Homosexuality may remain a taboo in today's China, but ancient Chinese held far more liberal views on the subject.
China boasts a long history of homosexuality, with official records stretching back more than 25 centuries. Gay relationships seem to have been particularly commonplace among aristocrats and literary elites before the Han dynasty (206BC to AD220) - something shared by their contemporaries in ancient Greece.
Some modern studies suggest Qu Yuan , one of the most celebrated poets and politicians in Chinese history, who lived in the 3rd century BC, was homosexual or bisexual. Qu's passionate verses written to the King of Chu were cited as evidence. More serious scholars remain sceptical about the conclusion and note that the poet's verses should be read allegorically.
While the debate is set to continue, homosexuality was not a strange concept to ancient Chinese. Chinese language has a special term to express homosexual love. The term duan xiu, or 'cutting sleeves', first appeared in the Han dynasty and is widely used today as a euphemism for a gay relationship.
Its origin comes from historical records on Emperor Ai of the Han dynasty, who fell madly in love with a young man named Dong Xian. One day, as the emperor got up from his bed, he found his sleeves trapped under Dong Xian, who was still asleep. In order not to stir his lover, he cut his sleeves and left quietly - something deemed improper by Confucian standards.
Instances like this can be found in Chinese history books through the ages. Most of the best-known homosexuals are emperors or important ministers - because the system demanded meticulous records on emperors and powerful figures.
Lord Long Yang, who lived in the Warring States period before the Han, is another famous gay character and his name is used to refer to a man with homosexual tendencies.