The Four Great Beauties of Ancient China

Kelsey Hinz -- Thu 3, 2013, 8:13 pm

Hello Hens, Could you tell me who are the 4 great beauties of ancient China? thank you

1 Replies

# 1 Re: The Four Great Beauties of Ancient China

Hens -- Fri 4, 2013, 10:55 am

The Four Great Beauties of Ancient China are Xi Shi, Wang Zhao Jun, Diao Chan and Yang Yu Huan respectively. These women who renowned for their beauty. The scarcity of historical records concerning them meant that much of what is known of them today has been greatly embellished by legend. They gained their reputation from the influence they exercised over kings and emperors and consequently, the way their actions impacted Chinese history. Three of the Four Beauties brought kingdoms to their knees, and the lives of all four ended in tragedy or under mysterious circumstances.


The Four Great Beauties lived in four different dynasties, each hundreds of years apart. In chronological order, they are:

Xi Shi (c. 7th to 6th century BC, Spring and Autumn Period), said to be so entrancingly beautiful that fish would forget how to swim and sink away from the surface when she walks by.

Wang Zhao Jun (c. 1st century BC, Western Han Dynasty), said to be so beautiful that her appearance would entice birds in flight to fall from the sky. She was the Maid of emperor Hanyuan but married a Hun tribal chief for the emperor attempted to cement relations with the Huns. 

Diao Chan (c. 3rd century, Late Eastern Han/Three Kingdoms period), said to be so luminously lovely that the moon itself would shy away in embarrassment when compared to her face.

Yang Yu Huan (719–756, Tang Dynasty), said to have a face that puts all flowers to shame. She is also commonly called Yang Gui Fei (gui fei means imperial concubine ) for she once served as an imperial concubine .

 

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