The Sing-song Girls of Shanghai (Weatherhead Books on Asia)

Desire, virtue, courtesans (also known as sing-song girls), and the denizens of Shanghai's pleasure quarters are just some of the elements that constitute Han Bangqing's extraordinary novel of late imperial China. Han's richly textured, panoramic view of late-nineteenth-century Shanghai follows a range of characters from beautiful sing-song girls to lower-class prostitutes and from men in positions of social authority to criminals and ambitious young men recently arrived from the country. Considered one of the greatest works of Chinese fiction, The Sing-song Girls of Shanghai is now available for the first time in English. Neither sentimental nor sensationalistic in its portrayal of courtesans and their male patrons, Han's work inquires into the moral and psychological consequences of desire. Han, himself a frequent habitu' of Shanghai brothels, reveals a world populated by lonely souls who seek consolation amid the pleasures and decadence of Shanghai's demimonde. He describes the romantic games played by sing-song girls to lure men, as well as the tragic consequences faced by those who unexpectedly fall in love with their customers. Han also tells the stories of male patrons who find themselves emotionally trapped between desire and their sense of propriety. First published in 1892, and made into a film by Hou Hsiao-hsien in 1998, The Sing-song Girls of Shanghai is recognized as a pioneering work of Chinese fiction in its use of psychological realism and its infusion of modernist sensibilities into the traditional genre of courtesan fiction. The novel's stature has grown with the recent discovery of Eileen Chang's previously unknown translation, which was unearthed among her papers at the University of Southern California. Chang, who lived in Shanghai until 1956 when she moved to California and began to write in English, is one of the most acclaimed Chinese writers of the twentieth century. Contents :: Foreword :: David Der-wei Wang Translator’s Note :: Eileen Chang Cast of Major Characters :: Compiled by Eva Hung The Sing-song Girls of Shanghai Chapter 1 :: Simplicity Zhao visits his uncle on Salt Melon Street, and Benevolence Hong makes a match at the Hall of Beauties Chapter 2 :: A callow youth trying a pipe is just good for a laugh, and a virgin courtesan attending a party is unscathed by a gibe Chapter 3 :: A professional name links the new girl to the belles of the family, and etiquette places a young man in the seat of honor Chapter 4 :: Benevolence acts as comprador to help a friend, and Pearlie signals to her girl to curb her jealousy Chapter 5 :: An empty slot is speedily filled by a new love, and a new arrangement is kept from an old flame Chapter 6 :: A playful belle calls her client her son, and a phenomenal girl dominates her madam Chapter 7 :: One girl casts a spell and lays a vicious trap, and another meets a good mate but can’t escape her fate Chapter 8 :: Second Sister retains a treasure box with dark designs, and Green Phoenix refuses a carriage ride with ready wit Chapter 9 :: Little Rouge fells Constance with her fist, and Green Phoenix engages Prosperity in a battle of words Chapter 10 :: A new girl is given strict instructions at her toilet, and old debts are lightly dismissed by a hanger-on Chapter 11 :: The fire bell ringing at night causes a false alarm, and abrother-in-law on a family visit gets a warm welcome Chapter 12 :: A peacemaker is dispatched behind the beloved’s back, and trickery provides cover for an adulterous woman Chapter 13 :: At the deflowering of Jewel, someone waits in the wings, and on the mah-jongg table, a trap is set for Crane Li Chapter 14 :: A lone whoremonger meets rough company, and a gang of conspirators runs a crooked game Chapter 15 :: Bright Pearl attends a party at Civic Peace Alley, and Pragmatic Li smokes opium at the House of Floral Rain Chapter 16 :: A bargain for a rich patron carries hidden consequences, and a game of dominoes serves as a pastime Chapter 17 :: Twin Pearl secretly criticizes her mother, and Benevolence Hong severely reprimands his nephew Chapter 18 :: A lined jacket conveys Jade Tao’s deep love, and an expensive banquet allays White Fragrance’s wrath Chapter 19 :: Deceived by love, Modesty Zhu misreads a hidden motive; plagued by illness, Water Blossom puts on a brave face Chapter 20 :: Water Blossom, aggrieved, rages at the mirror, and JadeTao, deeply in love, shares her nightmare Chapter 21 :: A prostitute lies about consulting the gods to find a missing article, and a henpecked husband throws a party behind his wife’s back Chapter 22 :: Green Phoenix secures a loan toward her ransom, and Snow Scent is angered by an argument about shopping Chapter 23 :: A young girl overhears things said behind her back, and a jealous wife courts insult in a brothel Chapter 24 :: Constance protects a fellow courtesan to keep the peace, and Simplicity Zhao, a ruined man, feels no regret Chapter 25 :: A fond lover’s chiding revives old memories, and the time of the month delays a tryst Chapter 26 :: Nocturnal sounds show a couple’s real prowess, and a lustful look betrays a woman’s false modesty Chapter 27 :: The drunk who disrupts a tryst empties his stomach, and a whore’s burning hands prove her randy nature Chapter 28 :: A policeman mounts the roof of a gambling den, and a whoremonger shames his family by pulling a ricksha Chapter 29 :: Second Treasure and a friend go in search of her brother, and an adopted relative takes the girls sight-seeing Chapter 30 :: The Zhaos move to new quarters that come with hired help, and an old barber complains about his worthless son in a teahouse Chapter 31 :: An uncle’s reproaches lead to the severing of family ties, and a difference in taste frustrates a would-be matchmaker Chapter 32 :: Gold Flower gets a whipping for imitating her better, and Twin Jade leaves a handkerchief as a token for her lover Chapter 33 :: Little Rouge is unhappy with the jade jewelry, and Lotuson Wang goes on a drunken rampage Chapter 35 :: Second Treasure, poverty-stricken, takes up the oldest profession, and River Blossom, falling ill, spoils everyone’s fun Chapter 36 :: A strange love feeds on constant squabbling, and a miracle cure depends on the good doctor Chapter 37 :: A willing apprentice is rewarded with torture, and a brothel hand is blackmailed into a loan Chapter 38 :: Second Treasure hopes for wedded bliss in the Shi family, and Harmony Qi hosts a party in Rustic Retreat Chapter 39 :: A drinking game sees ivory sticks fly at the pavilion, and golden carp draw fishing boats to compete on the lake Chapter 40 :: A bridge of magpies joins two stars on Lovers’ Day, and a witty pun is a stone that kills two birds Chapter 41 :: Harsh words in the boudoir kill old loyalties, and a reunion in the garden cures lovesickness Chapter 42 :: Water Blossom, leaving her beloved, departs this world, and Cloud Tao, worried about his brother, faces the funeral Chapter 43 :: An empty room is a potent reminder of lost love, and innocent words affirm that the dead will return Chapter 44 : Wenjun tricks a rascal and gets off with a song, and Green Phoenix tackles greed by insisting on a low ransom Chapter 45 :: The vile crone changes color when a settlement is overturned, and the child courtesan gets jealous when left on the sidelines Chapter 47 :: Cloudlet Chen has the good fortune of meeting a benefactor, and Snow Scent gets predictions for a male child Chapter 48 :: Mistake after mistake bars the gates of the mansion, and swindle after swindle exemplifies the ways of the marketplace Chapter 49 :: What’s returned to the owner becomes a target for theft, and a member of the family is marked for extortion Chapter 50 :: A rascal’s tactics are aimed at fault finding, and a slight interruption brings a beating Chapter 51 :: A fugitive hides from an unwelcome guest, and a slave artiste vies with a courtesan Chapter 52 :: A young woman in a lonely bed dreads an empty room, and hospitality means a shared bed and chatting through the night Chapter 53 :: Flowers of different types are forcibly grafted together, and mating birds are driven asunder by a sudden alarm Chapter 54 :: A faithless lover half-heartedly plights his troth, and an unfaithful woman gets a well-deserved beating Chapter 55 :: Second Treasure is plagued by doubts despite her lover’s promise of marriage, and Verdure Xu is embarrassed for sharing a whore’s bed with his friends Chapter 56 :: Third Pan, the underground prostitute, plots a theft, and Yao, the daytime patron, stays the night Chapter 57 :: Honeyed words pacify a jealous wife, and persistent questions reveal a story of adultery Chapter 58 :: Young Mr. Li throws away his entire fortune, and Third Sister Chu excels at preposterous lies Chapter 59 :: Second Sister employs an old ruse to filch important documents, and Jade Wenjun begs for a poem to boost her fame Chapter 60 :: An old man gets an opium addict for a wife, and the keeper-turned-thief performs a vanishing act Chapter 61 :: An amateur archer shows superb marksmanship, and a clever servant labors over poetic composition Chapter 62 :: Simplicity Zhao’s affair with the servant girl is exposed, and Twin Jade overhears gossip about “wives” Chapter 64 :: Anger makes Second Treasure pawn her bracelet, and a kick in her chest causes internal injuries Afterword Acknowledgments Notes The World of the Shanghai Courtesans Considered One Of The Great Works Of Chinese Fiction, The Sing-song Girls Of Shanghai Is A Story Of Desire And Virtue Set In The Pleasure Quarters Of Nineteenth-century Shanghai. Han Bangqing, Himself A Frequent Habitué Of The City's Notorious Brothels, Reveals A World Populated By Lonely Souls Who Seek Consolation Amid The Pleasures And Decadence Of Shanghai's Demimonde. From Beautiful Sirens To Lower-class Prostitutes, From Well-respected Patrons To Repugnant Criminals, The Sing-song Girls Of Shanghai Brings The Romantic Games Of The Sing-song Girls To Vivid Life, As Well As The Tragic Consequences Faced By Those Who Unexpectedly Fall In Love With Their Customers. Han Bangqing Also Tells His Story From A Male Point Of View, Revealing The Danger Of Becoming Trapped Between Desire And Propriety. First Translated In Draft By The Legendary Chinese Writer Eileen Chang, And Later Revised By Eva Hung, The Sing-song Girls Of Shanghai Combines Psychological Realism With Modernist Sensibilities And Is A Pioneering Work Of Chinese Fiction.--book Cover. Han Bangqing ; First Translated By Eileen Chang ; Revised And Edited By Eva Hung. Includes Bibliographical References. Translated From The Chinese.