty, gejis also were hired to perform at gatherings of nobles, wealthy businessmen, and literati as entertainment activities.At the Twenty-Four Bridge in Yangzhou, gejis gather here and perform performing arts here. Literati and wealthy businessmen would go to the Twenty-Four Bridge to watch the performances of gejis. The literati would recite poems here and the gejis would also participate in the cultural activities of the literati.^[65][66]In the Xiao Qinhuai River area of Yangzhou, gejis,opera actress and prostitutes gather here.During the Qianlong period, gejis still had a high artistic level in performing arts.For example, in the Xiao Qinhuai Record in "Yangzhou Painting Boat Record", the geji Su Yin is good at painting, can shoot arrows and hits three times with three shots.As the adopted daughter of a musician, geji Zhenzhu Niang is good at singing.Geji Xu Yanyun is good at playing the flute and telling humorous stories. Everyone present laughed happily every time she told a story. She also liked to wear men's clothes and ride horses, so people at the time called her "Flying Fairy". The geji Zhu Niang was good at dancing and boxing. She also incorporated martial arts skills into her dance. She became so famous that Qian Mei'an painted "Zhu Niang's Boxing Style " for her.Geji Yang Xiaobao is good at singing Kunqu opera and ditties, and is known as the Qutan Zhuangyuan . The Zhuangyuan in Suzhou, Qian Xiangling, went south to Yangzhou to listen to songs and was deeply impressed by the talent of Yangzhou Gejis. From them, three people were selected as the "Zhuangyuan", "Bangyan" and "Tanhua", namely Yang Xiaobao, Gu Xiaoyu and Yang Gaosan, all of whom were at that time leader in Yangzhou music scene. Yang Xiaobao's tunes and rhythms are as famous as those of her contemporary composer Zhu Yedong. She was a leader in the Yangzhou music scene at that time and was called in the music world and an "unparalleled woman".^[67]By the Xianfeng period, there were still teachers for teaching gejis and systematic performance venues for gejis. Geji could play pipa and qiang flute, act in dramas. Nobles and wealthy businessmen viewed geji's performances as entertainment.^[68]

Appearance

Dress

There was no special appearance of the costumes of gejis in ancient China,their costumes were generally based on the popular styles of the society at that time.During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, gejis wore hoods, dancing girls had sleeves several feet long. During the Warring States Period, gejis wore long-sleeved, curved-hem robes with cross collars and right lapels, long robes that trailed on the ground, and large belts tied around the waist.The gejis wore curved skirts, had extremely thin waists, their hair hung down to their shoulders and was slightly curled upwards. This was roughly the typical attire of gejis in the Yanzhao region.^[69][70]The gejis of the Warring States Period also wore fan-shaped buns on their heads, with two strands of hair hanging down like phoenix wings, and one strand of hair on top of their heads floating upwards. They tied a small braid at the back of their heads, with the knot clearly visible.^[71]The gejis painted on the unearthed painted wooden figurines and lacquer boxes of the Chu State all wore quju(曲裾) Hanfu, mostly long robes that reached the ground. This style was later borrowed by the robes of the Han Dynasty.^[72]The leaders of women's clothing in the Han Dynasty were noble ladies and gejis in the capital. The clothing of gejis in the Han Dynasty, with long sleeves, tight waists, and lightness, was the best among women's clothing of the time. The dancing costumes of gejis in the Han Dynasty showed the beauty of the human body very well. The most eye-catching design of the dancing costumes was the long sleeves, which were an indispensable auxiliary means for dancing girls to express their feelings.^[73]The costumes of court gejis in the Qin and Han dynasties were ingenious and varied, with light and gorgeous textures. They wore long-sleeved tight short tops and long skirts that dragged on the ground, they decorated with gold, silver, jewelry, tortoise shells, feathers, and jade. Court gejis in the Han Dynasty were famous for their ability to dance with water sleeves. Water sleeves are a special kind of clothing that appeared in the Qin and Han dynasties. The sleeves of ordinary clothes were connected to a section, and then narrow and long false sleeves were installed to increase the beauty of the dance. This kind of clothing was loved by many people, and the water sleeves in later opera costumes were influenced by this dance costume.^[74]The geji has her hair in a high bun, which is decorated with jewels and flowers. She wears a long robe that trails on the ground with a left lapel, which is a typical Eastern Han Dynasty costume.^[75]Zhao Feiyan(赵飞燕), a concubine of Emperor Cheng of Han who was born as a geji, invented a pleated skirt which she named "Liuxian skirt(留仙裙)". This skirt later became popular among women.^[76]

The gejis of the Sui Dynasty wore narrow-sleeved tunics and high-waisted bust-binding skirts with flowing brocade belts. They liked to wear combs, which were popular at the time, on their heads.^[77]In the Tang Dynasty, liao ling(繚綾) was used not only for official uniforms, but also for the clothes of palace maids and gejis,using it for dance clothes was considered a great luxury and waste. The dance clothes of gejis had wide sleeves and long skirts, which were not common in real life. At that time, ordinary shirts had narrow sleeves and long skirts, but not as long as those made specifically for dancing.^[78]"Banbi(半臂)" is a tight-fitting, half-sleeved, wide-necked, short top that slightly exposes the chest. There are different types of neckline styles. The open neckline was popular during the heyday of the Tang Dynasty. It was originally worn by court concubines and gejis, and later by noble ladies.Gejis in the Tang Dynasty would also wear half-sleeve garments with pleated sleeves.There were dozens of types of dances in the Tang Dynasty, and gejis would wear different clothes and accessories when performing different dances.The "Jiaofang Ji(教坊記)" records the costumes of "Shengshouyue(聖壽樂)". The skirts of the gejis were all embroidered with a large flower. On the outside of the embroidered skirt, they wore a short shirt of the same color as the embroidered skirt. When the gejis appeared, the audience saw that they were wearing only a single-color dress. When they danced to the second fold, the gejis gathered in the middle of the stage, and immediately took off the shirts from their collars and put them in their arms.^[79]The costumes for Tang Dynasty's vigorous dances(健舞) mostly had small sleeves to facilitate leaping and spinning, while the costumes for Tang Dynasty's soft dances(軟舞) mostly had large sleeves to show graceful and relaxed postures.^[80]The Zhezhi dance(柘枝舞) of the Tang Dynasty was a Hu dance(胡舞). The gejis wore red or purple Luoshan and a Hu hat with golden bells on it. The golden bells were its characteristic. The gejis wore red brocade boots and long hanging belts, which formed the impression of the costumes of the Zhezhi dancing girls in the Tang Dynasty.^[81]Famous poets in the Tang Dynasty often wrote poems and essays for gejis. They might write about what clothes a certain geji wore or what hairstyle she had. This would quickly spread, other women would follow suit and imitate the geji's dress.^[82]

Part of the Night Banquet of Han Xizai

Song Dynasty gejis would wear the same clothes when rehearsing for group performances. For example, gejis would wear a light-colored tube-top dress with a red beizi(褙子) on the outside. Gejis would also wear a tube-top dress with a beizi of another color on a daily basis.The tube-top dresses worn by gejis would also have embroidered patterns, such as small golden phoenix patterns.Song Dynasty gejis would also wear flower crowns as headdresses, which were sometimes decorated with flowers.^[83]Some gejis also wore shanzis(衫子) on top and trousers on the bottom instead of skirts.^[84]The long silk scarf that women in ancient times draped over their shoulders and wrapped around their arms was called a shawl. In the Song Dynasty, shawls were initially worn by concubines and gejis. When they walked, they dragged two ribbons to add to the graceful beauty of women. Later, they gradually became part of the dress of women in the folk.^[85]In the Yuan Dynasty, the "jacket and skirt" style of clothing was very popular among young women,gejis also liked to dress this way. Gejis wore short clothes on their upper body, called ru (襦), ao (袄), shan (衫) and skirts on their lower body. Gejis' clothing was mostly made of expensive silk fabrics, mostly made of gauze, brocade and silk.The hairstyle of Han people in the Yuan Dynasty generally followed the tradition of previous generations,they liked to pile up their hair in a bun. Gejis liked to comb their hair to the top of the head, comb it into one or several strands, and then coil it into various shapes. The hair combed to the top of the head was higher than the bun coiled behind the head, so it was called "high bun". "Cloud bun" was a popular style of gejis at that time.^[86]In the early Ming Dynasty, it was stipulated that gejis were not allowed to wear fancy clothes and could only wear clothes of low-key colors.The gejis wore horn crowns and beizis, which had to be simple.The gejis in the palace had to wear more gorgeous clothes. Their clothes could have round collars made of blue silk. They wore black Tang scarves, with golden flowers embroidered on the bright red collars, gold-plated flower belts. They could also wear bright red silk headbands, blue-green silk painted cloud shoulders, gold-painted peony flower soap boots.^[87][88]In the middle and late Ming Dynasty, the dress regulations for gejis were abolished, gejis began to lead the trend of women's clothing to a certain extent. Some gejis' clothing was mainly elegant, with exquisite details on the clothing.^[89]In the middle and late Ming Dynasty, the ponytail skirt(馬尾裙) from the Korean Peninsula was introduced to the Ming Dynasty. Beijing's gejis were the first women to start wearing ponytail skirts, later women from other classes also began to wear ponytail skirts.^[90]In ancient China, women could use veils such as weimao(帷帽)and muli(幕離) to cover their faces when they went out, gejis could also use these two to cover their faces.^[91]

Makeup

Ancient geji were also good at applying makeup. Pang Sanniang(龐三娘), a geji in the Tang Dynasty, was old and had wrinkles on her face, but she was particularly good at applying makeup. She put a gauze on her face and then mixed mica powder and honey on it, making her skin look as smooth and white as a young girl.Yan Daniang(顏大娘), a geji in the Tang Dynasty, had ugly and slightly deformed eyes, but she was very good at applying eye makeup. She was able to use makeup to address the defects of her eyes and make her eyes look lively.^[92][93]The geji of the Tang Dynasty painted themselves with light pink rouge, small red lips, and cute dotted mianyes(面靨).Mianyes usually painted on the dimples of the face, is also called zhuangye(妆靥). Court geji saw the round and cute red mianyes and would imitate them from time to time and use them as makeup. The shape of mianyes can be simple dots or gorgeous and beautiful like flower ornaments. Tang Dynasty geji wore high buns, their cheeks were as red as sunset clouds, and their lips were as red as peach blossoms.The custom of women wearing huadians(花钿) on their foreheads existed in the Qin and Han dynasties, but was most popular during the Tang and Five Dynasties. "Huadians" are a kind of makeup worn between the eyebrows. The geji of the Tang Dynasty had peach blossom jade faces and huadians between their eyebrows like dew.There were many kinds of eyebrow shapes popular among women in the Tang Dynasty, geji were also good at drawing eyebrows. Geji often had elegant postures and picturesque eyebrows.^[94]During the Tang and Song dynasties, geji also studied lip makeup to some extent. Their lip makeup had different shades and depths, as well as different sizes and shapes. The fashionable lip balms that geji mastered at the time had different colors and scents according to different ingredients. They used these lip balms with ever-changing colors and scents to paint a variety of exquisite lip shapes.^[95]The geji of the Song Dynasty were also good at drawing eyebrows. They liked to draw their eyebrows into the shape of delicate willow leaves, which were called "willow leaf eyebrows".^[96]"Hua Zi(花子)" is a dian(钿), which is usually made into the shape of a flower, also known as "hua dian(花钿)". Yuan Dynasty Geji usually cut gold foil and paper into patterns and pasted them on their faces, which was called "tie dian(貼钿)".Ancient Chinese women often used various spices, the most famous of which was rose water(薔薇水), a strong perfume obtained by distilling rose flowers. It originated in Persia and Arabia and had entered China at least during the Five Dynasties, and was very popular among upper-class women and geji.Ancient Chinese people often admired and appreciated women's slender fingers. The slenderness and beauty of women's fingers were also for decorative reasons. Some geji would grow their nails long and take care of them frequently.^[97]

Downfall

Decline

Geji were initially not involved in the direct sex trade, but rather were entertainers who performed music and arts, such as poetry, music and singing,^[98][99] to please dignitaries and intellectuals.They were respected and renowned for their art and education in the classics,^[99] and were hired to perform to both male and female clients, as well as employed by the state.Before 1860, there was still a system of teaching and performing gejis in society, watching geji performances was an entertainment activity for the wealthy. After 1860, due to the influence of social environment, the geji system began to disappear.At that time, many countries invaded China, the social environment began to be turbulent, social wealth declined rapidly, the geji culture could no longer be maintained.^[100][101] Prostitutes began to gradually replace geji, and prostitutes from the eight major alleys in Beijing became popular. Emperor Tongzhi of the late Qing dynasty went to visit prostitutes in Bada Hutong and died of syphilis at the age of 19.By 1865, a few geji and singing and dancing establishments were still operating. At this time, geji who could write traditional poems were already very scarce."Shiji" or "shi courtesan" is also a word that appeared during this period. This word did not appear in ancient Chinese. As the culture declined, geji who were good at poetry became very rare, so this word appeared to represent geji with poetry talent, later this word was used to refer to geji who were good at poetry in ancient times.Gejis who were still performing at the same time were also performing in song and dance venues and at parties invited by the wealthy. In order to cater to the remaining audiences, they began to include pornographic songs in their singing, and their clothes became more tacky. The remaining geji gradually chose to follow the patrons who liked them and quit the career of geji.

Prostitute prevalent

Zhu Sulan(朱素蘭), a geji and female tanci(彈詞) entertainer during the Xianfeng Emperor period founded "shuyu(書寓)",she was the first woman to establish a female storytelling venue.The storyteller gejis of the time were the highest class of gejis, similar to Japanese geishas who distinguished themselves from prostitutes, but were also allowed to establish intimate relationships with their patrons.These storyteller gejis receive training as musicians in childhood and need to pass an exam to enter the industry. They also participate in cultural events organized by male and female storytellers, they are hired to perform in theaters, teahouses, restaurants and other places.Starting in 1860, "changsan(長三)" prostitutes gradually replaced gejis. Some storytelling gejis gradually withdrew from their profession. At the beginning of the 20th century, the storytelling gejis who had not left their profession became prostitutes of the changsan class.^{[102][103][104]}In the early years of Tongzhi, the gejis Zhou Ruixian and Yan Lizhen were popular. Zhou Ruixian is famous for saying "Three Smiles on Marriage", but she can only tell half of it, while Yan Lizhen can tell all. When Zhou Ruixian got older, she trained young gejis to get paid.^[105][106] After the Taiping Rebellion, the Shuyu industry has been transformed into prostitutes, and more prostitutes have entered this industry. After the 1870s, many Shuyus moved to Shanghai's concessions, and prostitution became commonplace.^[107][108]

Yidan playing the pipa

During the late Qing dynasty and the Republic of China, due to the times, society as a whole fell into poverty, and the geji culture could no longer sustain itself. During the late Qing dynasty and the Republic of China, there were a large number of prostitutes engaged in prostitution in China,these prostitutes had different levels. The prostitutes combined the social function of the geji with the career of a prostitute, further replacing the geji in social functions.^[109][110]Although prostitutes or Sing-song girls replaced the geji, their skills were not as good as those of the geji in the past. Prostitutes focus on accompanying customers with drinks. Prostitutes do not play chess or talk about poetry with their customers like gejis. Instead, they play cards and mahjong with their customers. Prostitutes did not have much artistic skills, and the songs and dances they performed also contained more erotic elements,they were unable to perform a complete repertoire.^[111][112]Most prostitutes are illiterate and uneducated. Even high-class prostitutes rarely received education, a few only received primary education and did not receive specialized poetry education.^[113] At that time, many prostitutes gathered on boats on the water to engage in prostitution. After about 1889, Puji a geji educated in singing and poetry, make a living in the prostitutes gathering area on the water. Puji acted alone and made a living by singing in the area as a geji. She wrote a collection of poems, but few people appreciate her. Puji could no longer make a living just by singing. She also had to weave baskets to make ends meet, so she was not wealthy. Puji met Xie Xixun, an imperial examination candidate during the Guangxu (光绪) period. Xie Xixun admired the poems written by Puji. Puji was married as a concubine by Xie Xixun and lived a stable life.^[114]In the middle of the Guangxu period of the Qing dynasty, gejis were once again trained in Beijing, their residences were called Xiaobans. But when the Boxer Rebellion began, these gejis scattered. Later, the brothels run by prostitutes continued to be named Xiaoban or Qingyin Xiaoban , their occupation changed to prostitution, which was different from before.^{[115][116][117]}

Sing-song girl

Main article: Sing-song girls

Jiaoshu (校书) is an official position for men in ancient China,this word was not a derogatory term used for women in ancient China. Female Jiaoshu was also not a derogatory term in ancient China. In ancient China, it could be used to praise talented women among gejis, or even to praise talented women among purdah women.^[118][119]Xue Tao, a famous geji, female poet and qingke (清客) in the Tang dynasty, was called the female Jiaoshu because of her outstanding talent. This is an affirmation of Xue Tao's talent. After Xue Tao, talented gejis were called "female Jiaoshu".^[120]There were also a few prostitutes in ancient China who might call themselves female Jiaoshu, but this was not the mainstream.^[121] Nv Shi (女史) was a female palace official in ancient China who was in charge of matters related to palace etiquette, writing documents, etc. The term Nv Shi is also a good name for intellectual women in ancient China.This term is also used for geji who are highly culturally accomplished.^[122][123]During the late Qing dynasty and the Republic of China, Geji culture declined. In order to promote themselves, high-class prostitutes or Sing-song girls called themselves "jiaoshu" and "Ci Shi (词史)", even though most of them were uneducated, and the literate ones among them there is also not enough cultural level. At the same time, the brothel frequenters of these prostitutes also like to call them "Jiaoshu" and "Ci Shi" to show off.^[124][125] The prostitutes in "Shuyu (书寓)" who turned into prostitution call themselves "Sir" or "Xiansheng (先生)", the first-class brothels are called "Changsan Shuyu (长三书寓)", and the first-class prostitutes are also called "Xiansheng". The reason why they are called Xiansheng is not because these prostitutes have a high level of education. "Xiansheng" is a method used by high-end prostitutes to improve themselves. It roughly means that they are a little educated and can sing and dance a little, they cannot be compared with low-level prostitutes who know nothing.^[126] This is different from the traditional Gejis in ancient China, but during the Republic of China, many prostitutes and prostitute operators could call themselves singing girls or Gejis at will.^[127][128]At that time, many prostitutes in Hong Kong and Macau also called themselves geji, which led to the word geji becoming a euphemism for prostitutes.^[129]

Dancing girl

Main article: zh:舞女 (中国近代)

In the early 1920s, commercial dance halls began to appear in Shanghai, and the profession of dancing girl appeared in the dance halls to accompany men in dancing.^[130]The image and dancing skills of the Paramount dancing girls were the highest overall among the ballroom dancing girls at that time. Ballroom dancing girls not only provide backup dancers, but also provide entertainment activities such as accompanying customers to drink and party chat. Therefore, ballroom dancing girls have replaced high-end prostitutes in brothels in terms of social functions.^[131][132]The dancing girls in the big ballroom are more similar to the gejis in ancient China than the prostitutes, but there are many differences between the two. Dancing girls do not need poetry or painting skills, chatting with customers focuses more on drinking. The dancing girls danced Western ballroom dances, while the ancient gejis performed Chinese classical dances. To a certain extent, dancing girls focus more on companionship, while ancient gejis focus more on performance. Gejis in ancient times needed to be trained from an early age, and the training took a long time. Dancing girls during the Republic of China usually received training for three or four months after they reached adulthood. Dancing girls in small dance halls during the Republic of China were usually prostitutes who had a low income and also engaged in prostitution to earn income. ^[133][134]

Taiwan Yidan

Yidan Wangxiangchan

During the Qing dynasty in Taiwan, local geji in Taiwan were called Yidan(藝旦). Initially, there was not much difference between yidans and prostitutes. The formal distinction between yidans and prostitutes was during the Tongzhi period in Taiwan. With the development of trade in various places, merchants began to entertain guests, there were more and more restaurants. In addition to eating and drinking, there was also a need for some entertainment programs. After the port was opened to trade in the late Qing dynasty, the number of literati, wealthy businessmen and officials coming to Taiwan increased, the demand for entertainment and banquets also increased.Starting from the period of study, yidans performs in yidan rooms or in restaurants. Yidan also performs at temple fairs, private banquets, public events and other occasions outside restaurants. Yidans will perform traditional musical instruments such as pipa, sanxian and dulcimer, sing and dance, and recite poems to guests. Yidans also public performances of "yidan opera". Yidan also needs to go to sishu(私塾) to study and learn poetry culture. The hostess of yidan will ask teacher to teach yidan music theory and opera, such as teaching Nanguan or Beiguan. Yidan students must learn all the repertoire of "yidan song" and pass teacher test before they are qualified to become yidan. Famous Yidans in Taiwan include Wang Xiangchan, Chen Tian etc. This tradition of geji in Taiwan continued into Taiwan's post-war period. With the development of popular culture, Yidan gradually disappeared.^{[135][136][137][138]}Record began to flourish in Taiwan in 1926, and music at this time was recorded by yidan.They were the first women in Taiwan to record music records at that time.^[139]

The remain singing girl

The Yidans at the banquet at Jiangshanlou in Dadaocheng

During the Republic of China, a small number of singing girls made a living by singing in teahouses and restaurants. At that time, except for Taiwan, there was no relatively complete geji system. Singing girls who work in teahouses and restaurants usually only need to learn the skills of singing and playing musical instruments. There are no cultural requirements, they do not need to learn skills such as poetry, go, paint and dance. There is a kind of geji in the Qinhuai area of Nanjing, whose profession is singing. These gejis used to be in teahouses, singing big songs and other songs. Later, singing girls were banned and were not allowed to sing in teahouses. These singing girls continued to sing on the Qinhuai River in boats known as "seven boards(七板子)". They always sat in front of the boats and did not engage in prostitution. There are musicians and others accompaniment in the boat, and there are about two singing girls in each boat. After dark, the boats of singing girls go about their business outside Dazhong Bridge, asking people passing by if they want to listen to music. There were also prostitutes engaged in prostitution on the boats on the Qinhuai River.^[140] From the late Qing dynasty to the Republic of China, there was group of Tang Kou (堂口) in Guangzhou opened and run by wealthy "Shi Niang (师娘)" who specialized in adopting and training blind girl to learn arts. They taught them the skills of playing the piano, singing and divination, that they could sing for them in the future make money. Wealthy families often invite Shi Niang to sing and entertain at their weddings. During the day and at night when there was no need for singing activities, Shi Niang also engaged in handicraft work at the teacher's house, such as weaving bamboo utensils and making yarn. Shi Niang refers to a blind singing girl who makes a career of singing Cantonese songs, also known as "Gu Ji (瞽姬)". In the early days, most sang wooden fish songs, dragon boat songs, Nanyin songs and Cantonese songs. By the late Qing dynasty, they mainly sang Cantonese songs. From the late Qing dynasty to before the May 4th Movement, Cantonese songs entered the "Shi Niang" period. At the beginning of the 20th century, the teahouse in Xiguan, Guangzhou pioneered the Shi Niang singing method of "one tea table and two chairs". As soon as this example was launched, teahouses in the Pearl River Delta region, Hong Kong and Macau followed suit.^[141][142]Around 1918, Nv Ling (女伶) normal vision began to sing on stage. The first Nv Ling to sing on stage was Lin Yanyu, whose stage name was Feng Ying. She set a precedent for blind singing girl to sing with Nv Ling. Some singing girls who originally sang provincial minor tunes and local folk arts also left their original environment and joined the folk arts team. This is the origin of "Nv Ling". They gradually replaced the original "Shi Niang" who sang ancient Cantonese song and became active In the emerging teahouse singing scene.^[143]

Geji in ancient Chinese society

Nowadays, few people distinguish between gejis and prostitutes, thus causing some confusion between the two.In English, the English expressions for gejis and prostitutes in China are also relatively vague,both gejis and high-class prostitutes are called "courtesan".For example, the high-class prostitutes in the red light district of Pingkangfang in the Tang Dynasty were called "courtesan" in English, and the gejis in Jiaofang or song and dance venue in the Tang Dynasty were also called "courtesan" in English.Among the prostitutes in the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, the Changsan class who took prostitution as their profession were also called "courtesan" in English.The next class of prostitutes with in the Changsan class is the Yaoer class, also known as "courtesan" in English.The novel The Sing-song Girls of Shanghai and the film Flowers of Shanghai are both about Changsan prostitutes, in English also use the word "courtesan".The word "singsong girl" comes from the Changsan prostitute and is not the real translation of the singing girl. However, now the word "singsong girl" is also used as the translation of the singing girl, so sometimes it may cause misunderstanding.^{[144][145][146]}High-class prostitutes or famous prostitutes such as Sai Jinhua and Du Shiniang who are engaged in prostitution are called "courtesan" in English. Well-known gejis such as Eight Beauties of Qinhuai and Xue Tao who are engaged in performing arts are also called "courtesan" in English.Stories about gejis and prostitutes in ancient China are sometimes called "courtesan" stories. The story about the Geji The Tale of Huo Xiaoyu and The Peach Blossom Fan corresponds to "courtesan" in English, while the story about the high-class prostitute The Tale of Li Wa and “The Oil Vendor and the Queen of Flowers” also corresponds to "courtesan" in English.^{[147][148][149]}Because both geji and high-class prostitutes can be called "courtesan" in English, it is sometimes easy to cause misunderstandings.In Chinese, the English word "courtesan" is often translated as "prostitute" in the Chinese language environment,so this can easily cause misunderstanding.^[150]In ancient China, the functions of gejis and high-class prostitutes were different. For example, in the classical novel Dream of the Red Chamber, the functions of gejis were to sing classical songs, perform classical dances, and play musical instruments. High-class prostitutes serving the rich sang songs that tended to be erotic, accompanied men in drinking, and provided prostitution services to men.

Cultural influence

On January 19, 2018, the top three winners of the 52nd Global Ecotourism Ambassador World Finals (MISS ALL NATIONS) and 12 other individual awards wore the costumes of the gejis "Eight Beauties of Qinhuai" in ancient China and worked with the famous artist Wang Liping to create the Chinese painting "Phoenix Dancing in the Sun" at the Jiangsu Baifengtang Art Museum. A total of ladies from 30 countries and regions including Canada, Germany, Russia, Thailand, Cote d'Ivoire and Myanmar participated in this competition.^[151]