Yu Xuanji

Who was Yu Xuanji?

Yu Xuanji, courtesy names Youwei and Huìlan, was a Late Tang Dynasty Chinese poet, from in Chang'an. Her family name, Yu, is relatively rare. Her given name, Xuanji, means something like "Profound Theory" or "Mysterious Principle," and is a technical term in Daoism and Buddhism. "Yòuwēi" means something like "Young and Tiny;" and, Huìlán refers to a species of fragrant orchid. She is distinctive for the quality of her poems, including many written in what seems to be a remarkably frank and direct autobiographical style; that is, using her own voice rather than speaking through a persona. She is of interest in feminist studies as one of relatively few early female Chinese poets, at least whose works have been preserved.