Changing Views on Sexuality in Early and Medieval China

The discourse on sexuality underwent tremendous transformations in early and medieval China. While early imagery and terminology of sexual intercourse reflect a naturalistic attitude toward sexuality, writings from the Han dynasty and the division periods largely reflected the Daoist perception of body, gender, and sex. Such domination gradually gave way to a diverse discourse on sexuality in the Tang, largely due to Buddhist influence and the rise of the examination culture. Tang discourse on sexuality, with its emphasis on sensuality, pleasure, and spiritual bliss, shaped ideals of femininity, masculinity, and intercourse.