Was homosexuality common in ancient China?

Written by Editorial Team | Last Updated: August 2026

Same-sex relationships and homoeroticism were remarkably common, well-documented, and largely tolerated or even celebrated across various dynasties in ancient China, particularly among the elite, nobility, and literati classes. Historical texts from the Han, Tang, and Ming dynasties frequently recount romantic and sexual relationships between men without the severe religious or legal persecutions seen in medieval Europe. Emperors often kept male favorites or consorts alongside their female harems, and famous literary works, poetry, and vernacular stories openly referenced same-sex passions—often using poetic euphemisms like the "passion of the cut sleeve." While Confucian ideals emphasized familial lineage and procreation, private same-sex behavior was rarely criminalized until the late imperial eras and the introduction of Western legal and moral philosophies in the modern period.

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