The Ming dynasty, a ruling dynasty of China for 276 years from 1368-1644 AD, play an integral part in the history of Chinese culture. The era is considered to have been one of the most successful internationally and domestically in both economical and political aspects. This paper is my biography as a woman living in the era regarding the historical background of China, through my eyes and encounters, from the perspective of the Ming dynasty. It is an evaluation of my living status and social norms in the imperial times in China including the norms that the society held upon regarding men and women's statuses compared. I base the evaluations in line with the knowledge and understanding of the Confucian ideologies, through the information and facts in reading that I learned from class as well as elsewhere as I grew up in China watching and reading television and paper documentaries regarding this important piece of history for not only the Chinese but all mankind civilizations as a whole.
I was born in 1500 AD, of the Ming dynasty when Confucian ideologies were still being followed by the Chinese people and used as teaching and state governing doctrines. I grew up in a fisherman's home in rural area outside of Beijing, which was the ruling capital, knowing and experiencing that men and women were not treated equal. I was oppressed throughout my upbringing. I had very limited access to education as women were regarded as inferior human beings, a famous saying goes ˜a girl is virtuous if She has no talent'. I was educated and forced to be totally submissive to my parents and husband through my entire life. .
In connection to this, it was expected of Women to do as told and follow instructions from their parents at all times. The same case applied to the husband and the son after the son taking as the family head (Tamney and Chiang 2002, p. 34). This was how I lived my entire life being a subordinate being in the society without any practical rights.