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.

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.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.《管子·轻重甲》:“昔者桀之时，女乐三万人，端操晨乐，闻于三衢”。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.西汉·司马迁《史记·殷本纪》：帝纣资辨捷疾，闻见甚敏；材力过人，手格猛兽；知足以距谏，言足以饰非；矜人臣以能，高天下以声，以为皆出己之下。好酒淫乐，嬖於妇人。爱妲己，妲己之言是从。於是使师涓作新淫声，北里之舞，靡靡之乐。

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.拾遗记卷四:燕昭王(五事) 王即位二年，广延国来献善舞者二人：一名旋娟，一名提谟，并玉质凝肤，体轻气馥，绰约而窈窕，绝古无伦。或行无迹影，或积年不饥。昭王处以单绡华幄，饮以瓀鈱之膏，饴以丹泉之粟。王登崇霞之台，乃召二人，徘徊翔舞，殆不自支。王以缨?娄拂之，二人皆舞。容冶妖丽，靡于鸾翔，而歌声轻扬。乃使女伶代唱其曲，清响流韵，虽飘梁动木，未足嘉也。其舞一名《萦尘》，言其体轻与尘相乱；次曰《集羽》，言其婉转若羽毛之从风；末曰《旋怀》，言其肢体缠曼，若入怀袖也。乃设麟文之席，散荃芜之香。香出波弋国，浸地则土石皆香，着朽木腐草，莫不郁茂，以熏枯骨，则肌肉皆生。以屑喷地，厚四五寸，使二女舞其上，弥日无迹，体轻故也。时有白鸾孤翔，衔千茎穟。穟于空中自生，花实落地，则生根叶。一岁百获，一茎满车，故曰“盈车嘉穟”。麟文者，错杂宝以饰席也，皆为云霞麟凤之状。昭王复以衣袖麾之，舞者皆止。昭王知其神异，处于崇霞之台，设枕席以寝宴，遣侍人以卫之。王好神仙之术，玄天之女，托形作此二人。昭王之末，莫知所在。或云游于汉江，或伊洛之滨。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)". 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.

Han dynasty
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. 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.《词人与歌妓：歌妓对中国宋词文学的贡献》，中国知网学术论文，发布院校:吉利学院数字媒体与表演学院，作者:周文理 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.“昔为倡家女,今为荡子妇”考──兼论汉代“倡家”的实际社会生活状况·日本矢田博士 著，中国李寅生 译·中国知网《河池师专学报》·1998年 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.

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". During the Three Kingdoms period, Caocao also raised geji. The sing and dance gejis in Caocao's family were called Tongque Jis.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.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.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.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.《魏晋南北朝时期女乐舞蹈艺术探究》·中国知网学术论文，发布院校:陕西师范大学·作者:夏诣超·发布日期:2018年5月《济阳伽蓝记》:“出西阳门四里，御道南有洛阳火市，周回八....南有调音、乐肆二里，里内之人，丝竹讴歌天下妙伎出焉。”《苕溪渔隐丛话》记载:“湖州德清县南前溪村，则南朝集乐之处。今尚有数百家习音乐。江南声伎，多自此出，所谓舞出前溪者也。”During the Northern Wei Dynasty, dance culture flourished, gejis or female dancers widely participated in dance performances.

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.
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.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. 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.

During the Tang and Song dynasties, the culture of gejis was considered to have reached its peak. 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. Some gejis composed their own songs, even popularized a new form of lyrical verse that incorporated quotations of famous historical figures. 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.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.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. 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.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. Gongsun Daniang can perform various sword dances.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)".唐·崔令钦《教坊记》：“平人女以容色选入内者，教习琵琶、三弦、箜篌、筝等者，谓之搊弹家。”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.

Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

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.

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.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.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".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. 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.

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". 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.Song Huizong Zhao Ji was also an artist himself. He was fascinated by the geji Li Shishi and began a romantic relationship with her. 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.

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. The book "Complete Song Ci" contains poetry works by 23 gejis.欧阳珍．以《全宋词》为蓝本看宋代歌妓词人及其词作．文学教育 古典重读．2016年11月

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.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.

Ming dynasty
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.《万历野获编》补遗卷三：“洪武二十七年，上以海内太平，思与民偕乐，命工部建十酒楼于江东门外，有鹤鸣、醉仙、讴歌、鼓腹、来宾、重译等名。既而又增作五楼，至是皆成。诏赐文武百官钞，命宴于醉仙楼。而五楼则专以处侑酒歌妓者，盖仿宋故事，但不设官酝，以收榷课，最为清朝佳事。”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.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.《明史·刘观传》：“臣僚宴乐，以奢相尚，歌妓满前”。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. 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.

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.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. 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. 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.《国朝名家诗钞小传》郭元釪：“维扬为东南都会，俗尚淫侈，而豪商大贾尤以财雄视闾左，率鲜衣怒马，选妓征歌，载酒平山堂、二十四桥为乐。”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".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.

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.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.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.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.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.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.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.《赵飞燕外传》:成帝于太液池作千人舟，号合宫之舟。后歌舞《归风》《送远》之曲，侍郎冯无方吹笙以倚后歌。中流歌酣风大起。后扬袖曰：“仙乎仙乎去故而就新宁忘怀乎？"帝令无方持后裙。风止裙为之绉。"他日宫姝幸者，或襞裙为绉号“留仙裙”。

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.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."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.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.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.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.

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.Some gejis also wore shanzis(衫子) on top and trousers on the bottom instead of skirts.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.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.浅析民族艺术乔吉杂剧中的歌妓服饰民俗·作者:郑深月·《青春岁月》2022年09期·中国知网·2022年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.明史·卷六十七 志第43 舆服三:“宫中女乐冠服：洪武三年定制。凡中宫供奉女乐、奉銮等官妻，本色皪髻，青罗圆领。提调女乐，黑漆唐巾，大红罗销金花圆领，镀金花带，皂靴。歌章女乐，黑漆唐巾，大红罗销金裙袄，胸带，大红罗抹额，青绿罗彩画云肩，描金牡丹花皂靴。奏乐女乐，服色与歌章同。嘉靖九年，祀先蚕，定乐女生冠服。黑绉纱描金蝉冠，黑丝缨，黑素罗销金葵花胸背大袖女袍，黑生绢衬衫，锦领，涂金束带，白袜，黑鞋。教坊司冠服：洪武三年定。教坊司乐艺，青字顶巾，系红绿褡愬。乐妓，明角冠，皂褙子，不许与民妻同。”“赐友德宴，命叶国珍陪饮，拨与歌妓十余人。太祖令内官觇视，后国珍令歌妓脱去皂冠、皂揩子，穿华丽衣服混坐。太祖怒，令壮士拘执国珍，与妓妇连锁于马坊，妓妇劓去鼻尖。”(《国初事迹》)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.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.陆容《菽园杂记》：马尾裙始于朝鲜国，流入京师，京师人买服之，未有能织者。初服者惟富商、贵公子、歌妓而已。以后武臣多服之，京师始有织卖者，于是无贵无贱，服者日盛。至成化末年，朝臣多服之者矣。大抵服者下体虚奢，取观美耳。阁老万公安冬夏不脱；宗伯周公洪谟重服二腰；年幼侯伯、驸马至有以弓弦贯其齐者。大臣不服者惟黎吏侍淳一人而已。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.《咏歌姬诗》·江洪·南北朝:“宝镊间珠花，分明靓妆点。薄鬓约微黄，轻红澹铅脸。发言芳已驰，复加兰蕙染。浮声易伤叹，沈唱安而险。孤转忽徘徊，双蛾乍舒敛。不持全示人，半用轻纱掩。”

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.唐·崔令钦《教坊记》:庞三娘善歌舞，其舞颇脚重，然特工装束。又有年，面多皱，帖以轻纱，妙用云母和粉蜜涂之，遂若少容。尝大酺汴州，以名字求雇。使者造门，既见，呼为“恶婆”，问庞三娘子所在。庞绐之曰:“庞三是我外甥，今暂不在，明日来此，奉留之”。使者如言而至。庞乃盛饰，顾客不之识也，因曰:“昨日已参见娘子阿姨”。其变状如此，故坊中呼为“卖假脸贼”。(Pang Sanniang was good at singing and dancing. She danced very well and was particularly good at makeup. When she was old, she had many wrinkles on her face. She put soft silk on her face, added mica powder and honey on her face, so she looked very young. Bianzhou was going to hold an event celebration, and heard of Pang Sanniang's reputation and wanted to hire her to perform. The messenger came to Pang Sanniang's residence, saw her, and directly said that she was an "evil woman" and asked where Pang Sanniang was. Pang Sanniang said: "Pang San is my niece. She is not at home today. You come again tomorrow and I will notify her." The messenger came again the next day. Pang Sanniang had already put on her makeup, and the customer did not know what she looked like originally, so he said: "I saw the girl's aunt yesterday." Her makeup skills were so great that she was called "the thief who sells fake faces" in Jiaofang.)唐·崔令钦《教坊记》:有颜大娘，亦善歌舞，眼重、脸深，有异于众，能料理之，遂若横波，虽家人不觉也。尝因儿死，哀哭，拭泪，其婢见面，惊曰﹕“娘子眼破也！”(There was a lady named Yan, who was also good at singing and dancing. Her eyelids were very deep on her face, unlike most people, but she could use makeup to deal with this problem, so her eyes were lively and her family didn't notice it. Because her son died, she was crying and wiping her tears. Her maid saw her and said in surprise: "The lady's eyes are broken!")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.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.Meng Hui,88.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".Meng Hui,123."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.浅析民族艺术乔吉杂剧中的歌妓服饰民俗·作者:郑深月·《青春岁月》2022年09期·中国知网·2022年

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, to please dignitaries and intellectuals.They were respected and renowned for their art and education in the classics, 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. 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.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.清稗类钞·音乐类·女弹词:“上海书寓创自朱素兰，久之而此风大著，同治初最盛。素兰年五十许，易姓沈，犹时作筵间之承应。继素兰而起者，为周瑞仙、严丽贞。瑞仙以说《三笑姻缘》得名，然仅能说其半，丽贞则能全演。惜兰摧玉折，遽赴夜台。瑞仙年逾大衍，犹养雏姬以博买笑赀。” 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.晚清·王延鼎日记《南浦行云路》:“自杭州至南昌沿途记听书，难后（灭太平天国后）女说书者风行与沪上，实即妓也，亦称先生。”上海通志·第四十六卷特记 第五章烟、赌、娼  第三节娼妓·上海市地方志办公室主办

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.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.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. 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.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.清稗类钞·娼妓类一·京师之妓:“京师指妓馆所在地曰衚同。衚同者，火弄之音转耳。凡小巷皆曰衚同，而独以衚同为北里代名词，遂以游妓馆为逛衚同。又指妓馆曰小班。小班之名，起于光绪中叶，内城口袋底、砖塔衚同等志，均有蓄歌妓者，曰小班，以别于外城剧园名某班某班者云尔。自经庚子之乱，内城歌妓星散，而外城各妓馆遂沿袭其名，非十年前之旧也。”清稗类钞·娼妓类一·京师之妓:“京师妓馆分三级，一等即小班，二等谓之茶室，三等谓之下处。此乃营业等级之区别，别有南帮、北帮之称，则地理上之关系也。妓寮向分南北帮，界限颇严，南不侵北，北不扰南。大抵南帮活泼，而不免浮滑，北帮诚实，而不免固执。南帮仪态万方，酬应周至，若北帮则床第外无技能，偎抱外无酬酢。顾亭林论社会情况，以「闲居终日，言不及义，好行小慧」评南人，以「饱食终日，无所用心」评北人，觏南北两帮之妓女亦犹是也。”《孽海花》第三五回：“至於妓女，只有那三等茶室，上流人不能去。还没有南方书寓变相的清吟小班；有之，就从口袋底儿起。”

Sing-song girl

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.明·商景兰 《赠闺塾师黄媛介》诗：“才华直接班姬后，风雅平欺左氏餘……今朝把臂怜同调，始信当年女校书。”明·汤显祖《牡丹亭·第三出》：“怎念遍的孔子诗书，但略识周公礼数。不枉了银娘玉姐只做个纺砖儿，谢女班姬女校书。”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".There were also a few prostitutes in ancient China who might call themselves female Jiaoshu, but this was not the mainstream.梁章钜《称谓录·倡》:“按《履园丛语》，吴门称妓女曰小姐。形之笔墨，或称校书，或称录事。有吴兴书客钱景开者，常在虎丘开书铺，能诗，尤好狭邪。花街柳巷每经其品题甲乙，多有赠句。袁简斋先生每邀景开为狎友，命之曰小姐班头。” 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.《周礼·天官·女史》：“女史掌王后之礼职，掌内治之贰，以诏后治内政。”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.《游戏报》:“本报昨登张书玉校书家有客摆酒一节，今校书已移居东荟芳里，合为更正。俾问津渔父，不至误认。桃源按校书，本姑苏城外某村人，毋庸妓院挈之来沪，醴泉芝草本出小家，从弹词王松南习南词，工琵琶，一曲登场，歌喉宛转，颇能得抑扬之致。”《游戏报》:“四马路一带书场林立，其生意最佳者，首推品玉楼、天乐窝两家，缘时髦唱曲倌人独多也。王秀兰、小如意等声价既高，及至登场亦复不苟，言不苟笑，以尊身份,听客亦因爱重之。” 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. 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.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.

Dancing girl

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.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.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.

Taiwan Yidan
250px|thumb|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.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.

The remain singing girl
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.《桨声灯影里的秦淮河》朱自清:秦淮河上原有一种歌妓，是以歌为业的。从前都在茶舫上，唱些大曲之类。每日午后一时起，什么时候止，却忘记了。晚上照样也有一回，也在黄晕的灯光里。我从前过南京时，曾随着朋友去听过两次。因为茶舫里的人脸太多了，觉得不大适意，终于听不出所以然。前年听说歌妓被取缔了，不知怎的，颇涉想了几次，却想不出什么。这次到南京，先到茶舫上去看看，觉得颇是寂寥，令我无端的怅怅了。不料她们却仍在秦淮河里挣扎着，不料她们竟会纠缠到我们，我于是很张皇了，她们也乘着“七板子”，她们总是坐在舱前的。舱前点着石油汽灯，光亮眩人眼目：坐在下面的，自然是纤毫毕见了─—引诱客人们的力量，也便在此了。舱里躲着乐工等人，映着汽灯的余辉蠕动着；他们是永远不被注意的。每船的歌妓大约都是二人；天色一黑，她们的船就在大中桥外往来不息的兜生意。无论行着的船，泊着的船，都是要来兜揽的。 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.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.

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.张爱玲《海上花开》：“吴语‘先生’（对高级妓女的称谓）读如“西桑”，上海的英美人听了误以为“sing-Song”，因为她们在酒席上例必歌唱；sing-song girl因此得名，并非‘歌女’译名。YEH, CV. Shanghai love : courtesans, intellectuals, and entertainment culture, 1850–1910. Seattle : University of Washington Press, c2006. pp. 21–95, 2006. 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.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.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.

 References 

Category:Entertainers
Category:History of China