“A Pearl in the Palm”: A Forgotten Symbol of the Father-Daughter Bond

The Chinese daughter has long been portrayed as an abject victim. However, abundant writings by Qing men reveal a genuine sentiment of love for daughters. This article demonstrates that loving a daughter was possible even in a society that valued sons over daughters. It further argues that the very political and social ins¹titutions that historians believe bolstered gender inequality, such as the civil examinations and the marriage system, might in fact have fostered an emotional closeness between a father and daughter. Expansion in female education and emphasis on female talent in the Qing period, in the meantime, helped to forge a close father-daughter bond by undermining the intellectual barrier between men and their daughters.