Devoted son, loyal fiancé and loving father – Yuan Mei, 18th century pansexual polyamorous family man

The women who shaped the life of queer cultural icon Yuan Mei

Well, now that we’ve heard the gossip about Yuan Mei and his numerous male lovers, let’s look at another side of this multi-faceted character: His familial relationships with women and children.

The women of Yuan Mei’s original family were major influences in his life. He had great love for his mother Mdm. Zhang, whose last act was to wipe the tears from the face of the already-elderly Yuan Mei as he wept by her deathbed.[1]