Sing-song girls
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sing-song girls (also known as flower girls) were learned courtesans in Shanghai during the late 19th and early 20th century. Sing-song girls were trained from childhood to entertain wealthy male clients through companionship, singing and dancing in special sing-song houses. They may or may not provide sexual services, but many did, though they saw themselves as lovers and not prostitutes. Sing-song girls did not have distinctive costume or make-up, they often wear the same clothing (typically, the Shanghai cheongsam) as upper-class Chinese women did. Often sing-song girls had one or several male sponsors who may or may not be married, and rely on these sponsors to pay off family or personal debt and to sustain their high standards of living. Many sing-song girls ended up marrying their sponsors and start a free life.[citation needed]
Sing-song girls are popularized in the 1892 fictional masterpiece by Han Bangqing called Sing-song girls of Shanghai (also known as Flowers of Shanghai).
