This book provides an in-depth study of traditional Confucian concepts of women, the emergence of the "New Woman," and contemporary female gender roles in China. Rich and detailed in content, it combines macro-level analysis with specific case studies, tracing the evolution of gender perceptions of women in Chinese society over three millennia while exploring the social ecology of modern Chinese women. Drawing on perspectives from the ancient Chinese classic I Ching (or Yijing), the author delves into the various ritual and ethical constraints imposed on women to consolidate men’s dominant social power following the establishment of the patriarchal system. With social development and progress, feminist ideas began to emerge and gain momentum, challenging Confucian gender norms and enabling the expression of women’s liberation and self-worth. This has prompted a reexamination of female gender roles. The book offers novel arguments, profound insights, and rigorous analysis, supported by an extensive range of references. It systematically outlines the historical evolution of gender concepts in Chinese society over the past three thousand years and examines the social dynamics shaping contemporary Chinese women. As an academic monograph with a rigorous structure and incisive perspectives, it holds significant scholarly value and practical relevance.

Zhang Hongping, a female scholar based in Beijing, is a researcher at the Cultural Research Institute of the Chinese National Academy of Arts. She is also a master’s supervisor in “Women’s Culture and Art Studies,” with research focusing on women and gender studies. Her publications include: Women, Be Yourself; A Century of Chinese Women; A Special Fondness; Four Women of the Republic of China; Four Talented Figures of the Republic of China; A Pictorial Biography of Lin Huiyin; A Pictorial Biography of Lu Xiaoman; Reconstructing the Value of Women’s Lives: A Historical Study of Women’s Leisure; A Biography of Lin Huiyin: My Heart is a Lotus; and Kang Youwei and the Women Around Him.