Hongwei Bao
Andrew Thomas Huang, ‘Kiss of the Rabbit God’, film, 2019, 14 min. Screenshot by author, used with the permission of Andrew Thomas Huang
According to the Qing Dynasty Chinese scholar Yuan Mei’s short story collection What the Master Would Not Discuss (子不語, 1788), a clerk named Hu Tianbao (胡天保) from South China’s Fujian Province was found following a government official around and even peeking at the official’s nude body. Hu was arrested and put on trial. In this short story, Yuan didn’t give much detail about the trial in his writing. This is what I imagine Hu’s speech could have looked like.
My honourable sir,
please forgive me
for following you like a shadow.
Excuse my boldness
to desire your beautiful body.
I’ve upset you. My offence
has no excuse. But I’m here
to give my defence.
There’s a sensation
in this world called
se (色beauty),
It’s possessed by women
as well as by men.
There’s a feeling
among the humanity named
yu (慾desire).
Even Confucius the Sage
couldn’t deny it, Nor could he
expect anyone
to repress it.
Emperor Ai of Han Dynasty cut
the long sleeve of his robe, so his beloved
Dong Xian would have a late
morning sleep-in.
Lord Ling of Wei Kingdom shared
a peach with his favourite
Mi Zixia. Their happy smiles
matched the blooming flowers
in the orchard.
My feeling for you is no
different.
Our southern province of Fujian is well-
known for nanfeng.
Whether this refers to 南風 (southern style)
or 男風 (male style)
is for the wise to decide.
Men live with men, swearing
loyalty and lifelong commitment.
Women live with women, combing
hair for each other untill death.
Generation after generation they prosper
and perish.
I fell for you, my dearest
sir, the first time I saw
you. I look up to your
stature, as grand as
the Mount Tai. I admire
your composure, as calm
as a pine tree. I marvel
at your knowledge, as vast
as the East Sea. I desire
your beauty, as delicate
as cherry blossoms.
I dream
of you each night,
and take delight
in seeing you every morning.
How I long to stay close
to you, smelling
your scent, touching
your skin.
My heart’s desire
can’t be fulfilled.
A tormented soul
only I know I have.
I’m humble.
But my love is not.
If Emperor Wei and Lord Ling
were here today, they’d have given me
their blessings.
My kindest sir, I readily
leave myself at your
mercy, anticipating
the harshest punishment.
But I beg your
forgiveness, my most
generous sir.
My love for you
is here for all to see.
Heaven and earth
bear my witness.
Hu Tianbao was sentenced to death immediately after this speech. In the underworld, the God of the Dead was touched by his story and appreciated Hu’s courage; he subsequently appointed Hu as the Rabbit God (兔兒神), the patron god for queer people. Today, temples specifically dedicated to the Rabbit God can still be found in many parts of East and Southeast Asia.
Hongwei Bao (he/him) grew up in China and lives in Nottingham, UK. He trained in Gender and Cultural Studies and currently teaches Media Studies at the University of Nottingham. He is the author of Contemporary Chinese Queer Performance (Routledge, 2022). He uses short stories, poems, reviews and essays to explore issues concerning queer desire, Asian identity, feminist politics, diasporic positionality and transcultural intimacy. His creative work has appeared in Allegheny, Cha: An Asian Literary Journal, Messy Misfits Club, Shanghai Literary Review, The AutoEthnographer, The Hooghly Review, The Ponder Review, The Sociological Review Magazine, the other side of hope, The Voice & Verse and Write On.
