Geji

A yiji or Geji (simplified Chinese: 艺妓、歌妓; traditional Chinese: 藝妓、歌妓) is a female sing and dance performer in ancient China, which means a woman whose profession is sing and dance, and is a female performer. The term "Yiji (艺妓)" is not used in ancient Chinese words, but the word "Geji(歌妓)" is mostly used in ancient Chinese words.

Like other entertainers in ancient China, Gejis had a low social status, but Gejis generally did not engage in prostitution. Their profession was that of entertainers and was not equivalent to sex workers. In ancient Chinese, the word "Ji(妓)" can refer to both female art performers and female sex workers. The word "Ji(妓)" in Geji(歌妓) refers to female performers, not sex workers.The word "Ji (妓)" in Chinese only refers to women. In Chinese, the word "Ji(伎)" refers to both male and female performers,but "Geji(歌伎)" only refers to women. In addition, "Ji(伎)" does not only refer to performers. The word "Ji(伎)" is also used as the word "Ji(技)", which refers to skills, talents, techniques, etc. It can also be used to refer to people in other fields. For example, "FangJi(方伎或方技)" refers to the old general term Technologies such as medicine, divination, astrology, and fortune-telling.Geji is also called a “Geji(歌姬)”, a singing girl(歌女), or a “Geji(歌伎)”. In modern Chinese, the word "Ji(妓)" is often associated with sex trade, and the word "Geji(歌伎)" is also commonly used to avoid taboos.

Singing girls made certain contributions to ancient Chinese music, dance, poetry, painting and other arts and literature.Some Tang poetry(唐诗) and Song Dynasty lyric(宋词) were also sung by Gejis. The Gejis sang the poems in the form of songs, which also played a certain role in the dissemination of ancient Chinese poems and lyrics.

Etymology

In ancient China, women who were engaged in sing and dance were called Geji. They were also called “Music Ji(乐妓)”, “Vocal Ji(声妓)”, “Song and dance Ji (歌舞妓)”, and “Ge'er(歌儿)”. The "Ou(讴)" in "OuZhe(讴者)" means sing, and "OuZhe(讴者)" means "the person who sings".Among ancient Chinese sing and dance performers, women who are good at dance are called Wuji(舞妓), also known as “Wuji(舞姬)” or “Wuji(舞伎)” ,dancing girls(舞女) ,means women who have been specially trained to perform sing and dance.Female musicians(女乐) refer to the female singers and dancers who served the ruling class in ancient China, and are also known as “Song and dance Ji(歌舞妓)”.In ancient China, famous Gejis and prostitutes were called "MingJi(名妓)","MingJi(名妓)" can be understood as famous courtesans and prostitutes. "MingJi(名妓)" in Geji refers to famous Geji(歌妓) and Wuji (舞妓), not famous Chang Ji(娼妓).

Music Ji (乐妓) refers specifically to female music performers, while Music Ji (乐伎) can refer to both male and female music performers.Jiyue (伎乐) is the music produced by playing musical instruments, which includes both musical instruments and performers.In addition, in Dunhuang murals, music can be roughly divided into two types according to the performance venue:One is the music played in the heavenly palace of Buddhism, that is, heavenly music.The other is music played in real life, that is, secular music.Those who play music in the heavenly palace are called Jiyue Tian(伎乐天), and those who play music in the earthly world are called Jiyue People(伎乐人).

During the Han, Wei and Six Dynasties, from the beginning of the second century BC to the end of the sixth century AD, Chinese musicians developed on the basis of inheriting the ancient music and dance of the pre-Qin Dynasty. People who engage in various kinds of sing and dance are called “Ji'ren(伎人)”, “Yue'ren(乐人)”, “Wu'ren(舞人)”, “Geji”, “Wu'chang(舞倡)” etc. Some people are also called “Sanyue people(散乐人)”.

The profession of a Geji is to perform song and dance, not to be a prostitute.Some prostitutes can also perform some songs and dances, but the level is not professional, and they are mostly pornographic. Prostitute or “Chang Ji(娼妓)” cannot be called Geji, because prostitutes still use prostitution as a profession.For example, the prostitutes in Pingkangfang(平康坊) red light district in the Tang Dynasty and the Changsan(长三) prostitutes in the late Qing Dynasty and Republic of China were high-class prostitutes.Geji is not Guanren(倌人),Guanren(倌人) refers to the name for prostitutes in the Wu language area in the old days.Geji does not refer to Qing guanren(清倌人),Qing guanren(清倌人) started prostitution after menstruation and became a prostitute.Gejis are not Shoumas(瘦马). Shoumas(瘦马) are young women who were specially trained to be concubines of wealthy businessmen during the Ming and Qing Dynasties in China. They did not take acting as a profession. Some of the remaining Shoumas(瘦马) had to be sold as prostitutes, such as "YangBang(扬帮)" prostitutes are mostly from Shouma(瘦马) backgrounds. Gejis are women who engaged in song and dance performances in ancient China, while Shouma(瘦马) are women who are specially trained to be sold as concubines. The concepts of the two are different.

The literal meaning of "Sing-song girls" in English may seem to mean a singing girl or a literal translation of a singing girl(歌女), but in reality, it is not. According to Zhang Ailing, "Sing song girl" is a term derived from the Wu language, which also refers to high-end prostitutes as "sir". "sir" can be a polite term for anyone, regardless of gender. In Wu's language, 'sir' is pronounced as' Xisang ', but the English and American people in Shanghai mistakenly thought it was' sing song', and prostitutes are required to sing at banquets, 'sing song girl' is named after it, not the translated name of a singing girl.The profession of singing girls has existed since ancient times,they made a living by singing. In ancient times, they were called "Geji" and other names. However, the Chinese translate name "singing girl" did not appear until the late 1920s, that is, fourteen years after the Republic of China.

Start

Before the Han Dynasty

Song and dance in ancient China have a long history, and in primitive religious worship, songs and dances are also used in religious ceremonies.Women who performed songs and dances in religious ceremonies may have been the predecessors of future generations of Geji(歌妓) and Wuji(舞妓).

During the Xia Dynasty(夏朝), there were already Geji and Wuji(舞妓), Jie(桀) raised female musicians(女乐), also known as female singers and dancers.Jie(桀) was a monarch in the late Xia Dynasty who had thirty thousand female musicians in his court. These female musicians started practicing early in the morning, sounds can be heard outside the palace.During the Shang Dynasty(商朝), music and dance performances focused on entertainment began to be performed in the court of the monarch King Zhou(纣王). King Zhou had entertainers perform entertaining songs and dances in the court to entertain himself.During the Spring and Autumn Period of China(春秋时期), Duke Mu of Qin(秦穆公) wanted to get Youyu(由余), the counselor of King Rong(戎王). He listened to the advice of Wang Liao(王寥), the internal historian, and sent sixteen Gejis and dancing girls to King Rong.The king of Rong held a banquet and had fun with the female musicians.Youyu persuaded the Rong King, but the Rong King did not listen to the advice. Youyu defected to the Qin State, assisted Qin Mu Gong, annexed twelve countries, and expanded the land thousands of miles away.Han Fei(韩非) commented: "Indulging in female music and disregarding national politics can lead to the disaster of national subjugation".

During the Spring and Autumn Period(春秋时期) and the Warring States Period(战国时期) in China, many musics and dances were further removed from the scope of religious sacrifices. In the second year after King Yan Zhao(燕昭王) came to the throne, Guangyan State(广延国) presented two female dancers, one named Xuanjuan(旋娟) and the other named Timo(提谟). The two of them performed three dances: "Yangchen(萦尘)" "Jiyu(集羽)" "Xuanhuai(旋怀)", and they have extremely high dance attainments.

Han Dynasty

Han Emperor Liu Bang was the first to introduce the Chu music and dance, which originated from the ethnic witchcraft dance, into the palace as palace music and dance. Therefore, the palace music and dance of the Han Dynasty was no longer the "Eight Yi Dance" of etiquette, dignity, elegant music, and harmony above the Western Zhou court, but rather a secular feast with a hedonic atmosphere. Dancers who were skilled in singing and dancing became objects of appreciation. 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., ranging from tens to hundreds. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, Liang Ji raised many Geji. Some of these Geji will become the favored maidservants of the nobility, while others will be officially accepted as concubines. Wei Zifu, the second empress of Emperor Wu of Han, was once an Geji of Princess Pingyang's residence. The music and dance figurines unearthed from the Han Tomb on Tuo Lan Shan are based on 15 unearthed pottery female figurines and 1 pottery zither. The scene reproduces the music and dance scenes of the Western Han Dynasty, including two groups of instrument performance and dance performance. Eight people sit in two rows behind the square, four caress the zither, two strike the chime, and two play the flute. Before the band, seven dancers were dancing, including single sleeved robe dancers and double sleeved dancers. The left arm of the single sleeved dancer was attached to the side of the body, and the right arm was raised to the forehead. The double sleeved dancer threw both sleeves up and leaned forward to the left. Tao Fu Se female figurine, sitting in a raised position, with her hair draped in a bun and dressed in a deep robe with a right curved train. Her arms are bent and stretched forward, her left hand caressing the strings, and her right hand bouncing. The Terracotta Warrior in the Tao robe, standing in a posture where the dancer leans forward, with her left arm naturally hanging to her side, her right arm raised high, her sleeves fluttering, and her legs slightly bent forward, resembling a stop motion after the dance is over. The dance is light and elegant.

Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern Dynasties

During the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties, the trend of storing Geji was prevalent, and there were often hundreds of geisha in aristocratic mansions. During this period, Geji played the most obvious role in displaying wealth as nobles, and there were also frequent incidents of robbing Geji. The "Shishuo Xinyu" recorded stories about Geji. The Geji of the Northern Wei royal family and Hejian Wang Yuanchen, Chaoyun Shan, played the chi (chí, a flute like instrument) and was able to perform the "Tuan Fan Song" and "Long Shang Sheng". According to the fourth volume of Yang Xuanzhi's "Record of Luoyang Jialan" in the Northern Dynasty, the music of the Gejj Chaoyun can move the rebellious Qiang people in Longshang to surrender in an orderly manner, and the music played is more powerful than that of the "Kuai Ma Jian Er". During the Three Kingdoms period, Cao Cao also raised song and dance girls, and the song and dance girls in Cao Cao's family were known as copper sparrow ji. Cao Cao had a Geji who sang very well, but had a bad temper. Although Cao Cao was angry, he was afraid that if he killed her, he would not hear such a sweet singing voice. Later, Cao Cao trained a hundred Geji, until one of them sang as well as that bad-tempered Geji and killed her. The Eastern Jin Dynasty Geji Lvzhu is a Geji from Shi Chong's family. She is beautiful and beautiful, skilled at playing the flute, and also good at dancing "Ming Jun". In the court, there were also many Geji, and the popular palace style poetry during the Southern Dynasty was used by Geji to sing and entertain monarchs and nobles.

Development

Sui and Tang dynasties

During the Sui and Tang dynasties, the trend of using Geji or Yiji was also very popular, and aristocrats, literati, and Geji paid for singing and socialized widely. Some literati even referred to Geji as confidants, and 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, the Hongfu girl（红拂女）in "Biography of Qiu bearded Guests（虬髯客传）" was originally a Geji in Yang Su's mansion, the Liushi（柳氏） in "Biography of Liushi（柳氏传）" was also a Geji, and the Huo Xiaoyu（霍小玉） in "Biography of Huo Xiaoyu（霍小玉传）" 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（琵琶行）" which depicts a Geji married to a merchant. And Bai Juyi also raised Geji himself, among which Fan Su（樊素） 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（赠歌妓二首）". The female poet Du Qiuniang（杜秋娘） was also a Geji. Xue Tao（薛涛）, a Geji from the Tang Dynasty, was the leading female poet of the Middle Tang Dynasty, earning the titles of "literary demon（文妖）" and "Tang peacock（大唐孔雀）". Xue Tao became a Gejj at the age of 16 due to his father's illness and his mother's widowhood, making his life difficult and helpless. She is highly regarded by renowned governors Wei Gao, Wu Yuanheng, and others for her ability to discern and compose poetry. She competes with Yuan Zhen, Bai Juyi, Du Mu, Liu Yuxi, and others to sing, greatly enhancing her poetic reputation. Li Zhao from the Middle Tang Dynasty commented on Xue Tao: "Those who enjoy women and work poetry, Tao is also the demon of literature. Xue Tao also frequently went to the shogunate as a Geji and a Qing guest to give poetry and drink. Wei Gao once proposed to request the court to grant Xue Tao the title of Secretary of the Provincial School Scholar, which was unconventional and could not be achieved. However, people often referred to it as the "Women's School Scholar（女校书）". The Huajian School of Poetry（花间派诗词）, represented by Wen Tingyun in the late Tang Dynasty, is closely related to Geji. 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 boudoir embroidery rooms and gelou brothels. These words are usually sung by Geji at banquets, so they have been widely circulated, and Geji have played a crucial role.There were also many Geji in the palace, and Emperor Xuanzong of Tang was fond of music. In the second year of the Kaiyuan era (724 AD), he established the Left and Right Cults（左右教坊） and was in charge of the haiyu acrobatics in the palace（掌管宫廷的俳优杂技）. The Yichun Courtyard（宜春院） is composed of female actors（女伶）, known as "insiders（内人）", who often perform in front of emperors, also known as "predecessors（前头人）". At that time, there were some out standing palace Geji, such as Niannu（念奴） and Xu Hezi (Xu Yongxin，许和子或许永新), whose deeds can be seen in Wang Renyu's "The Legacy of Kaiyuan Tianbao（开元天宝遗事）" of the Five Dynasties. According to records, the singing voice of a nun 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（连昌宫词）".Xu Hezi is from Yongxin, Jizhou, hence also known as "Xu Yongxin". Her father is a musician. According to Duan Anjie's "Miscellaneous Records of Yuefu（乐府杂录）", she has loved singing since childhood and is beautiful and intelligent.Her singing is natural and fresh, and she is good at changing old tones into new ones. 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.[1][2]

Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, the south was relatively stable, and there were Geji or Yiji both inside and outside the palace. The remote southwest of Bashu is relatively stable. During the pre and post Shu period, Chengdu was prosperous with a strong trend of singing, dancing, and playing. The emerging form of popular music, the word, is favored. The tomb of the former Shu Emperor Wang Jian, Yongling, features 24 exquisite musical and dance carvings in the tomb chamber. Except for two dance techniques, the remaining 22 pieces are musical techniques. Geji play Jiegu, bronze cymbals, scallops, sheng, leaves, konghou, qiping, clapping, pipa, Doutan, Qigu, Waist, Flute, Jilou, and Yaodou drums, as well as Doudou drums, Dala drums, and Maoyuan drums, respectively. The Wuji perform soft dances from the Tang Dynasty.Mrs. Huarui（花蕊夫人） has written over 100 pieces of 'Palace Ci（宫词）', describing life in the palace, and her poetry has been included in 'All Tang Poems（全唐诗）'. These poems vividly record the grand occasion of Chengdu music and dance during the Five Dynasties period. These verses depict a complete set of musical and dance performances in the palace, from learning, rehearsal to performance. In order to achieve success in the performance, the children of Li Yuan and the Geji are studying and rehearsing every day. According to the song, according to the dance, according to the sound of the jade flute, according to "Nishang（霓裳）", teaching teams, and combining "Liangzhou（梁州）", all are rehearsals and performances. From Lady Huarui's "Palace Ci", it can be seen that during the Five Dynasties period, there were already performances of team dances in the court music and dances of the Shu Kingdom. The performance of team dance, known as "dance head（舞头）", is roughly equivalent to the "bamboo pole（竹竿子）" in the Song Dynasty team dance. In the team dance during the reign of Wang Yan of the Former Shu Dynasty, the red lotus picking team dance was very famous. The stage scenery of the Red Lotus Dance Team is extremely luxurious: decorated with colorful silk to create the lush and ethereal Penglai Immortal Mountain, and then used green silk with water patterns as a lichen. A blower was used to blow the lichen, causing it to fluctuate and roll like a surging blue wave. At this moment, two silk tie colored boats carrying 220 women were "rowed" from the cave. They held pink lotus flowers in their hands and stood in front of the steps. They first got off the boat to give a speech, then sang loudly, then returned to the boat, and finally rowed into the cave. Tian Kuang, a Song Dynasty native, once worked as an official in Chengdu and recorded the performance of the Red Lotus Picking Team in the "Confucian Forum".The court is like this, and the people are not inferior. In the early years of the Northern Song Dynasty, Zhang Yong's "Poems on Mourning Shu" described Chengdu during the Later Shu period, saying: "Candle shadows sink by the stars, singing with the moon setting. According to Lu You's records, during the Shu period in Chongzhou alone, there were thousands of folk musicians, known as "three thousand official willows and four thousand pipa".The Painting of Han Xizai's Night Banquet（韩熙载夜宴图）"is a painting by Gu Hongzhong, a painter from the Southern Tang Dynasty during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. It depicts the scene of an official Han Xizai's family setting up a night banquet with songs and music. In the painting, there are performances of Geji such as Li Ji（李姬） and Wang Wushan（王屋山）. In the picture of "Listening to Music", there is a picture of Geji Li Ji sitting alone with a pipa in her arms. Due to her superb performance skills, everyone present is paying attention and listening attentively. The painter also explained to Li Yu the guests present: Li Ji's brother Li Jiaming, the deputy envoy of the teaching workshop, sat diagonally next to her, and the blue clad woman standing next to Li Jiaming was a dancer named Wang Wushan. In the scene of "watching the dance", the emotions of the gathered people reach a climax and they put down their official attire to participate in entertainment. Han Xizai took off his robe and rolled up his sleeves, holding a mallet and accompanying his disciple Shuya to perform the "Six Yao Dance（六幺舞）" with the dancer Wang Wushan.[3][4]

Song dynasty

During the Song Dynasty, many scholars raised Geji, socialized with them, and paid for singing, which also influenced literary creation and dissemination. During the reign of Emperor Renzong, the prime minister Han Qi had "over 20 female musicians in his family", Ouyang Xiu had "eight or nine Shu" singers, Su Shi had "several singers and dancers", and Wang Yi had "over ten" family Geji. LiuEr used to be a Geji, skilled in the art of hitting the drum (rattle drum) and speaking drum lyrics. She was good at playing the drum (rattle drum) and singing while playing, with a beautiful singing voice.The relationship between the gentle and restrained Ci school and Geji is very deep. In the early Northern Song Dynasty, the words of the gentle and restrained Ci school were written to make geisha sing, and the content mainly focused on male and female love, boudoir relationships, and so on. Poets such as Zhang Xian, Yan Shu, and Liu Yong have written many poems about Geji. Liu Yong often interacts with Geji, often filling lyrics for them and musicians, and also composing new songs for them to sing. His career was not smooth, and perhaps because of this, he had a special affection for the Geji who were also in the lower class of society and maintained a harmonious relationship with them. At that time, the Geji were very fond of singing with Liu Yong. After Liu Yong's death, Hangzhou Geji Xie Yuying, Zhao Xiangxiang, and Chen Shishi took the lead and paid other Geji to bury him. Every Qingming Festival, Geji would go to Liu Yong's tomb to pay respects, known as the "Diao Liu Qi" or "Diao Liu Hui". He has many words about Geji, such as "Cherishing the Spring Lang" and "Phoenix Holding the Cup". The content includes describing the life of geisha, depicting their sexual arts, and expressing their love for them. In the "Music Movement Collection", he mentioned geisha such as Bug Niang, Ying Ying, Xin Niang, Su Niang, etc.In addition to the poets of the graceful and restrained school, Su Shi, who founded the bold and unrestrained school, also had interactions with Geji. When he left Hangzhou for Mizhou and passed through Suzhou, Geji guarded the entrance of the city and held a banquet for him. Su Shi gave her the poem "Drunken Down: Farewell to Suzhou Changmen". When Su Shi was demoted to Huangzhou, Geji came to serve wine. Geji surrounded him and asked him to write lyrics, but only one Geji named Li Yi (Li Qi) was left behind. Later, Li Yi (Li Qi) asked for poetry, and Su Shi wrote, "Why do you leave Li Yi speechless after living in Huangzhou for five years on the Dongpo. Su Shi's concubine, Wang Chaoyun, also came from a background as a Geji, and the Geji Qin Cao also had a friendship with Su Shi. Qin Guan, a scholar from Sumen, also had a close relationship with Geji. And Su Shi's friend Chen Bian kept too many Geji, which made his wife Liu Shi dissatisfied. Liu Shi even shouted in front of guests, causing Chen Bian to be very afraid of his wife. This is also the origin of the idiom "Hedong Lion Roar".In the late Northern Song Dynasty, the geisha Li Shishi was very famous for her proficiency in lyrics, music, and singing. Zhou Bangyan also had dealings with her and wrote lyrics as gifts to Li Shishi. In addition to Li Shishi, Zhou Bangyan also had dealings with the Geji Yue Chuyun. After the Southern Song Dynasty, ci gradually became "refined", and there were few words describing Geji. Many of the words were no longer suitable for singing by Geji, but some lyricists at that time still wrote lyrics for Geji.Song Dynasty Geji were skilled in singing "small songs" and "pure songs". Small singing belongs to elegant singing, such as "slow music" and "Qu Po". The Geji sing and dance, using their own hands or clappers to beat the rhythm, and the musicians next to them use pipe, dragon flute, and sheng accompaniment. A Geji should sing in an elegant tone, with a "soft and beautiful voice", a slow rhythm, and a three eyed approach. According to the records of Meng Yuanlao in the Northern Song Dynasty, there were female singers who were skilled in singing small songs, including Li Shishi, Xu Boxi, Feng Yinu, and Sun Sansi. Among them, Li Shishi was at the forefront, representing singers such as "Youth Tour", "King of Lanling", "Da Mo", and "Liu Chou". In the Southern Song Dynasty, there were more famous singers and actresses, with Jin Sailan, Fan Duyi, Tang An'an, Ni Duxi, and others mentioned in the "Dream of Liang Lu".Pure singing is a popular way of singing, singing songs, singing songs, and singing small orders. The Geji accompanies them with drumsticks, playing hastily and passionately, lively and unrestrained. Among Kaifeng Geji, the representatives of pure singing include Zhang Qiqi, Wang Jingnu, An Niang, etc. Among Hangzhou Geji, the representatives of pure singing include Shi Erniang, Shi Chunchun, Shi Zhuzhu, He Zonglian, Xu Shengsheng, Zhu An'an, Chen Companion, Yu Yuanyuan, etc.The song and dance major of the Tang Dynasty developed into a team dance performance in the Song Dynasty. According to the "Song Book Music Records", there were "children's dance teams" and "female disciple teams" in the court dance of the Song Dynasty. The female disciples referred to here refer to female artists who studied song, dance, and drama. The Song Dynasty's Shi Hao's "Yun Formula Feng Zhen Yin Mang Lu" provides detailed records of performances such as "Lotus Picking Dance", "Taiqing Dance", "Zhezhi Dance", "Flower Dance", "Sword Dance", and "Fisherman Dance".[5][6]

Continue

Yuan Dynasty

During the Yuan Dynasty, some female performers who performed zaju were themselves Geji, and many Geji would also sing sanqu in song halls or banquets to enhance their entertainment. Xia Tingzhi's "Collection of Qinglou（青楼集）" and Tao Zongyi's "Record of Dropping out of Farming" of the Yuan Dynasty recorded some of the life details and deeds of Geji. In addition to performing zaju and sanqu, they also sang opera, slow lyrics, various palace tunes, and so on. Famous Geji of the Yuan Dynasty include Liang Yuanxiu, Shunshi Xiu, Zhumen Xiu, and Naturalxiu. They also made friends with literati, and some Geji who performed zaju also established deep friendships with Yuan opera writers, such as Zhumen Xiu and Guan Hanqing, Naturalxiu and Bai Renfu. The "Collection of Qinglou" records the deeds of Geji and artists from Dadu, Jinling, Weiyang, Wuchang, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Huguang, and other places in the Yuan Dynasty. These Geji have different artistic attainments, including recording their talents in zaju, yuanben, purine singing, speaking, various palace tunes, dance, and instrumental music, especially with detailed records of the expertise of certain zaju actors. At the same time, it also recorded their social interactions and interactions with some prominent officials, literati, and writers of traditional Chinese opera and prose at that time.The famous banquets in the palace, as well as the banquets that are named after their own affairs, cannot be separated from the palace Geji who sing, dance, and drink. The Palace Music and Dance of the Yuan Dynasty, the Sixteen Heavenly Demon Dance, was created in the 14th year of the Zhizheng reign of Emperor Yuan Shun. The dancers were sixteen palace dancers, with braids on their hair, wearing ivory Buddha crowns, wearing necklaces, and wearing long red and gold short skirts. Each person held a type of magic tool, and one person held a bell and pestle to play music. The Wuji who excel in the sixteen day demon dance include San Sheng Nu, Miao Le Nu, Wen Shu Nu, and others. In addition, there were eleven Geji who practiced hammering and chignon, performed regular attire, or wore Tang hats or narrow robes. Their music was played with dragon flutes, headpipes, small drums, zheng, qin, pipa, sheng, hu qin, sound board, and clapper. The eunuch, Chang'an, does not wear a floral tube, and when he praises the Buddha in the palace, he dances and plays music.[7]

Ming Dynasty

In the middle of the Ming Dynasty, the trend of literati seeking Geji became more prevalent. In Lingnan, there were also Geji, such as Zhang Qiao. She had a close relationship with the sons of the Nanyuan Poetry Society, and her friends Peng Mengyang buried her in Meihua Ao at the foot of Baiyun Mountain in Guangzhou when she passed away. At that time, famous scholars each wrote a poem and planted a flower next to the tomb, known as the "Hundred Flowers Tomb". Since the Southern Dynasty, merchants gathered on both sides of the Qinhuai River, scholars gathered, and many Geji gathered here. During the Ming Dynasty, the Qinhuai River was more prosperous, and many Geji still gathered here. Young talents took advantage of the opportunity to travel to Nanjing to participate in local exams and socialized with Geji, which became popular in the late Ming Dynasty. Due to the disrepair of court rules and regulations in the late Ming Dynasty, the literati generally lacked confidence in governing the country. The members of the Fu Society, represented by Fang Yizhi, Fang Yizhi, and Chen Liang, could only express their inner indignation to the eunuch group in the Qinhuai Song Tower by laughing and cursing. Geji come from poor backgrounds, and only through the acquisition of talents such as vocal music, dance, opera, poetry, calligraphy and painting can they gain the favor of the literati class and bring considerable economic benefits. At the same time, Geji widely participate in artistic creation, making the artistic taste develop towards refinement and catering to the spiritual needs of the literati class. Among the Geji in the late Ming Dynasty, Chen Yuanyuan, Li Xiangjun, Liu Rushi, Gu Hengbo, Ma Shouzhen, Bian Yujing, Kou Baimen, and Dong Xiaowan were known as "Eight Beauties of Qinhuai". The "Eight Beauties of Qinhuai" was knowledgeable, courteous, and good at singing and dancing. They all showed national integrity and patriotic feelings when the country survived and changed dynasties.[8][9]

Qing Dynasty

When Li Yu was passing by Pingyang Prefecture, the magistrate Chen Zhifu bought a 13-year-old singer named Qiao as a gift for Li Yu. A few months later, in Lanzhou, Gansu, a local nobleman gave him a singer named Wang, who was also 13 years old. Both Qiao and Wang had excellent talent in traditional Chinese opera. Li Yu taught and directed independently, using Qiao and Wang as pillars to form a family drama troupe. The contents of teaching and singing were the scripts he created and adapted. During the Qianlong period, there were many Geji in Yangzhou, and Zheng Banqiao's poem wrote, "A thousand adopted daughters teach music first," indicating the abundance of Geji. To cultivate a Geji, one must first teach music. If a Geji had singing skills, they would not worry about finding a livelihood. And the poem "Luo Tuo" also mentions "the home of a sewing Geji". Zheng Banqiao's "Ten Songs of Daoqing" was sung by Beijing geisha Zhaoge. After he learned about it, he entrusted someone to bring money to Zhaoge: "The eunuch Xiao Se has a thin book of music, and he slightly sent Zhaoge to buy fan money. During the Qing Dynasty, Geji still valued their talents. In the early Qing Dynasty, Chen Susu, a talented Geji from Yangzhou, was skilled in poetry, painting, and music, and wrote a collection of poems. During the Qianlong period, Yang Xiaobao, a Geji, was skilled in singing Kunqu and Xiaoqu, and was known as the top performer in the music industry. A zhuangyuan from Suzhou, Qian Xiang, went south to Yangzhou to listen Yangzhou's Geji and was deeply impressed. During the Guangxu period, Pu Ji, a Geji and female poet from Chaozhou, was skilled in singing and writing poetry with exceptional skills. She has authored a collection of poems.[10]

Downfall

Yiji 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. Though yiji could in individual cases choose to sell sexual favors to a client, this was not a part of her profession as a yiji, but a parallel favor outside of their profession as a yiji and regarded as separated from it.

After the establishment of the Qing dynasty in 1644, however, the Yiji were banned from being employed by the state. This made them dependent of the patronage of private clients, which resulted in the development of the profession to prostitution, as male clients started to demand sexual favors in exchange for patronage.

A yiji could come from various backgrounds, but a common background was that of a maidservant in a Gelou（歌楼）: the girl was then taken from the Gelou and educated in the arts of being a Geji or Yiji. The yiji could earn substantial fortunes, however, they were often caught in debt to former associates and, as they lacked families, were often exposed to ruinous lawsuits. When the yiji retired, she often educated her own daughter to be her successor, or selected a student to be so. Late Qing to Modern Times，Geji or Yiji gradually disappearing，there are a wide range of prostitutes engaged in prostitution.

See also

• Geisha and Maiko in Japan
• Kisaeng in Korea
• Tawaif in India
• Nagarvadhu in India
• Qiyan in the pre-modern Islamic world
• Almah in the Middle East