The History of Sex - China
When you are looking at your own sex life today, looking at the past through the eyes of another culture can bring appreciation to your culture, can show you how other societies have completely different perspectives and even spice up your love life by adding a new dimension to your own perspective.
When researching Chinese culture and the history of marriage and sex they have very different ways of life from the modern day to the ancient customs. Many of those customs no longer exist but in many surrounding villages there are tribes that still perform the rituals and cultural traditions that their ancestors created.
In the ancient times women and men were betrothed with a marriage arranged by the parents and the matchmaker. There are many rituals to prevent evil and bring good luck such as the birth record of the bride hung in the grooms home, a parade, decorations and charms and a veiled bride with an elaborate costume.
The groom has rights over his bride and they have sex that night on the nuptial bed. Large families were a sign of good luck and prosperity then, unlike now and they are committed for life. Even if the other person who was betrothed dies before the marriage, the other person still has to marry their ghost when the time is right with a ceremony. The man can remarry another bride after that and have sex and start a family but the woman who loses her betrothed has to stay a widow and keep her married deceased man's ashes in her room with his tomb.
However even in the times that followed sex and love in China is different all over the continent. Many tribes and villages that still thrive and carry out those same customs have open sexual relationships, polygamy, polyamory, monogamous and other types of marriage and sex relationships.
In one village the woman who has matured and is ready to date has a marriage ceremony committing her to God and showing her community she is ready to have love affairs. After the ceremony men know she is ready and approach her at will to see if she wants relations. She is free to have sex with whomever she wants and it is a no-strings attached relationship. Once she decides on a man to have children with she stays with her family and takes on a more monagamous role in her sexual connection to him.
In another village they bathe naked in the river inviting their lovers to come watch and if they like what they see, they hand them a red ribbon as a proposal for engagement and they then marry and continue a monagomous relationship.
In a different Chinese community men greet the women by pressing their right breast if they are friends and their left one if they are strangers just meeting for the first time. The difference is that the right breast is exposed in their clothing so its important to press the right one! The women wear outfits fully exposing their legs and communicate their love by messages left in the rice bowls they give their lovers. Teen women get a hut built for them by their parents for their lovers and when it's done they are free to go find a man. These women shave their heads until they are ready to have sex at which time they stop and let their hair grow out. They are the pursuers and go after who they want by flirting and "taking " their guy. Once he accepts she takes them to her hut and starts a relationship that can lead to a marriage if they are both happy.
In another culture the women are beautiful by showing their plump little bellies with low skirts and belly chains and emphasizing their soft curves with adornments and loose fabrics. The men and women are segregated most of the time working separate jobs and hanging out with their same sexes but they do get married through ritual customs once their are ready to start families. Even though they are married they have open relationships and can have multiple lovers as they choose. However the men they marry must be from outside tribes while their lovers can be within their own.
Modern day China is much different with monogomous traditional marriages and modern day courting but their desires are the same and the richness of China's way of life is vast and explorative with passion, beautiful rituals and a desire to be loved just as any other person.
Source: LINK - Amazing Marriage Customs - China - Anthropology
