“Sexual Rituals and Imperial Fantasies: A Journey into the Intimate World of Ancient China”
In Ancient China, sexual practice had not only physiological, but also spiritual significance. Taoist monks, for example, saw sex as a path to enlightenment. Unlike other monastic traditions, they did not avoid intimate relationships, but, on the contrary, considered them useful for spiritual development. Chinese emperors had many concubines, believing that their sexual energy helped maintain harmony in the empire.
In the late 1980s, when Chinese archaeologist Wang Binghua found a whole gallery of rock paintings depicting sexual scenes in Hutubi County (Xinjiang). The monument, called Kangjiashimenzi, was found at the foot of a mountain that protects from wind and precipitation, next to a spring. The site was clearly used for tribal rituals, as evidenced by layers of ash and ash over many years.
Kangjiashimenzi
Russian researchers Komissarov, Cheremisin and Soloviev in their article describe these images as “an ensemble of 292 figures painted on a rock surface.” They date the monument to the first half of the second millennium BC and attribute it to the Xiaohe culture.
Some of these images show figures with both feminine and masculine characteristics, which can be interpreted as transsexuality or bisexuality, or as a shaman combining both natures. There are also scenes of group sex.
One such scene depicts the birth of babies from a woman who is simultaneously penetrated by a man and a bisexual while three other men wait their turn. Another figure holds a penis, pointing it at the only large woman in the scene.
Sexuality in Ancient China: From Mysticism to Practice
In ancient times, sexuality was an important part of Chinese culture. With the advent of writing, Chinese scientists and philosophers, especially Taoists, began to pay great attention to the description of sexual life in their writings. These works were not pornographic novels, but were mystical medical treatises that taught men the “art of sleeping quarters,” as sex was euphemistically called in China.
These treatises explained how and how much a man should have sex with a woman in order to maintain youth. Usually the hero of such stories was a man, but sometimes women also mastered this art.
Researcher Robert van Gulik, in his book Sexual Life in Ancient China, tells the story of a woman named Nyu Ji. The legend given in Jle Xian Zhuan, a collection of biographies of Taoist immortals, tells how Nü Ji, while making and selling alcohol, once met a Taoist who left her the Book of the Sincere Maiden, one of the Taoist treatises on sex, as collateral. . She rewrote selected chapters from it and began using Taoist techniques when having sex with young men. After thirty years of such practices, she looked like she was twenty. When the immortal Taoist came to her again, he said: “Stealing the Tao by comprehending it without a teacher is the same as having wings but not being able to fly!” – and took the girl in an unknown direction, apparently for further training.
Taoists and Orgies
Van Gulik in his book explains the basic principles of Taoist sexual techniques. A man must bring a woman to a large number of orgasms without ejaculating himself. It was believed that the feminine energy released during this process fills a man and strengthens his health. Some treatises advise having sex with several women in one night.
Taoist masters are known not only for their sexual practices and longevity. Later, Buddhist monks mentioned that Taoist mystics practiced orgies in those days.
The Buddhist monk Dao-an, who lived from 292 to 363, wrote in his work “Er Jiao Lun”:
“The Taoists, in their debauchery, adhered to the obscene practices outlined in the Yellow Book (Huang Shu), such as “opening the gates of life,” “embracing the infant adept,” and “Dragon unites with the Tiger”; They also performed sexual intercourse with the rhythm of 3-5-7-9 and practiced the art of the Earthly and Heavenly Net, as described in the Yellow Book, when men and women copulate promiscuously, like birds or animals.”
Elite Courtesans and Prostitution in Ancient China
No civilization can do without “demimonde ladies” – prostitutes. In ancient China, already during the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770 BC – 221 BC), girls appeared who delighted local princes with dancing and singing. These beauties, called “nuyue” – “musicians” and “nui-kui” – “women-dolls”, became the prototype of courtesans. They flourished during the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD), when a flood of young scholars and students poured into the cities hoping to pass the bureaucratic exams and join the elite of the time. It was students, scientists and officials who became the breeding ground on which the “green towers” grew, as brothels were called in China.
In these brothels, girls were divided into two categories: simple prostitutes and courtesans. Prostitutes had no talent other than beauty. Courtesans were skilled dancers and singers, endowed with a poetic gift and the ability to carry on a conversation. These girls were much freer in choosing a partner, and communication with them became an element of chic. Scientists and officials considered it an honor to be the lovers of such girls.
In addition to elite courtesans, there were also ordinary brothels for the less sophisticated population. These establishments opened with the permission of the state, registered and paid taxes. Girls could get there in different ways: as prisoners of war, of their own free will, or even for misconduct. The judge could sentence the criminal to work in a brothel.
Visiting prostitutes was not considered something shameful. Moreover, according to researcher Robert van Gulik, “Some authors have argued that copulation with prostitutes does not result in the man wasting semen in vain, because such women, due to frequent intercourse with men, produce extremely strong and abundant yin moisture, and therefore they give to their the client has more than he loses.” Therefore, Chinese men visited “singers” not only for pleasure, but also to improve their health. At least that’s how they could justify themselves to their wives.
Harems and the “chariot for virgins”: unusual hobbies of Chinese emperors
In the history of Chinese emperors, their stormy and intense sex life occupies a special place. It was believed that harmony in the intimate life of the Son of Heaven directly affects the happiness and well-being of his subjects, and therefore the rulers paid great attention to this.
Each Chinese emperor had a large harem of wives and concubines. The order of their intimate meetings was strictly regulated and controlled by special officials. To track the possible conception of an heir, each such copulation was recorded. During the Kaiyuan Dynasty (713–741 AD), every woman with whom the emperor had intimate relations was given a special seal with the inscription “Wind and moon remain forever new” (in this context, “wind and moon” meant sex) . The seal was unique and could not be removed, and without it it was impossible to prove that the woman was favored by the ruler.
Not only emperors had their own harems. Princesses could also have a large number of men ready to satisfy their desires. Thus, Princess Liu Chuyu, also known as Princess Shanyin, became disillusioned with her monogamous marriage to the official He Zhen. Addressing her brother, Emperor Qianfei Liu Ziye, she complained: “You have more than ten thousand women in your palaces, but I have only one husband. This is unfair! The emperor did not want to offend his sister and created for her a harem of thirty men who were supposed to satisfy her at any time.
However, this was not enough. The princess, having had her fill of the harem, wanted a handsome official named Chu Yuan. The unlucky man was sent to the princess’s palace, where she tried to win him, but he remained steadfast and was released after ten days.
The story of Princess Shanyin ends tragically. In 465, her brother was killed, and her uncle, having become emperor, condemned her behavior and demanded suicide.
The story of the Sui Emperor Yang Di (581–618 AD) is even more extravagant. Despite having a wife and numerous concubines, he quickly grew tired of them and became interested in young girls, usually around 14 years old. These girls, of course, were afraid of his advances. In response, the emperor shared his wishes with the eunuch, who brought in master inventor He Zhou to solve the problem.
He Zhou created a special chariot that resembles a modern wheelchair. As soon as the girl sat in this chariot, special mechanisms fixed her arms and spread her legs, and the seat lowered so that the emperor was comfortable.
According to some reports, during the reign of Sui Yan Di, about three thousand girls fell into this trap.
Conclusion
FThe philosophy of Taoism and the practices of ancient China demonstrate how sexual energy was seen as one of the most powerful tools for achieving spiritual and physical perfection. According to Taoist teachings, skillful management of sexual energy, whether through abstinence from ejaculation or control of the menstrual cycle, could lead to improved health and creativity.
Taoist techniques, described in medical and philosophical treatises, emphasize the importance of preserving and circulating the vital energy qi. These practices, such as multiple orgasms without ejaculation in men, were believed to promote health and longevity. In addition, for the Chinese emperors, sex life was associated with maintaining political and social harmony in the empire, and sex itself was seen as a mystical and healing art.
The belief that proper management of sexual energy could lead to eternal life was deeply rooted in Chinese culture and philosophy. Taoist masters and alchemists believed that avoiding the loss of vitality and harmony with nature through sexual practices could lead to the achievement of immortality. Thus, Taoist ideas about sexual energy emphasize its importance not only in personal practice, but also in the broader context of the cultural and spiritual heritage of ancient China.