Historical Crossdressing in China: Then and Then

Crossdressing have been prevalent through history, just way more popular nowadays

A two-panel meme contrasting historical crossdressing instances in China. The left panel features a traditional Chinese painting of a robed figure with a floral headpiece, accompanied by red text: 'China then' and 'Woman disguised herself as a man to fight in the army' (likely referencing the Hua Mulan legend). The right panel shows a black-and-white photograph of a person in elaborate imperial-style clothing with dragon embroidery and a hat, paired with yellow text: 'Also China then' and 'Man disguised himself as a woman to be a spy for some frenchman'. The meme visually and textually reinforces the original title's claim that crossdressing was prevalent throughout history.

This meme was created for Reddit, combining two distinct visual sources: a traditional Chinese painting (believed to depict Hua Mulan, a legendary folk hero) and a black-and-white photograph (possibly of a Peking Opera performer, as the attire and makeup resemble traditional opera styles where male actors often play female roles). The creator added red and yellow text overlays to frame the historical crossdressing narrative, aligning with the original title's theme.