Gender distinction in China, as one observes it through the study of the culture, society, and individual psychology, reveals both major transitions in the role of women but remarkable continuity in the appreciation of their capabilities. This book explores such changes and continuity as evidenced in Chinese mythologies, fictional writings and historical biographies set against the backdrop of Confucianism, evolving Daoism (Taoism), and Buddhist influences, and concludes with what implications this has for gender equality in modern China.The life of Empress Wu Zetian and her accomplishments serve to illustrate how a woman was able to negotiate the realities of societal constraints and came to manage a complex empire in Tang China. The reader will also enjoy tales of adventure and romance in legend and in fiction as women found ways to participate in public life in the dynastic past.