Concubinage in China traditionally referred to a practice where concubines were recognized sexual partners of a man and were expected to bear children for him. Unofficial concubines were of lower status, and their children were considered illegitimate. The English term concubine is also used for what the Chinese refer to as pínfēi, or "consorts of emperors", an official position often carrying a very high rank. During the Qing dynasty, girls were brought to the Forbidden City for inspection, and only a few of those who made it through this rigorous process would be noticed by the emperor and win his favor. Most would spend their lives in bitter loneliness, and unsurprisingly, politics and jealousy were rife among concubines. Beauty was more of a curse than a blessing in China during this period of history. The practice of concubinage in China was outlawed when the Chinese Communist Party came to power in 1949. However, according to estimates, there are still approximately 100,000 "kept women" in Guangdong province alone, and the phenomenon of concubines can be found in all social classes. Many of the girls have come from rural areas to escape poverty, and first started as sex workers before being chosen as concubines. Others are approached at private parties, or even universities. These young women go from extreme poverty to a life of great loneliness and boredom in strange cities where they know no one. In exchange, they have an apartment and a car, but they must be available for their partner who is often a married man, with his family somewhere else. While concubinage is illegal in modern China, it is still widespread and is mostly among the Asian wealthy class.