The "Eight Beauties of Qinhuai" was the collective name for eight talented women and men of letters who lived along the Qinhuai River in Nanjing during the late Ming dynasty. These eight women were renowned not only for their beauty, but also for their talent and intelligence, and for their close ties to major historical figures of the time. They became unique presences in the long course of history. Their stories brim with poetry, wine, romance, and power struggles. They bore witness to the Ming dynasty's turbulent changes and reflected the historical circumstances in which women found different ways to make a place for themselves in a patriarchal society.
