Let's not pass on malicious gossip
The T'ang Dynasty Empress Wu Hu passed a special law concerning oral sex. She felt that a woman pleasuring a man represented the supremacy of the male over the female. Therefore, she insisted all visiting male dignitaries show their respect by pleasuring her orally when meeting. The empress would throw open her robe and her guest would kneel before her and kiss her genitals.
http://www.dribbleglass.com/subpages/strange/sexlaws.htm
Hey JC,
Thanks for the fascinating link to "Real (Strange) Sex Laws." As a hobby anthropologist myself, I love reading about cultural diversity in sex practices.
But the claim you cite about one of history's most amazing women—China's only female ruler, Empress Wǔ Zétiān (c.625 – 705)—is not substantiated by credible historical records. It apparently arose as the kind of malicious gossip by means of which detractors tried to sabotage her reign.
Here's a sketch of Wǔ Zétiān's accomplishments:
http://www.womeninworldhistory.com/heroine6.html
Here's a critical discussion of allegations that she had visitors perform cunnilingus:
http://msgboard.snopes.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=93;t=000663;p=0
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But your post raises another question for me: did Wǔ Zétiān shave her lady bits? If so, she was even further ahead of her time than is widely known.
According to anthropologists who study these things, the huge majority of Chinese females still don't shave their kitties—and predictably, the huge majority of Chinese men are still hugely reluctant to perform oral sex.
No doubt the arrow of causation points both ways: Chinese men don't do DATY in part because it's a lot less fun to go down on a carpet of wiry curls; and Chinese women generally don't shave because the men don't do DATY anyway.
A vicious cycle from which Chinese culture has yet to emerge. Relative lack of excretive hygiene is another factor.
Here're some relevant articles i've found fascinating—because I take a lively interest in all sexual things Chinese.
China and female sexuality http://sexualinfrastructure.com/china-sexuality39627.htm
Advice for Chinese women http://sexualinfrastructure.com/articleindex.htm
Toilets of Southeast Asia http://www.duncanrhyne.com/toilet-asia30569.htm