Female Scholars' Association and Its Development with the Female Literary Criticismin during the Qing Dynasty

The association of female scholars in ancient China began in the middle of the Ming Dynasty, formally formed during the Kangxi period of the early Qing Dynasty, continuously developed in Yongzheng and Qianlong, reached its peak between Jiaqing and Xianfeng, and rapidly declined after Tongzhi. In this process female scholars' associations have a clear evolutionary trajectory from blood relationship to regional relationship, and from teacher's relationship to interpersonal relationship. The large number of associations organized by female scholars is one of the symbols of the prosperity of female literature in the Qing Dynasty, and one of the driving forces for promoting the development of female literature in the Qing Dynasty. It has played a promoting role in the development of female literary criticism in the fields of selected works, preface and postscript, notes on poets and poetry, and poetry commenting on poetry, etc.