page_title: Eight Beauties of Qinhuai
section_title: Dong Xiaowan
hierarchical_section_title: Eight Beauties of Qinhuai / The Eight Beauties / Dong Xiaowan
caption_attribution_description: English: Qing Dynasty painting of Dong Xiaowan (董小宛), aka Qinglian, by Yu Zhiding (禹之鼎). Commonly referred to as 'Small image of the woman Qinglian' (女青莲小影).
context_page_description: The Eight Beauties of Qinhuai were eight famous courtesans during the Ming-Qing transition period who resided along the Qinhuai River in Nankin. As well as possessing great beauty, they were all skilled in literature, poetry, fine arts, dancing and music.
  The name originates either from the 1693 book Banqiao Zaji by Yu Huai, or from the 19th century book Qinhuai Bayan Tuyong, in which authors Zhang Jingqi and Ye Yanlan chose the eight most famous courtesans of the period to be the subjects of the book.
  During the late Ming dynasty, elite courtesans 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 courtesans were educated in painting, poetry, and music. In addition, they owned property and participated in the public scene.
  Also known as The Elegant Eight of River Qinhuai and The Eight Great Courtesans of the Ming, the courtesans were Ma Xianglan, Bian Yujing, Li Xiangjun, Liu Rushi, Dong Xiaowan, Gu Hengbo, Kou Baimen and Chen Yuanyuan.
context_section_description: Dong Xiaowan (1624–1651) was a Chinese courtesan, poet and writer, also known by her pen name Dong Qinglian (董青蓮).
  Dong has been described as the most famous courtesan of her time, known for her beauty and talent in singing, needlework and the tea ceremony. She lived in the brothel district of Nanjing. Similar to other courtesans of the late Ming Dynasty, Dong's moral qualities were emphasised among her admirers more than her talents.
  Dong's mother died in 1642, leaving her to struggle financially.  The noble Mao Xiang (冒襄), also known as Mao Bijiang, had attempted to meet with Dong several times, but had pursued a relationship with the courtesan Chen Yuanyuan instead. After Chen was abducted by a noble associated with the imperial court, Mao visited Dong. Her mother had been dead for two weeks and Dong was quite ill. She proposed that she become his concubine and, refusing to take no for an answer, allegedly followed him for 27 days on his boat. Eventually, the two agreed to wait for Mao to pass the imperial examinations, which he failed. In order to facilitate Dong's marriage, Qian Qianyi, husband of fellow courtesan Liu Rushi, paid off her debts of 3,000 gold taels and had her name struck from the musicians' register. She then lived with Mao in Rugao as his concubine, alongside his wife Lady Su.
  She has been described as an ideal dutiful, sacrificing and loyal wife and daughter-in-law during her marriage to Mao Bijiang, who as a loyalist of the Ming dynasty was persecuted after the Qing dynasty's rise to power in 1644. When Mao, Lady Su and Dong were forced to flee their home in 1644, Dong abandoned her more valuable belongings to save her writings and paintings. They stayed in Huzhou until Zhu Yousong was crowned emperor in Nanjing later in 1644. Soon after, the household moved to Zhejiang, where Dong compiled a book titled Liuyan Ji (流宴集) about jewellery, women's costumes, pavilions and parties.
caption: Dong Xiaowan painted by Yu Zhiding after her death
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