Qixin Huang
2024AW
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The "self-combing sisters" refers to a group of women who voluntarily chose to remain unmarried for life, emerging in the Canton region in China from the mid-19th century to the 1940s, spanning nearly a hundred years. They comb up their hair, refrain from marrying or bearing children, and make their own living. However, a hundred years ago, as one of China's earliest forms of celibacy, these "self-combing sisters," as a unique group of women, were once viewed as "extreme" by society. They disregarded societal norms, relied on themselves, and made a choice that, viewed from today's perspective, carries a sense of pioneering spirit. Yet, few understand the hardships behind this path. wThey combed their hair into a bun by themselves, maintained their chastity, and vowed never to marry for life.
所谓自梳女,大体指19世纪中叶到20世纪40年代的近百年间,在珠三角地区涌现的自主选择“终生不婚”的女性群体。她们将头发梳起,不结婚、不生子,独自辛苦打拼,安身立命。然而在百年前,作为中国最早的不婚主义,「自梳女」这样一个特殊的女性群体,一度被视作社会的“极端”。她们不顾世俗目光、自力更生,在今天看来颇具有“先锋”意味的选择,却鲜有人了解这条道路背后的艰辛。她们自己为自己梳起发髻,并为自己守节,表示终身不嫁。