Chinese Lesbians?

No, no lesbianism whatsoever, it's not uncommon to see Chinese females hold hands and have a lot of affection for each other. I've seen it in Hong Kong, I've seen it in Mainland China, I've seen men also hold hands on occasion, but very rarely and no, they were not gay. It's just a cultural thing. I've seen Chinese girls do it in the States as well.

-The Price of freedom is eternal vigilance.

Yes, it's a very different culture and especially with Snow Flower and Lily - it's also a very different period and female friendship had a very great value. At the end of the movie it was nothing more than a very strong connection beyond just simple friendship. It was an emotional, promised bond between two sisters. It's pretty beautiful... I wish I had someone like that

(•_•)

can't outrun your own shadow

There is no real equivalent of a laotong relationship in our culture, but I do believe there was definitely some homoerotic subtext between the two main characters and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. They obviously had a relationship where they were extremely close, but truly in a sister kind of way, like some of the other books written by Lisa See. This author definitely focuses on relationship between women, and women the different kinds of relationships between women. The feelings and relationship between Snow Flower and Lily are an example, they differ from the biological sister relationship in her Shanghai Girls novel, and also from the relationships that the main character of Peony in Love had with other women.