Side Stories

Xi Shi's Beauty 西施沉鱼
When Xi Shi was washing silk beside the river, her shadow on the surface of the river so so attractive, the fish forgot to swim when they saw her shadow and they sank to the bottom of the river. Thus, Xi Shi was named "so beautiful as to make fish sink" (西施沉鱼).

Xi Shi and Dong Shi 西施和东施
There is a story about a girl named Dong Shi as the opposite of Xi Shi (Dong = East, Xi = West). One time, Dong Shi saw Xi Shi frowning from chest pain, and she decided that she too would frown like Xi Shi. However, while everyone thought that Xi Shi looked lovely, everyone thought that Dong Shi looked ugly. Only Xi Shi was beautiful both when smiling and frowning.

Wang Zhao Jun's Beauty 昭君落雁
The day Wang Zhao Jun left her homeland, she played the pipa sorrowfully. The geese forgot to fly and fell to the ground when they heard the sweet song of the beautiful woman on the horse. Thus, Wang Zhao Jun is described as being "so beautiful as to make flying geese fall" (昭君落雁).

Diao Chan's Beauty 貂蝉闭月
It is said that, while Diao Chan was praying to the moon in Wang Yun's garden, a breeze brought the clouds to cover the moon. Wang Yun said that Diao Chan was so beautiful, even the moon hid when it sensed her. Thus, she is said to be "so beautiful as to make the moon hide behind the clouds" (貂蝉闭月).

Yang Gui Fei's Beauty 贵妃羞花
During her sadness from leaving home, Gui Fei took a walk in the garden. When she saw that the flowers were all in full bloom, she cried, "Flowers, you open every year. When will my time come?" When she touched the flowers, they shrank instantly. Thus, she is called There was a beautiful girl named Yang Yuhuan who was selected into the palace in Tang Dynasty. She missed home very much after her entering the palace. One day, She took a walk in the garden and felt distressed when she saw the peonies and roses were all in blossom. She said sadly to the flowers: “Flowers, flowers, you open every year but when will my good time come? And the flowers shrank instantly when she touched them. So she is also called “making flowers feel shameful” (贵妃羞花).

Notes on Yang Gui Fei

YANG GUI FEI 杨贵妃
a.k.a. Yang Yu Huan 杨玉环
719-756BC

Descriptions:

1. possessing a hundred charms, jade-like body, frail and lovely
2. made the powdered ladies of the palaces seem dull and colorless
   
3. hair like a cloud, face like a flower, moth-like eybrows
4. loved lychees
   

Background:

1. daughter of Yang Xuan Yan, census official in Si Chuan who died early in Yu Huan's life; she was raised in the household of uncle Yang Xuan Gui
2. sent to work as a lady-in-waiting at the Emperor's palace
   

Related Characters:

1. 18th Prince Li Mao 寿王李瑁
   
2. Emperor Tang Xuan Zong 唐玄宗 (a.k.a. Li Long Ji 李隆基/Tang Ming Huang 唐明皇)
3. Older Brother Yang Guo Zhong 杨国忠
   
4. Turkish General An Lu Shan 安禄山
   

Story:

1. At age 16, Gui Fei was married to the Emperor's 18th son, Shou Wang Li Mao. After Xuan Zong met her, he sent Gui Fei to a nunnery for two years, then made her his concubine afterward.
   
2. The emperor spent all of his time with her. Xuan Zong neglected his court.
3. Yang Gui Fei's older brother Yang Guo Zhong was a corrupt official. Turkish General An Lu Shan saw this corruption throughout the court and tried to bring it to the Emperor's attention, but the Emperor did not believe Lu Shan. Gui Fei actually gave much favor to the Turkish general, since he was the only general who could bring lychees to her quickly enough that they were still fresh.
   
4. Guo Zhong provoked Lu Shan into retaliating against the Tang dynasty.
   
5. They fled as far as Ma Wei Yi in Shaanxi Province, where the soldiers refused to march and demanded that Yang Gui Fei and her brother die.
6. Xuan Zong had to watch the execution of Yang Gui Fei, whom the common people hated, believing that she damaged the country. He wept with sorrow. Eventually he abdicated the throne.
   

Notes on Diao Chan

DIAO CHAN 貂蝉
c. 169 AD

Descriptions:

1. not found in official history books

Background:

1. singing girl of Wang mansion
2. went to the Wang mansion as a young child
   

Related Characters:

1. Prime Minister Wang Yun 王允
   
2. Tyrant Dong Zhuo 董卓
   
3. General Lv Bu 吕布
   

Story:

1. Wang Yun explains to Diao Chan that the tyrant Dong Zhuo is trying to take over the world. Wang Yun wants Diao Chan to help him turn Dong Zhuo's adopted son Lv Bu against Dong Zhuo. Diao Chan, who regards Wang Yun as a father, agrees.
   
2. Wang Yun presents Diao Chan to Dong Zhuo as a concubine while presenting her as a wife to Lv Bu. Both fall in love with Diao Chan, who tries additionally to make the two men jealous of each other.
   
3. Lv Bu helps Wang Yun assassinate Dong Zhuo.
4. Some say that Wang Yun and Diao Chan were killed; other sources say that Diao Chan and Lv Bu fell in love and ran off, though they were killed in this story as well.
   

Reorganized from this source.

Notes on Wang Zhao Jun

WANG ZHAO JUN 王昭君
a.k.a. Wang Qiang 王嫱/Wang Mingfei 王明妃
c. 40BC


Descriptions:

1. loveliest woman of the imperial harem
2. confident enough of beauty that she refused to pay the court painter
3. plays pipa

Background:

1. native of Hubei 湖北 province
   
2. entered Imperial Harem of Emperor Yuan
   

Related Characters:

1. Emperor Yuan of Han 汉元帝 a.k.a. Liu Shi 刘 奭
2. Court Painter Mao Yan Shou 毛延寿
3. Xiong Nu Chieftan Hu Han Xie 呼韩邪
   

Story:

1. Emperor Yuan chose his concubines by looking at their portraits. Palace ladies typically bribed the court painter. Wang Zhao Jun refused to pay the painter Mao Yan Shou, so he painted her in as ugly a way as possible.
2. To help relations with Xiong Nu chieftain, Emperor Yuan agreed to seek a beauty for chieftain Hu Han Xie. He asked for the plainest girl of the harem, and he approved of Wang Zhao Jun's ugly painting.
3. Emperor Yuan realized that Wang Zhao Jun was actually most beautiful woman of his harem. He discovered Mao Yan Shou's fraud and put the court artist to death.
   
4. It was too late. In beautiful regalia and with her pipa, she left the Han court and never returned.
   

Reorganized from this source.

Notes on Xi Shi

XI SHI 西施
c. 490BC

Descriptions:

1. equally charming in both heavy and light makeup
2. as appealing when she frowns as when she smiles
3. were she plump, you would admire her plumpness;
   were she thin you would admire her for being slender
4. extraordinary natural beauty with a universal appeal
5. of notable virtue, had a great love for her country and her people
6. said to be most beautiful when she was wincing from chest pain
   

Background:

1. daughter of a tea trader
2. fromvillage in Zhuji 诸暨 county in Zhejiang 浙江 Province, part of the ancient state Yue 越
   

Related Characters:

1. Yue King Gou Jian 越王勾践 (a.k.a. Luo Gou Jian 雒勾践)
   
2. Wu King Fu Chai 吴王夫差
   
3. Minister Fan Li 范蠡
   

Story:

1. State of Wu defeated the State of Yue. Gou Jian, King of Yue, was forced to serve Fu Chai, Prince of Wu for three years. To remind himself of his country's humiliation and suffering, Gou Jian slept on a bed of rough branches and drank bile before every meal.
2. Gou Jian had his men search far and wide for a woman whom he could send to Fu Chai as a tribute. Xi Shi and another woman (Zheng Dan) were selected and trained in royal court etiquette.
   
3. Minister Fan Li was ordered to take Xi Shi to Fu Chai. The wise minister and brave woman fell in love with each other on the journey, and they made a secret pledge of undying love.
4. Fu Chai received Xi Shi and became enchanted by her. He bragged that he had the love of the most beautiful woman in the world, saying that people would have to pay gold coins to look at her.
5. Eventually, Fu Chai spent all of his time doting on Xi Shi, so much that Fu Chai's friends and subjects become intolerant of his neglect. There was much political chaos.
   
6. The chaos enabled Gou Jian to invade Wu as revenge.
7. Xi Shi disappeared. It is said that she left with Fan Li, who became a successful trader.
   

Reorganized from this source.

10 Signs of Beauty in Ancient China

10 characteristics that have continuously been considered signs of beauty:

1. Lustrous black hair
2. Hair loosely coiled on the head to create the appearance of greater height
3. Finely shaped black eyebrows
4. Large, bright and expressive eyes
5. Red lips and white teeth (also a sign of good health)
6. Graceful fingers and arms: well-shaped hands, with slim, soft fingers, and fair, fleshy arms
7. Slender waist and fair skin (willowy figure)
8. Tiny feet and a light, elegant gait
9. Dressing according to complexion, figure and disposition
10. A fragrant body