Sai Jinhua

Sai Jinhua in 1887

Sai Jinhua was allegedly born with the name Zhao Lingfei (趙靈飛; 赵灵飞; Zhào Língfēi; Chao Ling-fei) on October 9, 1872.[7] Sai Jinhua was from Yancheng, Jiangsu and she lived in Suzhou as a child.[3] Her ancestral home was Xiuning, Anhui.[4] At age 13 she became a prostitute after her father died and financial difficulties for her family occurred.[3] She first became a prostitute while on a flower boat.[4] At that time she used the professional name "Fu Caiyun". In 1887 Hong Jun, a major Chinese official, met Sai Jinhua while he visited Suzhou.[3] At the time Hong Jun was in mourning due to his mother's death. Hong Jun made Sai Jinhua his concubine one year after meeting her.[4] When she became his concubine she began using the name Hong Mengluan (洪夢鸞; 洪梦鸾; Hóng Mèngluán; Hung Meng-luan).[7] In April of that year, Sai Jinhua went to Beijing with Hong Jun.[4]

Empress Dowager Cixi appointed Hong Jun as the Chinese envoy to Europe, and so Hong Jun traveled to Russia, Austria, the Netherlands, and Germany as part of his diplomatic duties.[3] Sai Jinhua accompanied him for the five year term because Hong Jun's wife was unwilling to travel with him.[7] Sai Jinhua lived in Europe for three years.[4]

In Berlin, Hong Jun did not allow Sai Jinhua to attend most of his parties, including those that he held at his residence. She was unable to dance at the parties she did attend due to her bound feet and because Hong Jun asked her not to.[1] Wenxian Zhang, author of the Encyclopedia of Prostitution and Sex Work, Volume 2, wrote that when Sai Jinhua was in Berlin, she reportedly became the acquaintance of Alfred von Waldersee.[3] David Der-wei Wang, author of Fin-de-siècle Splendor: Repressed Modernities of Late Qing Fiction, 1849-1911, wrote that the affair between Sai Jinhua and Waldersee began at that point as legends have it.[8] In addition to Waldersee, she met Emperor William II, Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, and German Empress Victoria in Berlin. She had also visited St. Petersburg, Vienna, The Hague, Paris, and London.[4] After the end of the diplomatic tour, the couple moved to Beijing.[3]

Sai Jinhua gave birth to her daughter Deguan (德官; Déguān; Te-kuan) in 1890.[4] Hong Jun died in 1893, shortly after his return to China. In 1894 Sai Jinhua became a prostitute again because Hong Jun's relatives did not support her financially.[3] Sai Jinhua and her daughter Deguan had accompanied the coffin of Hong Jun as it was returned to Suzhou.[4] When she resumed her prostitution career she used the stage name "Cao Menglan".[3] She became a celebrity since she had been in a relationship with a Chinese envoy to Europe. In 1898, she had to move her business out of Shanghai. After re-establishing it in Tianjin she took the name "Sai Jinhua".[7] Several years after restarting her prostitution career she started the Golden Flower Troupe (金花班; Jīnhuā bān; Chin-hua pan), a courtesan theater company. This troupe became known in Beijing and Tianjin.[3] Her prostitution business moved to Beijing in 1899.[7]

In 1900 Waldersee became the chief commander of the occupation army after the end of the Boxer Rebellion. Sai Jinhua renewed her connection with Waldersee.[3] Ying Hu, author of Tales of Translation: Composing the New Woman in China, 1899-1918, stated that Waldersee much favored Sai Jinhua allegedly due to her proficiency in several European languages.[2] Ying Hu wrote that she allegedly tried and sometimes succeeded in curbing the brutality of the troops through her bedside conversations with Waldersee.[2] Wenxian Zhang wrote that Sai Jinhua "was credited with influencing Waldsee [sic] to moderate the harsh treatment of Beijing residents."[3] After the end of the Boxer-related hostilities, Sai Jinhua continued to be a prostitute. Wenxian Zhang wrote that the Qing Dynasty government was not grateful for her efforts.[3]

Fan Zengxiang wrote some poems about Sai Jinhua and Waldersee. David Der-wei Wang wrote that the poems consolidated the legend.[8] The poem repeated a rumor stating that the two were in the palace of the Empress Dowager and that they ran out of it naked when a fire occurred.[8] Sai Jinhua, in her biography, admitted that she was on good terms with Waldersee but, as stated by Hu Ying, she vigorously disputed that she had a sexual relationship with him.[2] Dewei Wang wrote that because of several reasons, including differences in political concerns, social status, and age, a romance between the two had not likely happened.[9] David Wang wrote that "It is believed, however, that Sai Jinhua might have had contacts with some lower-ranking German officers at the time, thanks to her ability to speak a little German."[10]

Sai Jinhua's marriage to Wei Sijiong in 1918

In 1903, along Shaanxi Lane, Sai Jinhua created a Nanban, or a southern prostitute troupe.[11] She capitalized on the rumors of her romance with Waldersee and became very popular.[10] In 1905 Fengling, a courtesan working under Sai Jinhua's direction, committed suicide, Authorities charged Sai Jinhua of torturing Fengling, causing her to commit suicide.[11] Sai Jinhua was placed in prison due to the charge.[3] Sai Jinhua spent most of her funds having the charges reduced to manslaughter.[11] Sai Jinhua was expelled from Beijing,[10] and therefore banished to her hometown.[3] In 1908 Sai Jinhua's daughter Deguan died.[11]

She married a railroad official, Huang, in 1908. He died in the beginning of the Republican Era.[12] Afterwards she had lived with a Mr. Cao.[11] Subsequently she married a member of the National Assembly,[3] Wei Sijiong, who was a former head of the Jiangxi Province Bureau of Civil Affairs. On 20 June 1918 they married in Shanghai. Sai Jinhua adopted the art name (hao) Weizhao Lingfei, which used a combination of her family name with that of her husband, to show her devotion to him. The couple moved to Beijing.[11] Sai Jinhua's mother died in 1922. Wei Sijiong, Sai Jinhua's husband, died shortly afterwards and his family refused to allow Sai Jinhua to share his property. The widow began smoking opium and she lived in solitude in her remaining years.[6] Sai Jinhua, who was in poverty at the time of her death,[3] had a sole source of income. Journalists and historians who had a curiosity about her case sometimes gave her money.[10]

Sai Jinhua died in 1936,[3] succumbing to an illness at 62 sui.[6] At the time of her death, Beijing was experiencing a strong winter. A servant found her body the morning after her death.[7] Sai Jinhua was buried in Beijing.[3] Qi Baishi, a well-known calligrapher, crafted her headstone.[7]