Feng Xian

Feng Xian
馮嫺 
Born1662 
Died1722  (aged 59–60)
OccupationPoet, painter 
Spouse(s)Qian Tingmei 
Parent(s)
  • Feng Zhongyu 

Feng Xian (1662 – 1722), also known by her courtesy name Youling, was a Chinese Qing dynasty poet and painter. She was a member of the literary group the Banana Garden Poetry Club in Hangzhou.

A native of Qiantang, she was the daughter of Feng Zhongyu, magistrate in Tong'an. She married the poet Qian Tingmei,[1]

Feng Xian joined the second incarnation of the Banana Garden Poetry Club, the Banana Garden Seven. The Banana Garden poets were all from elite families and many had kinship ties; Feng Xian was the niece of fellow member Gu Si. The septet wrote colophons and commentaries included with publications of each other's poetry.[1][2]

Feng Xian and Qian Tingmei published a joint collection of poetry, Puyuan changhe ji (Poetic correspondence from Pu Garden). Feng Xian wrote two volumes of poetry herself: Heming ji (Harmony) and Xiangling ji (Spirit of the Xiang River). Neither volume is extant. Some of her poems were anthologized in Yun Zhu's Guochao guixiu zhengshi ji (Correct Beginnings: Women's Poetry of Our August Dynasty), Cai Dianqi's Guochao guige shichao, Wu Hao's Guochao Hangjun shiji,[1] and Zhang Yingchang's Qing shi duo (The tocsin-bell of Qing poetry).[3]

References

  1. ^ a b c Ho, Clara Wing-chung (1998). Biographical dictionary of Chinese women. University of Hong Kong libraries publications. Vol. 1. Armonk (N. Y.) London: M. E. Sharpe. pp. 39–40. ISBN 978-0-7656-0043-1.
  2. ^ Berg, Daria (2013). Women and the literary world in early modern China, 1580-1700. Routledge Studies in the Early History of Asia. New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-53341-6.
  3. ^ Zeitlin, Judith T. (June 1994). "Shared Dreams: The Story of The Three Wives' Commentary on The Peony Pavilion". Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies. 54 (1): 127–179. doi:10.2307/2719390. JSTOR 2719390.