Ten centuries later women—and some men who took the defense of female creation—still complained female writers did not get the same recognition as their male counterparts. At that time, many men did not take the imperial examination either, which made the women's situation more equal. This does not mean, however, they were fully recognized as authors.
"As for ladies in the inner quarters, they must discipline themselves according to womanly virtue, deportment, word, and
looks, as well as cultivating their stillness, quietude, chastity, and serenity. They are not supposed to befriend paper, ink, writing brush, and ink slab,"deplored male critic Zhao Shiyong (early 17th century) in a preface to an anthology.
"Even when extraordinary feats were performed by women, these authoresses were not properly recognized. The works of the occasional women poets are lost or scattered for lack of compilation, although they cannot be said to have completely vanished."
