Yang Wan

Yang Wan (c. 1602–1644; , courtesy name: Wǎnshū 宛叔) was one of the famous courtesan poets of the Qinhuai pleasure district in Nanjing during the waning years of the Ming dynasty.

Biography

Yang Wan's family background is unknown. According to Mao Yuanyi's preface to Yang Wan's first poetry collection, Zhōngshān Xiàn (鍾山獻), she was born around 1602. However, in Mao Yuanyi's prefaces he describes that Yang Wan had learned under his guidance which contradicts other sources that describe Yang Wan as having already developed a reputation as a painter, poet, calligrapher prior to marrying Mao Yuanyi. As a courtesan brought up in the Qinhuai Pleasure District, Yang Wan was likely trained in the arts from a young age. Wang Wei's poems to Yang Wan indicate they had a close relationship. The courtesan of the pleasure district along the Qinhuai River were especially celebrated for their sophistication, refinement, and literary and artistic accomplishments. Qian Qianyi wrote that Liu Rushi, Wang Wei, and Yang Wan were the three most talented and refined beauties under heaven.

Yang Wan and Wang Wei both became concubines of the military official and scholar . Mao Yuanyi, who was also a poet, valued his concubine's artistic achievements and pursuits. Wang Wei's time as Mao Yuanyi's concubine was short, as Wang Wei ran away from the household because she felt that favored Yang Wan.

Mao Yuanyi suffered a political fall and exile, which led him to excessive drinking. He died in 1640. Wang Wei remarried, and Yang Wan continued her profession. Four years later, she eloped with an officer of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, , father of the imperial concubine Tian Xiuying. Rather than helping her as she had suspected he would, Tian Hongyu instead treated her like a servant and had her instruct his daughter. When Tian Hongyu died, she tried to run away with Liu Dongping, but as they were about to depart, the city of Beijing came under occupation during the Jiashen Incident. Disguised as a peasant, Yang Wan is said to have attempted to sneak her way back to Nanjing, but was killed by bandits on the way.

Poetry Yang Wan is known to have wrote four volumes of "Zhongshan Xian (钟山献)", one volume of "Xuji (续集)" and one volume of "Zaixu (再续)", which were compiled in chronological order by her husband Mao Yuanyi. Consequently, very few of her poems survived.