History Of Sex – A Brief Look At The History Of Sex In China
The history of sex in China beginning from the erotic literature of the ancient dynasties to the conservative communist revolution is a fascinating one. Sex was not a taboo subject in ancient China like it is today and there is religious literature that documents the importance of sex to health and vitality. STDs and HIV is a growing problem in modern China and homosexuality is frowned upon. What can the history of sex in China tell us about these beliefs and realities in modern-day China ?
The History of Sex in China – From Sacred to Taboo
The Taoists believed that sex was the way to achieve good health and immortality. Yang referred to the male gender while yin referred to the female gender. In order for men and women to give each other their yin and yang essences, sex was very important and the different sexual positions had different purposes. The taoists believed that men should ejaculate as little as possible to maintain a high level of jing, or sexual energy, as semen was believed to be rich in jing.
Homosexuality was considered unhealthy because it was believed that a man would receive too much yang essence if he engaged in sex with another man but it was not forbidden. Lesbianism was more common because women were said to have an unlimited amount of yin essence. Women also played an important role in sexual relations and sex was not seen as beneficial unless the woman also received pleasure. Ancient texts like the Book of Changes, or I Ching, are full of sexual imagery. The I Ching is an important work in the history of sex in China and it contains detailed descriptions of sexual organs and behaviors. The hexagrams it contains are said to symbolize the genitals and its message is that