This book is the final volume of four giant Biographical Dictionaries of Chinese Women from the same publisher. The other three are: Antiquity through Sui (1600 b.c.e–618 c.e.), published in 2007; Twentieth Century (1912–2000), published in 2003, and Qing Period, published in 1998.
These labour-intensive works aim to “compile under one title biographies of Chinese women throughout history; to rescue from oblivion as many women as we could uncover information on; and to furnish more complete biographical date on individual Chinese women than presently exists in dictionaries published since the 1940s” (p. ix). There is no doubt that these works make a significant contribution to the field and serve as an invaluable resource for teaching and research on Chinese women.
At the beginning, this volume provides a helpful and detailed chronology of dynasties and major rulers from the Tang Dynasty (618–907) to the Southern Ming Dynasty (1644–1661). It is classified into personal name, lifetime, temple title, era name and period of reign. This information is extremely useful and convenient for the study of Chinese dynasties, particularly for students of Chinese history and culture.
This volume of the biographical dictionary covers a 1,000-year time span, and over 400 women, in 672 pages. These 1,000 years are divided roughly into four periods coinciding with the major dynasties. This enormous volume of information on women is organized in alphabetical order: however, this volume offers an advantageous finding list by background and field of endeavour, categorized under about 57 designations, such as actors, authors, businesswomen, embroidery, charitable, cultural ambassadors, fashion, humorists, peacemakers, romantic figures and seer, etc. This comprehensive classification delivers an effective menu for users. For example, under the title “Alchemy” one finds a few biographies from the Song and Tang dynasties. These same persons are also under the subtitle of “Daoists” in the “Religious” section. This organization effects a simple road map to navigate these captivating and compelling biographical narratives.
In their concise and instructive preface the editors explain that two groups of women stand out in this specific volume. First, those more authoritative women from Empress Wu Zetian to the Mongol Yuan dynasty de facto rulers. During this historical period there were increasing numbers of women gaining exceptional authority in many ways. To reflect these historical legacies there has been more research on these powerful and influential women. Second, a growing number of women artists, writers and poets are recorded. During this period female literacy increased and social attitudes towards women's cultural and social roles became more liberal. This volume includes a multitude of entertainers and actresses. More intriguingly, there are many exciting exchanges of poems between female actors and entertainers and the male literati in the Yuan dynasty.
These works will furnish much evidence to problematize women's social, historical and cultural role, agency and contribution. They address the distinction between the gender-based patriarchy in the West and transmitted power-based dynastics in China. It has been argued that Chinese women were not subordinate to men, but more importantly women are perceived as a means to sustain dynastic power or family prestige. Women were asked to enhance and promote the public good and health and continuity of dynasty through their own moral influence and duties. Women's diverse and crucial roles in dynastic health revealed many cultural contradictions, fault lines, and crossed gender boundaries. The primary resources found in this dictionary will facilitate a deeper dialogue in the field and beyond.
One of the most significant contributions of this work is its wide-ranging and complex primary material. For example it compiles 26 biographies of female Daoists. Those bibliographies disclose theoretical guidance on what has been done and where to go to find them. This constructive and inspired effort is an inimitable index on the current study of Chinese women. It will become an essential tool for researchers and students.
This fine scholarship has also demonstrated a good model for intercultural, collaborative and collective work in a global setting. Two Western editors invited five Chinese scholars to participate in this project. More importantly, these Chinese scholars have contributed some substantial work carried out in China. This open and free flow of information exchange can enhance our understanding and study of Chinese women in history.
The editors explain that these dictionaries “were not commissioned as original research but as a summary of existing knowledge and information” (p. ix). This might be an unavoidable weakness in a work of this nature. The volume includes entries on 26 female Daoists, yet two critical females in the development of the Daoist internal alchemy, Cao Wenyi (1039–1115) and Sun Buer (1119–83), have not made to this dictionary.
Nevertheless this ambitious and well-crafted work uncovers a distinctively hidden resource. It supplies immense impetus for feminists to better appreciate of the “otherness” of gender dynamics in China and against a new-colonial mentality. Finally, this momentous and timely scholarship will expand the horizon for the study of Chinese women.
