Китайские куртизанки XIX века: «Поющие девушки» и их мир

English term for high class prostitutes in nineteenth century China
Sing song girls, also known as flower girls, is an English language term for the high class prostitutes in China during the 19th century AD.

In ancient China, concubinage was legal. In Chinese custom, males carry the family name and the family's heritage after marriage. To ensure male heirs were produced, it was a common practice for an upper class married male to have one or more concubines, provided he could support them. The custom could be invoked without the wife's consent: the husband's actions were protected by law. Concubines would co exist in the family along with wives and children. A man might choose a courtesan or Gējì to be his concubine. Many of these courtesans would sing songs to attract potential husbands, hoping to become secondary wives. With the development of the times, in the late Qing Dynasty of China, the "Chinese Geji culture" declined and began to be replaced by high class prostitutes. Sing song girl literally means a singing girl, but this is not the case. At that time, high class prostitutes in China called themselves "Xiansheng" or "Xisang" in order to raise prices. "Xiansheng(先生)" in Wu dialect is pronounced like "Xisang(西桑)",the British and Americans in Shanghai mistakenly thought it meant "singsong". Because these prostitutes also sing at the banquet,the name "sing song girl" appears, which is not the translation of "singing girl". "Singing girl(歌女)" was a new term from the late 1920s to the 1930s, after there were dancing girls(舞女). The real meaning of Sing song girl is the translated name for high class prostitutes from the late Qing Dynasty to 1949 in China.

Western observers in China during the nineteenth century witnessed these women singing but had no idea what to call them. Thus the term "Sing Song Girls" came about. Shuyu – Highest class were the 書寓 Shuyu. These were skilled in cultured entertainments. Additionally, these were picked for beauty, trained in sophisticated conversation, and known for their extravagant dress. Given time, the Shuyu class of prostitute would become assimilated into the Changsan class of prostitutes. At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, traditional book allegories existed in name only. Shuyu is a high end prostitute who also engages in prostitution. Changsan – The 長三 Changsan ("long three") were the highest class of prostitutes in later stage. The term originally came from them charging three yuan for company and three more to spend the night. They maintained the class and artistry akin to the Shuyu, while still being distinctly part of the sex trade. For instance, their intimate company would require takes a while. Still, however, such relations were neither permanent nor monogamous. That said, a majority of "pheasants" did belong to brothels and would bring their customers back to service them.

Even the highest class Changsan could not escape the ignominy of the sex trade. Traditional views held that once married, a woman had no need to impress anyone. In conjunction with Confucian ideals of the virtues of modesty, this led to a standard of dress aimed to hide the form of the body within. However, sing song girls, being unburdened by such virtues. An example of this can be seen in the cheongsam, which not only became more form fitting, but also became sleeveless with a long slit running up each side. They often decorated their parlors with expensive decor and modern amenities, making them culturally progressive to the point where there are documented cases of women sneaking into the entertainment houses to catch a glimpse of what the latest decorations and fashions were. Some prostitutes began to use portraits of themselves as a way to attract business, early business cards.

Sing song girls are popularized in the 1892 novel by Han Bangqing called Sing Song Girls of Shanghai (later adapted into the 1998 film Flowers of Shanghai). Sing song girls play a minor role in Isabel Allende's Daughter of Fortune (Hija de la fortuna). Tao Chi'en dedicates his work to healing sick girls – although most end up dying – because it is when they are sick that he can sneak them out of the house under the pretext of conducting "experiments". He tries to help those girls who manage to recover to improve their lives so that they no longer need to prostitute themselves. Allende also mentions sing song girls in her book Portrait in Sepia (Retrato en Sepia). Amitav Ghosh's novel River of Smoke, set in southern Chinese port cities, refers to prostitutes in Canton as "sing song girls."