Liu Rushi
Liu Rushi (Chinese: 柳如是; pinyin: Liú Rúshì; Wade–Giles: Liu Ju-shih; 1618–1664), also known as Yang Ai (楊愛), Liu Shi (柳是), Liu Yin (柳隱) and Yang Yin (楊隱),Yang Yinlian (楊影憐), Hedong Jun (河東君), was a Chinese Yiji, poet, calligrapher, and painter in the late Ming dynasty and early Qing dynasty.
Liu Rushi | |
|---|---|
1847 portrait of Liu Rushi, ink on paper, by Lu Ji and Cheng Tinglu | |
| Born | Yang Yunjuan 1618 |
| Died | 1664 |
| Resting place | Mount Yu, Changshu, Jiangsu |
| Nationality | Chinese |
| Other names | Liu Shi (柳是), Liu Yin (柳隱), Yang Yin (楊隱), Yang Yinglian (楊影憐), Yang Ai (楊愛), Hedong (河東 / 河東君) |
| Occupation(s) | Yiji and poet |
| Known for | Poetry, marriage to Qian Qianyi |
Early in her life, she had a relationship with Chen Zilong with whom she exchanged verses. She married the scholar-official Qian Qianyi, who was 36 years her senior, at the age of 25. She committed suicide shortly after he died.
She is one of the "Eight Beauties of Qinhuai" described by late qing official Zhang Jingqi. In addition to her creative works (many of which have survived) and independent spirit, she has been revered in later times for her unwavering love for her husband and for her country (the Ming) during the Ming–Qing transition. Historian Chen Yinke, who spent decades researching and writing about her, characterizes Liu Rushi as "a heroine, a belle, a wordsmith, and a patriot" (女俠名姝 文宗國士).