Sexuality in China

Some of the oldest erotic literature in the world is found in China (Ruan 1991). But there is a cultural paradox that has resulted in some disagreement among scholars about the sexual mores of the Chinese, both currently and historically. Some characterize Chinese society as sexually liberal and innovative (La Barre 1964; Russell 1928; van Gulik 1961; Bullough 1976; Jeffreys 2006), while others label it as cold, oppressive, and asexual (Suen 1983; Tseng and Hsu 1970; Pan 2006).