ABSTRACT
Figure 6.1 Er Qiao Ḵ᷼. Two girls reading together. Woodblock cut. From Wu Youru, Wu Youru hua bao.
Table 6.1 The Banana Garden Five poets.
Name Dates Major Works Home town
Relation
Qian Fenglun 拊 沛䵠 zi: Yunyi 暚₨
1644-1703 San hua tan ji 㔋剙䀀普, Gu xiang lou ji ⎌楁㦻普
Qiantang 拊⠀
Sister-in-law of Lin Yining 㜿ẍ⮏
Lin Yining 㜿 ẍ⮏ zi: Yaqing Ṇ㶭
1655-after 1730
Mo zhuang shi wen ji ⡐ 匲娑㔯普, Feng xiao lou ji 沛䯓 㦻普
Qiantang Married Qian Fenglun’s 拊沛䵠 brother
Chai Jingyi 㞜朄 ₨ zi: Jixian ⬋⪣
d. 1680 Ning xiang shi shi chao ↅ楁⭌娑憼, Bei tang shi cao ⊿➪娑勱
Qiantang Mother-in-law of Zhu Rouze 㛙㝼⇯
Zhu Rouze 㛙㝼 ⇯ zi: Shuncheng
fl. late 17C Xiu zhi yu yin 三ⷁ检⏇, Si yin xuan shi chao ▋枛 幺娑憼
Qiantang Daughter-in-law of Chai Jingyi 㞜朄₨
Xu Can ⼸䆎 zi: Xiangpin㸀喳, Mingshen 㖶㶙
ca. 1610after 1677
Zhuo zheng yuan shi ji ㊁ 㓧⚺娑普, Zhuo zheng yuan shi yu ㊁㓧⚺娑检
Suzhou 喯ⶆ
The Banana Garden club existed in two stages:2 at first the Banana Garden Five (Jiao yuan wu zi 䃎⚺Ḽ⫸) included Qian Fenglun 拊沛䵠 (1644-1703), her sister-in-law Lin Yining 㜿ẍ⮏ (1655-after 1730), Chai Jingyi 㞜朄₨ (d. 1680), her daughter-in-law Zhu Rouze 㛙㝼⇯ (fl. late seventeenth century) and the Grand Secretary’s wife Xu Can ⼸䆎 (c. 1610-after 1677).3 Chai Jingyi came from a family whose social status ranked slightly below that of the others – her father was only a provincial (ju ren) degree holder, whereas the others were daughters of metropolitan (jin shi), or highest, degree holders.4 The other club members nonetheless recognized Chai Jingyi’s literary talent as superior and acknowledged her as their leader.5 Chai Jingyi counted as a senior member and her home also became the club’s physical base where the poets gathered.
