Prostitute as Cultural Warrior

花影恨(Fa Yin-hun) (1917-1939) was the flower name of  Zhu Xiu shen (朱秀珍) (Chu Sau Chun)
orphaned young, forced by poverty to work in tea houses and/or brothels in Shek Tong Shui, the historic quarter of Hong Kong, where tea houses, theatres and restuarants were centred. The women sang and told stories : prostitution being only one form of entertainment.  The area is now ultratrendy. Although brotels were banned in 1931, laws don't stop people doing.things. Fa was kept for a while by a patron, but didn't lose her ties with the other women. In 1937, the Japanese invaded China, taking Shanghai and later Guangzhou (Canton). Fa Yin-hun decided to contribute to the war effort and refugee aid by organizing 58 other songstresses in a singing competition, raising money from their clients. Shame on those men who couldn't do it themselves !  On 20th November 1939, Fa attended an opera where Ma Tse Tsang starred. He was an iconic figure who transformed Cantonese opera and culture : idolized by many to this day.  Please read more about him a, his wife Hung Sin Nui and his worthy successor Sun Ma Tse Tsang on this site, using the search facility. That night, Fa went home and sent her maid out to get midnight snacks, which people often do. When the maid came back, she found Fa dying from ingesting opium.  Taken to Queen Mary Hospital - then the most modern and advanced hospital in the region - she died, aged only 22. Why did Fa take her life ? She had prestige from her fund raising efforts, and had talent and good looks. In her suicide note, she wrote of despiar. Whatever she could or could not have achieved the circumstances of her situation stacked the odds against her.  

Fa's grave is situated on a hillside, facing northwest, towards the Pearl River and Guangzhou. To this day, it's still swept and visited. Once there was a vase inscibed with words from her famous song 塘西名姬 (Tong Sai Min Ji - Song of the Western district (Shek Tong Shui)  Her story, and that of the many other women in her profession has inspired novels,TV shows and films, including Stanley Kwan's Rouge (1988) about which I've written here.  Please also read about Su Xiao Xiao (So Siu Siu, 蘇小小) who lived in the fifth century AD , another child sold into entertainment, whose talent and moral fibre has inspired poets and artists ever since. See my piece "First and Greatest Traviata of them all" HERE. Below, two useful clips. The first which has English subtitles, describes the area and times, with Fa Yin-hun's song sung by a male singer. The second has the song in orchestrated form, with lots of photos of her life.