The Sing-song Girls of Shanghai

Foreword :: David Der-wei Wang; Translator's Note :: Eileen Chang; Cast of Major Characters :: Compiled by Eva Hung; The Sing-song Girls of Shanghai; Chapter 1 :: Simplicity Zhao visits his uncle on Salt Melon Street, and Benevolence Hong makes a match at the Hall of Beauties; Chapter 2 :: A callow youth trying a pipe is just good for a laugh, and a virgin courtesan attending a party is unscathed by a gibe; Chapter 3 :: A professional name links the new girl to the belles of the family, and etiquette places a young man in the seat of honor.;Considered one of the great works of Chinese fiction, The Sing-song Girls of Shanghai is a story of desire and virtue set in the pleasure quarters of nineteenth-century Shanghai. Han Bangqing, himself a frequent habitué of the city's notorious brothels, reveals a world populated by lonely souls who seek consolation amid the pleasures and decadence of Shanghai's demimonde. From beautiful sirens to lower-class prostitutes, from well-respected patrons to repugnant criminals, The Sing-song Girls of Shanghai brings the romantic games of the sing-song girls to vivid life, as well as the tragic con.