# Yao, *Women, Gender, and Sexuality in China*, 2022 > [!cite] > Yao Ping. *Women, Gender, and Sexuality in China: A Brief History*. Routledge, 2022. > [!abstract] > Women, Gender, and Sexuality in China: A Brief History serves as a focal textbook for undergraduate courses on women, gender, and sexuality in Chinese history. Thematically structured, it surveys important aspects of gender systems and gender practices throughout Chinese history, from the earliest period to the modern era. Topics include the concept of yin–yang, life course and gender roles, kinship systems and family structure, marriage practices, sexuality, women’s work and daily life, as well as gender in Chinese mythology, religions, medicine, art, and literature. In narrating how various traditions and practices were formed and evolved throughout Chinese history, this textbook draws heavily on personal stories and historical records. %%*n.b., read up to p. 40 so far.*%% --- ‘It is the coexistence and codependence of the two forces that makes everything possible: “with *yin* alone, nothing will happen; with *yang* alone, nothing will grow.”’ [[Yao, Women, Gender, and Sexuality in China, 2022|(Yao 2022, 5)]] ^7f835b ‘The combination of revered motherhood and the emphasis on filial piety allowed imperial women to reach ultimate power. The sole female ruler in Chinese history, Empress Wu (Wu Zetian, 624–705, r. 640–705), for example, got away with poisoning her crown prince son and deposing her emperor prince sons.’ [[Yao, Women, Gender, and Sexuality in China, 2022|(Yao 2022, 16–17)]] ^edfae6 ‘Polygyny, the practice of one man marrying multiple women, existed throughout Chinese history up to 1949.’ [[Yao, Women, Gender, and Sexuality in China, 2022|(Yao 2022, 40)]] ^4ec17d ‘During the Qing dynasty and most of the 20th century, Chinese women commonly raised an average of five children.’ [[Yao, Women, Gender, and Sexuality in China, 2022|(Yao 2022, 17)]] ^0e7082 ‘During the Zhou dynasty, for example, even though the arrangement of matches under parental command was desirable, poems in *The Book of Songs* show that agrarian communities routinely hosted festivals so that young men and women could meet and fall in love.’ [[Yao, Women, Gender, and Sexuality in China, 2022|(Yao 2022, 36)]] ^10fb08 ‘Dowry became a crucial part of marriage after the Song dynasty but was absent in the *Book of Rites*.’ [[Yao, Women, Gender, and Sexuality in China, 2022|(Yao 2022, 36)]] ^7d8e81 ‘Before the 20th century, the Chinese used the lunar calendar, which is based on the monthly cycles of the moon’s phases. Since a lunar year only has 354 days, the Chinese lunar calendar adds routinely an extra month to the year every few years. In addition, the Chinese traditionally used the sexagenary cycle to count day and year. The method, also known as Stems-and-Branches (*ganzhi*), is a cycle of sixty terms; each term consists of two Chinese characters, the first being one of the ten Heavenly Stems and the second being one of the twelve Earthly Branches. The Heavenly Stems are *jia, yi, bing, ding, wu, ji, geng, xin, ren*, and *gui*. The Earthly Branches are *zi, chou, yin, mao, chen, si, wu, wei, shen, you, xu*, and *ha*i. Therefore the first term is *jiazi*, and the second term is *yichou*. Months were traditionally counted in numerical numbers.’ [[Yao, Women, Gender, and Sexuality in China, 2022|(Yao 2022, viii)]] ^e4cf65 ‘China is considered one of the four great ancient civilizations of the world, together with ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, and India.’ [[Yao, Women, Gender, and Sexuality in China, 2022|(Yao 2022, 1)]] ^42d941