Thread by @yuniemaki

Thread 🧵: It may be hard for us outside of China to see why #beiguang is canonically lesbian, symbolism aside. But their r/s reflects (metaphorically) the modern lesbian lifestyle in China, which is why this ship is so beloved among CN fans #原神 #GenshinImpact

Caveat: in this thread i will (try to) use EN game ss-es so i don't have to translate CN, no significant difference in these selected cases at least

Academic sources (which contribute to all the essay ss) will be linked at the end of this thread

First off, we need to briefly look at the long history of China. China is one of the four oldest civilisations, & she has a past that tolerates homosexuality.

Gay r/s has been heavily documented especially starting in the Qing dynasty as males began preferring other males very often due to a huge surge in male children bc of CN pref for male kids (lesbians had nearly no historical records as it was not a crime in Qing dynasty)

Over the centuries, there are even emperors who have preferred other men (e.g. Emperor 哀Ai of the Han Dynasty x 董賢 Dong Xian). It’s only in recent times — influenced by Western perceptions — that homosexuality has become taboo.

From this part onwards, I'll refer to one eye-opening research paper which denotes how open Chinese lesbians and closeted ones (who have married for convenience) behave (full src at end) done in 2009

Today, China is in a state of “don’t ask, don’t tell” when it comes to homosexuality. This, coupled with the chinese value of “filial piety”, has given rise to a unique type of marriage, where a lesbian marries a gay man so that both can continue seeing others on the side.

This fulfills the filial piety required of a woman and man (marriage + kids), while also letting them be who they are to see partners on the side

The women in these marriages are very feminine, often having long hair, taking care of their looks, etc. But these same women dislike sexual intercourse with their husband, and derive pleasure from having sexual relations with another woman, who is often an open lesbian.

There are many lesbian relationships in China where the couples stay together but see no reason in formalizing it or officially marrying. And there are also many marriages of convenience, so that gay men and lesbians can enjoy societal benefits while seeing their partners

A shorter TLDR; many lesbians in China remain “heterosexual” in the eyes of the law and do not join the lesbian community, but are fully lesbian and enjoy female relations.

Now how does this apply to Ningguang? I’d say that Ningguang is reflective of the “closeted” lesbian in China; where she clearly prefers the company of women, but continues maintaining an acceptable status in society by politely keeping her suitors at arm’s length.

Like the closeted ones who marry for the sake of filial piety & "female duty", she too keeps everything going for appearance's sake. You won’t see Ning entertaining a man beyond work whether it’s in her voicelines or in events. Even w/ Aether, she cares about Lumine...

But Beidou, a woman, has access to her Jade Chamber to play games “any time”. That’s important bc Ningguang continually reminds the traveler in her voice lines that time is important, and for them to please be mindful of her time.

This again draws parallels to how many lesbian relationships work in China — one party being the “dutiful wife”, but secretly enjoying female company on the side.

Similarly, Ningguang is by all means to the public a “shrewd businesswoman”, who has caught the eye of many suitors, but she turns them all down bc she only cares for Mora & the Jade Chamber (that is the impression she gives them) - yet she makes time for Beidou...

Now Beidou, in this case, would reflect the open lesbian, the other partner in this relationship. Open lesbians face a lot of issues both due to family and societal expectations — in the paper we see cases of girls being beaten for not wanting to marry a man.

Because of this societal pressure, mainland Chinese LGBT often use metaphors & stereotypes. As such, an analysis of Beidou’s lesbian coding won’t be included for the safety of mainland Chinese LGBT, but ask & they could defo tell you why Beidou is very much an open lesbian!

In the paper, there is also mention of a famous lesbian couple who have made their relationship public. As they are older and wiser than many of the lesbians in China, they are affectionately called 大姐dajie (big sisters) —

just like how Beidou is often called 大姐头 (lady boss in EN is closest translation, but notice the CN word “big sister” is in there as well?) And like Beidou, who is consulted on all manner of things, this couple is more than happy to give advice on girlfriends and family

In the couples featured, we find that people learn they are lesbians not bc of sexual intimacy — but bc they do “acts of love” for each other (e.g. laundry, cutting hair). In the eyes of CN society, such acts are not done between people who are not in love.

With the way beiguang have been going at each other, we are seeing this same pattern emerge. There is no “intimacy” that we know of, but the “acts of love” based on their personalities are all there—

Ningguang setting aside “time”, her most valued resource, for Beidou; Beidou fishing her shit from the ocean; Beidou warning her about Beisht — viewed under the Chinese lens, these acts are not things mere collaborators will do for each other.

These are “acts of love”.

And that's why I think Beiguang is basically a lesbian ship. Open lesbians will see themselves in Beidou, in her freedom and choices; closeted lesbians will see themselves in Ningguang, feminine and successful, yet sharing their best moments with another woman. 💛

Academic papers/sources:
igg-geo.org/?p=2916&lang=en

researchgate.net/publication/22…

jstor.org/stable/41299404