Geji

Common card · No. 450597

Geji (Chinese: 歌妓、歌伎、歌姬; lit. 'singer-performer') were female Chinese performing artists and courtesans who trained in singing and dancing in ancient China. During the Warring States Period, a legendary figure named Han'e is believed to be the first example of a geji. Recorded in the Taoist manuscript the Liezi, Han'e is said to have traveled and made her living by singing. A popular idiom used to praise one's singing in Chinese was derived from the legend of Han'e. Like other entertainers in ancient China, geji had low social standing. Some geji contributed to the development of dance, poetry, painting and other arts and literature throughout China's history. During the Song and Tang Dynasty, geji would perform poems as songs, which helped the spread of ancient Chinese poems. Geji were primarily pursued for their artistic talents in singing, dancing, and literary arts; they also sometimes provided sexual services to their clients. In ancient China, music and sexual performance were intertwined...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0