Yao Qing'er

Yao Qing (, 1766–1784 ), born Yao Zhangzhen and better known as Yao Qing'er , was a Chinese kunqu actress of the Qing dynasty who performed in Nanjing. Because she was sold by her father and raised by a man named Liang Si (, "Liang Four"), she was also known as Liang Qing'er.

Her ill-fated love with the young scholar Zhan Yingjia was well known among the literati of the time and formed the basis of at least two (now lost) plays in the Qing dynasty. She was also the first Chinese opera actress known to have specialized in jing (powerful male) roles.

Life

Several books have recorded her life in various details. She was from Suzhou, Liang Si's wife was a former courtesan known for her pipa skills, and she ran a kunqu troupe in Nanjing after her marriage. The actors were all young girls bought by her husband and trained by her. Qing'er tried to run away several times, but each time she was caught and "beaten daily". Thereafter she declared her desire to play male heroes (jing roles) on stage so that she could vent her frustrations at being a female. The troupe then staged some productions featuring jing roles starring her.

Both Wang Qisun and his wife Cao Zhenxiu wrote on her tomb inscription.

In fiction To commemorate her, Shen Qifeng wrote a chuanqi play titled Qianjin Xiao (; "The Laughter of a Thousand Golds"). The play is now lost, but a story titled "The Biography of Yao Qing'er" was written by his brother Shen Qingrui, in which more twists were added. According to this story, Yao Qing'er jumped into the Qinhuai River to kill herself when Liang Si refused to let her marry Zhan Yingjia. She was saved by others just as her father came to redeem her. They started to sail back to Suzhou on the Yangtze and just as she looked forward to the good life ahead of her, the ship was attacked by pirates. Yao was terribly shaken and died.

Another playwright Qu Xie also wrote a play about her titled Tongjing Yue .