A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Female Theater Performers in 19th-Century China and Hungary
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A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Female Theater Performers in 19th-Century China and Hungary

Ying Zhang 1*
1 Communication University of China
*Corresponding author: zhangyingaria@qq.com
Published on 11 July 2025
Journal Cover
CHR Vol.73
ISSN (Print): 2753-7072
ISSN (Online): 2753-7064
ISBN (Print): 978-1-80590-267-6
ISBN (Online): 978-1-80590-268-3
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Abstract

This paper investigates the systemic stigmatization of female performers in 19th-century Qing China and Hungary through a cross-cultural comparative framework. In both societies, women engaged in theatrical professions—though vital to artistic innovation—faced institutionalized marginalization. In 19th-century China, female opera performers faced explicit prohibition from public stage performances under Qing state decrees. They endured dual marginalization through institutional and social mechanisms: legally categorized as "degraded status groups" within the household registration system, their status was formally degraded below that of ordinary women. Simultaneously, pervasive social stigmatization conflated them with prostitutes in public discourse, regardless of actual professional distinctions. Concurrently in Hungary, actresses and ballet dancers, and other low-status theatre workers were publicly equated with courtesans or even sex workers; their professional dedication was obscured by societal fixation on their perceived moral transgressions. These parallel patterns demonstrate how patriarchal power structures exploited gendered stereotypes to suppress women’s vocational agency. By conflating artistic labor with sexual misconduct, authorities in 19th-century Qing China and Hungary reinforced rigid gender hierarchies that confined women primarily to domestic spheres as wives and mothers, effectively excluding them from public creative expression.

Keywords:

Female artistic labor, moral transgressions, gender hierarchies

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Zhang,Y. (2025). A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Female Theater Performers in 19th-Century China and Hungary. Communications in Humanities Research,73,1-7.

References

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[2]. Györgyi, Fajcsák, . (2009). Chinese Art Collecting in Hungary from the Early 19th Century to 1945. Hopp Ferenc Museum of East Asian Art.

[3]. Salát, G. (2009, February). From Budapest to Beijing: The history of Hungarian–Chinese relations. Confucius Institute at ELTE. https: //www.konfuciuszintezet.hu/index.php?menu=muveltseg& almenu=7& cikkszam=49

[4]. Gusztav, Kreitner. (1882) Count Béla Széchenyi’s Eastern Journey through India, Japan, China, Tibet and Burma. Budapest: Revai.

[5]. Seven Years at Sea. (2019, October 1). In ELBIDA Projekt. https: //elbidaprojekt.hu/2019/10/het-ev-tengeren.html

[6]. Ferencz, Gáspár. (1908) Around the World Vol. 5: Australia, Pacific Islands, Japan, China, Siberia. Budapest. Singer és Wolfner

[7]. Xiao, Fang., Yuan, Tian. Inferior Physical Performance: the Legal Regulations of Actors in the Qing Dynastym, Jiangsu Social Sciences, 2017/4, 139-149. DOI: 10.13858/j.cnki.cn32-1312/c.2017.04.018.

[8]. Great Qing Legal Code. https: //lsc.chineselegalculture.org/eC/DQLL_1740/all

[9]. Mingshan, Li.(2024). Analysis of the Suppression of Professional Xiqu Actresses in the Mid-Late Qing Dynasty. Theatre Arts, 2024(5), 161–175. DOI: 10.13737/j.cnki.ta.2024.05.009

[10]. Yuan, Chang. (2016). Gender Prejudice in Beijing Opera Critics in the Early Republic of China. Journal of Women’s and Gender Studies, 2016(6), 1–31.

[11]. Jianying, Qiu. (2011). Study on Interdiction of Chinese Operas in the Theory of Social Gender, Fujian Arts, 2011(6), 28-31.

[12]. Chinese Theatre, (1866.12.29). In North China Herald. https: //archive.org/details/north-china-herald-1866.12.29/page/n2/mode/1up?view=theater

[13]. Yu Jin Nuling. (1890.01.20.) In Shenbao. https: //archive.org/details/shenbao-1890.01-20/page/n1/mode/1up

[14]. Shiqiang, Li. (2019). "Mon-ding-fong" in Western Newspapers—A Brief History of Late Qing Shanghai Theater. In Collection of Papers from the 8th International Academic Symposium on Peking Opera Studies (pp. 494–520). Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Finance Supervision and Inspection.DOI: 10.26914/c.cnkihy.2019.096080.

[15]. Gábor, Gyáni., György, Kövér. (2006). The Social History of Hungary from the Reform Era to the Second World War. Budapest: Osiris Textbooks.

[16]. Ferencz, Pulszky. (1884). My Life and Times. Budapest. Franklin Society.

[17]. Csilla, Kiss.(2017). Marriages and Divorces of Actresses in the Long 19th Century. Korall, 2017(69), 5–23.

[18]. Junjian, Jing. (1980). On the Hierarchical System of the Qing Dynasty. Social Sciences in China Press, 1980(6), 149–171.

References

[1]. József, Fodor. (1886). Untitled section. In Lajos, L., Description of the Natural Conditions and Regions of the Chinese Empire. Scientific Publishing Company. 7–8.

[2]. Györgyi, Fajcsák, . (2009). Chinese Art Collecting in Hungary from the Early 19th Century to 1945. Hopp Ferenc Museum of East Asian Art.

[3]. Salát, G. (2009, February). From Budapest to Beijing: The history of Hungarian–Chinese relations. Confucius Institute at ELTE. https: //www.konfuciuszintezet.hu/index.php?menu=muveltseg& almenu=7& cikkszam=49

[4]. Gusztav, Kreitner. (1882) Count Béla Széchenyi’s Eastern Journey through India, Japan, China, Tibet and Burma. Budapest: Revai.

[5]. Seven Years at Sea. (2019, October 1). In ELBIDA Projekt. https: //elbidaprojekt.hu/2019/10/het-ev-tengeren.html

[6]. Ferencz, Gáspár. (1908) Around the World Vol. 5: Australia, Pacific Islands, Japan, China, Siberia. Budapest. Singer és Wolfner

[7]. Xiao, Fang., Yuan, Tian. Inferior Physical Performance: the Legal Regulations of Actors in the Qing Dynastym, Jiangsu Social Sciences, 2017/4, 139-149. DOI: 10.13858/j.cnki.cn32-1312/c.2017.04.018.

[8]. Great Qing Legal Code. https: //lsc.chineselegalculture.org/eC/DQLL_1740/all

[9]. Mingshan, Li.(2024). Analysis of the Suppression of Professional Xiqu Actresses in the Mid-Late Qing Dynasty. Theatre Arts, 2024(5), 161–175. DOI: 10.13737/j.cnki.ta.2024.05.009

[10]. Yuan, Chang. (2016). Gender Prejudice in Beijing Opera Critics in the Early Republic of China. Journal of Women’s and Gender Studies, 2016(6), 1–31.

[11]. Jianying, Qiu. (2011). Study on Interdiction of Chinese Operas in the Theory of Social Gender, Fujian Arts, 2011(6), 28-31.

[12]. Chinese Theatre, (1866.12.29). In North China Herald. https: //archive.org/details/north-china-herald-1866.12.29/page/n2/mode/1up?view=theater

[13]. Yu Jin Nuling. (1890.01.20.) In Shenbao. https: //archive.org/details/shenbao-1890.01-20/page/n1/mode/1up

[14]. Shiqiang, Li. (2019). "Mon-ding-fong" in Western Newspapers—A Brief History of Late Qing Shanghai Theater. In Collection of Papers from the 8th International Academic Symposium on Peking Opera Studies (pp. 494–520). Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Finance Supervision and Inspection.DOI: 10.26914/c.cnkihy.2019.096080.

[15]. Gábor, Gyáni., György, Kövér. (2006). The Social History of Hungary from the Reform Era to the Second World War. Budapest: Osiris Textbooks.

[16]. Ferencz, Pulszky. (1884). My Life and Times. Budapest. Franklin Society.

[17]. Csilla, Kiss.(2017). Marriages and Divorces of Actresses in the Long 19th Century. Korall, 2017(69), 5–23.

[18]. Junjian, Jing. (1980). On the Hierarchical System of the Qing Dynasty. Social Sciences in China Press, 1980(6), 149–171.

Cite this article

Zhang,Y. (2025). A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Female Theater Performers in 19th-Century China and Hungary. Communications in Humanities Research,73,1-7.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.

About volume

Volume title: Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Art, Design and Social Sciences

ISBN: 978-1-80590-267-6(Print) / 978-1-80590-268-3(Online)
Editor: Yanhua Qin
Conference website: https://2025.icadss.org/
Conference date: 20 October 2025
Series: Communications in Humanities Research
Volume number: Vol.73
ISSN: 2753-7064(Print) / 2753-7072(Online)

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