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The Four Beauties or Four Great Beauties are four Chinese
women A woman is an adult female human. Before adulthood, a female child or adolescent is referred to as a girl. Typically, women are of the female sex and inherit a pair of X chromosomes, one from each parent, and women with functional u ...
who are renowned for their beauty and their impact on
Chinese history The history of China spans several millennia across a wide geographical area. Each region now considered part of the Chinese world has experienced periods of unity, fracture, prosperity, and strife. Chinese civilization first emerged in the Y ...
through the influence they exercised over powerful men. The four are usually identified as
Xi Shi Xi Shi (Hsi Shih; , ), also known by the nickname Xizi, was one of the renowned Four Beauties of ancient China. She was said to have lived in a small Yue village (today part of Zhuji, a county-level city in Shaoxing, Zhejiang) during the end of ...
, Wang Zhaojun,
Diaochan Diaochan was one of the Four Beauties of ancient China. Although based on a minor historical personage, she is mostly a fictional character. She is best known for her role in the 14th-century historical novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', ...
, and Yang Yuhuan. Among them, Diaochan is a fictional character while the rest have been greatly embellished by
legend A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess certain qualities that give the ...
.


Background

One of the earliest references to qualities later associated with the canonical Four Great Beauties appears in the ''
Zhuangzi Zhuangzi may refer to: * ''Zhuangzi'' (book) (莊子), an ancient Chinese collection of anecdotes and fables, one of the foundational texts of Taoism **Zhuang Zhou Zhuang Zhou (), commonly known as Zhuangzi (; ; literally "Master Zhuang"; als ...
''. In one chapter, the women Mao Qiang and Lady Li are described as "great beauties" who "when fish see them they dart into the depths, when birds see them they soar into the skies, when deer see them they bolt away without looking back". This passage is the source of the well-known
Chinese idiom ''Chengyu'' ( zh, t=, s=, first=t, p=chéngyǔ, tr=set phrase) are a type of traditional Chinese idiomatic expressions, most of which consist of four Chinese characters. ''Chengyu'' were widely used in Literary Chinese and are still common in ...
"to make fish sink and birds fall", which refers to feminine beauty (see 沉魚落雁).


Biographies


Xi Shi

Xi Shi Xi Shi (Hsi Shih; , ), also known by the nickname Xizi, was one of the renowned Four Beauties of ancient China. She was said to have lived in a small Yue village (today part of Zhuji, a county-level city in Shaoxing, Zhejiang) during the end of ...
lived around the 7th to the 6th centuries BCE, during the
Spring and Autumn period The Spring and Autumn period () was a period in History of China, Chinese history corresponding roughly to the first half of the Eastern Zhou (256 BCE), characterized by the gradual erosion of royal power as local lords nominally subject t ...
. Similar to the story in the ''Zhuangzi'', she was said to be so entrancingly beautiful that fishes would forget how to swim and sink below the surface upon seeing her reflection in the water.Big5.ce.cn.
Big5.ce.cn
." ''西施浣紗——沉魚.'' Retrieved on 2010-02-20.
Xi Shi was from
Zhuji Zhuji () is a county-level city under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Shaoxing, in north-central Zhejiang province, China, located about south of Hangzhou. It has with a population of 1,218,072 inhabitants at the 2020 census e ...
, the capital of the Ancient Yue Kingdom.
Goujian Goujian (; r. 496–465 BC) was a king of the Yue state. He succeeded his father, Yunchang (允常), to the Yue throne. Goujian's reign coincided with arguably the last major conflict of the Spring and Autumn period: the struggle between Wu ...
, the King of Yue, had surrendered to the rival state of Wu, with the aim of biding his time before enacting his revenge. Part of his plan was to dispatch Xi Shi as a gift to
Fuchai Fuchai (reigned 495–473BC), sometimes also written Fucha, was the last king of the state of Wu during the Spring and Autumn period of Chinese history. His armies constructed important canals linking the Yellow, Ji, and Huai River systems of ...
, the King of Wu, in the hope that Fuchai would become infatuated with her and become distracted from his official duties. The plan was successful, with Fuchai spending all his time entertaining Xi Shi and not attending to military matters. In part due to his distraction, Goujian was able to defeat an unprepared Fuchai in battle. Fuchai, full of regret, committed suicide. There are two accounts of what then happened to Xi Shi. The first is that Goujian killed her by drowning her because he was afraid that he too would be mesmerized by her beauty. The second was that she eventually came together with her lover Fan Li and they lived in seclusion together.


Wang Zhaojun

Wang Zhaojun was born around 50 BCE, during the
Western Han dynasty The Han dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC) and a warring in ...
. Again reflecting the ''Zhuangzi'', she was said to be so beautiful that her appearance would entice birds in flight to fall from the sky.Big5.ce.cn.
Big5.ce.cn
." ''昭君出塞——落雁.'' Retrieved on 2010-02-20.
Locally renowned for her beauty and skill at playing the ''
pipa The pipa, pípá, or p'i-p'a () is a traditional Chinese musical instrument belonging to the plucked category of instruments. Sometimes called the "Chinese lute", the instrument has a pear-shaped wooden body with a varying number of frets rangi ...
'', she was chosen to be admitted into the harem of Emperor Yun, despite her young age. Despite her beauty, the emperor never visited her, as she had refused to bribe the official portraitists, who had then painted an unflattering portrait of her. In 33 BCE, the
Xiongnu The Xiongnu (, ) were a tribal confederation of Nomad, nomadic peoples who, according to ancient Chinese historiography, Chinese sources, inhabited the eastern Eurasian Steppe from the 3rd century BC to the late 1st century AD. Modu Chanyu, t ...
Chanyu Chanyu () or Shanyu (), short for Chengli Gutu Chanyu (), was the title used by the supreme rulers of Inner Asian nomads for eight centuries until superseded by the title "''Khagan''" in 402 AD. The title was most famously used by the ruling L ...
Huhanye came to the Han capital
Chang'an Chang'an (; zh, t=長安, s=长安, p=Cháng'ān, first=t) is the traditional name of the city now named Xi'an and was the capital of several Chinese dynasties, ranging from 202 BCE to 907 CE. The site has been inhabited since Neolithic time ...
on an official visit, and asked for a Han beauty as his wife as part of the marriage alliance system between the Han dynasty and the Xiongnu. The new emperor, Emperor Huan, ordered that the plainest woman from the harem be given to Huhanye, and so Wang Zhaojun was chosen, based on her unflattering portrait. The artist Mao Yanshou was subsequently executed for deceiving the Emperor.


Diaochan

Diaochan Diaochan was one of the Four Beauties of ancient China. Although based on a minor historical personage, she is mostly a fictional character. She is best known for her role in the 14th-century historical novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', ...
is a fictional character in the Ming novel ''
Romance of the Three Kingdoms ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' () is a 14th-century historical novel attributed to Luo Guanzhong. It is set in the turbulent years towards the end of the Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history, starting in 184 AD and ...
.'' Set in the waning years of the
Eastern Han The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...
and the subsequent
Three Kingdoms The Three Kingdoms of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu dominated China from AD 220 to 280 following the end of the Han dynasty. This period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and followed by the Jin dynasty (266–420), Western Jin dyna ...
period, she was said to be so luminously lovely that the moon itself would shy away in embarrassment when compared to her face.Big5.ce.cn.
Big5.ce.cn
." ''貂蟬拜月——閉月.'' Retrieved on 2010-02-20.
Chinese historical records indicate that the warrior
Lü Bu Lü Bu (; died 7 February 199), courtesy name Fengxian, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of Imperial China. Originally a subordinate of a minor warlord Ding Yuan, he betrayed a ...
had a secret affair with one of the warlord
Dong Zhuo Dong Zhuo () (c. 140s – 22 May 192), courtesy name Zhongying, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty. At the end of the reign of the Eastern Han, Dong Zhuo was a general and powerful ...
's maids and he constantly feared that Dong Zhuo would find out. This was one of the reasons why he betrayed and assassinated Dong Zhuo in 192. The maid's name was not recorded in history, but it is believed the story partly inspired the character of Diaochan. In ''
Romance of the Three Kingdoms ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' () is a 14th-century historical novel attributed to Luo Guanzhong. It is set in the turbulent years towards the end of the Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history, starting in 184 AD and ...
'', Diaochan, a
geji ''Geji'' () were female Chinese people, Chinese Performing arts, performing artists and courtesans who trained in singing and dancing in ancient China. During the Warring States period, Warring States Period, a legendary figure named Han'e is ...
of Wang Yun, assists her master in his plot to bring down Dong Zhuo. She seduces both Lü Bu and Dong Zhuo and thus drives a wedge between the two, eventually having Lü killed his foster father Dong Zhuo. She then becomes a concubine of Lü. The fictional details about her life were added over the centuries.


Yang Guifei

Yang Guifei Yang Yuhuan (; 719 – 15 July 756Volume 218 of ''Zizhi Tongjian'' recorded that Yang was killed on the ''bing'shen'' day of the 6th month of the 1st year of the ''Zhi'de'' era of Tang Suzong's reign. This date corresponds to 15 Jul 756 on the ...
lived in the 8th century and was the beloved consort of
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (; 8 September 685 – 3 May 762), personal name Li Longji, was an Emperor of China, emperor of the Tang dynasty of China, reigning from 712 to 756. His reign of 44 years was the longest during the Tang dynasty. Throu ...
. She was said to have had a face that put all flowers to shame. Emperor Xuanzong doted on her so much that she was able to persuade him to make her cousin,
Yang Guozhong Yang Guozhong () (died July 15, 756Volume 218 of ''Zizhi Tongjian'' recorded that Yang was killed on the ''bingshen'' day of the 6th month of the 1st year of the Zhide era of Tang Suzong's reign. This date corresponds to 15 Jul 756 on the Gregori ...
, leading chancellor. During the
An Lushan Rebellion The An Lushan rebellion was a civil war in China that lasted from 755 to 763, at the approximate midpoint of the Tang dynasty (618–907). It began as a commandery rebellion attempting to overthrow and replace the Tang government with the rogue ...
, as Emperor Xuanzong and his cortege were fleeing from the capital Chang'an to Chengdu, the emperor's guards demanded that he put Yang Guifei to death because they blamed the rebellion on her cousin Yang Guozhong and the rest of her family. The emperor capitulated and reluctantly ordered his attendant Gao Lishi to strangle Yang to death. Yang Guifei became a tragic figure in later depictions. Particularly influential was the Tang poet
Bai Juyi Bai Juyi (also Bo Juyi or Po Chü-i; , Mandarin Chinese, Mandarin pinyin ''Bǎi Jūyì''; 772–846), courtesy name Letian (樂天), was a Chinese musician, poet, and politician during the Tang dynasty. Many of his poems concern his career o ...
's long poem, " Chang hen ge" (" Song of Everlasting Sorrow").


Idioms

Well-known
idioms An idiom is a phrase or expression that largely or exclusively carries a figurative or non-literal meaning, rather than making any literal sense. Categorized as formulaic language, an idiomatic expression's meaning is different from the lit ...
describe the Four Beauties.Xinhuanet.com.
Xinhuanet.com
." ''纪连海叹说四大美人 .'' Retrieved on 2010-02-20.
The exact origin of these idioms is debated. These separate idioms are sometimes merged to describe especially beautiful women or simply to refer to the Four Beauties' legendary good looks. The merged idiom is (sinks fish and entices birds to fall, eclipses the moon and shames flowers). The two parts are often used separately as
chengyu ''Chengyu'' ( zh, t=, s=, first=t, p=chéngyǔ, tr=set phrase) are a type of traditional Chinese idiomatic expressions, most of which consist of four Chinese characters. ''Chengyu'' were widely used in Literary Chinese and are still common in ...
. * During the
Spring and Autumn period The Spring and Autumn period () was a period in History of China, Chinese history corresponding roughly to the first half of the Eastern Zhou (256 BCE), characterized by the gradual erosion of royal power as local lords nominally subject t ...
, as
Xi Shi Xi Shi (Hsi Shih; , ), also known by the nickname Xizi, was one of the renowned Four Beauties of ancient China. She was said to have lived in a small Yue village (today part of Zhuji, a county-level city in Shaoxing, Zhejiang) during the end of ...
washed silk by the banks of the Puyang River in the
state of Yue Yue (), also known as Yuyue ( or ), was a state in ancient China which existed during the first millennium BC the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods of China's Zhou dynasty in the modern provinces of Zhejiang, Shanghai and Jiangsu ...
, the fish in the water caught sight of her beauty.So entranced were they that they forgot how to swim and sank to the riverbed. * During the
Western Han dynasty The Han dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC) and a warring in ...
, as Wang Zhaojun journeyed through the vast desert on her way to the frontier, she sat atop her horse, lost in melancholy and weighed down by the sorrow of leaving her homeland.To ease her sorrow, she played a haunting tune.Overhead, wild geese flying across the sky were so captivated by the mournful melody—and the beauty of the musician—that they forgot to flap their wings and fell from the heavens. * In the waning years of the
Eastern Han dynasty The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...
, Diao Chan was seen in the garden offering prayers to the moon. Just then, a cloud drifted across the sky, veiling the moonlight.Witnessing this, Wang Yun later remarked to others that Diao Chan's beauty surpassed even that of the moon—so much so that the moon, ashamed by the comparison, had no choice but to retreat behind the clouds. * During the Tianbao era of the
Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...
,
Yang Guifei Yang Yuhuan (; 719 – 15 July 756Volume 218 of ''Zizhi Tongjian'' recorded that Yang was killed on the ''bing'shen'' day of the 6th month of the 1st year of the ''Zhi'de'' era of Tang Suzong's reign. This date corresponds to 15 Jul 756 on the ...
was strolling through the imperial garden, admiring the blossoms.As she gently reached out to touch a flower, its petals curled inward and its leaves drooped, as if shy in her presence.A palace maid witnessed the scene, and from then on, people would say that Yang Guifei’s beauty outshone the flowers themselves—so much so that even the blooms bowed their heads in shame.


Other claims and controversies

Because Diao Chan was likely a fictional name given to a maid of
Dong Zhuo Dong Zhuo () (c. 140s – 22 May 192), courtesy name Zhongying, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty. At the end of the reign of the Eastern Han, Dong Zhuo was a general and powerful ...
in later literary works rather than her actual historical name, many versions of the "Four Beauties" omit her entirely. One variation replaces her with Zhao Feiyan, listing the Four Great Beauties as: Xi Shi, Wang Zhaojun, Zhao Feiyan, and Yang Yuhuan (also known as Yang Guifei). Another interpretation uses the phrase: ''"the smiling Bao Si, the ailing Xi Shi, the ruthless Daji, and the drunken Yang Guifei."'' This version—Bao Si, Xi Shi, Daji, and Yang Guifei—emphasizes that all four women were seen as having brought about the downfall of empires.A different version cites Yang Guifei, Consort Zheng, Consort Dong'e, and Chen Yuanyuan—four women whose beauty was said to have disrupted the affairs of state. In 1909, a Southern Song
woodblock print Woodblock printing or block printing is a technique for printing text, images or patterns used widely throughout East Asia and originating in China in antiquity as a method of printing on textiles and later on paper. Each page or image is creat ...
titled ''"Beauties of the Sui Dynasty Presenting Their Peerless Charms"'' was discovered in Pingyang,
Gansu Gansu is a provinces of China, province in Northwestern China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeastern part of the province. The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibetan Plateau, Ti ...
.Also known as ''"Portrait of the Four Beauties,"'' it depicts, from right to left: Luzhu, Wang Zhaojun, Zhao Feiyan, and Ban Jieyu—four renowned women of ancient China. In the Ming dynasty, poet Zhang Yuankai wrote a series titled ''"Verses on the Four Beauties"'' in his collection ''The Timber-Hewing Studio'', praising four classical figures: “Mingfei” (Wang Zhaojun), Feiyan, Wenjun, and Lv zhu. In ''Dream of the Red Chamber'', Chapter 64, titled ''“The Gentlewoman Mourns with Her Five Beauties Lament; The Libertine Leaves Behind His Nine-Dragon Pendant”'', Lin Daiyu composed five quatrains for five legendary beauties: Xi Shi, Yu Ji, Mingfei (Wang Zhaojun), Luzhu, and Hongfu.
Jia Baoyu Jia Baoyu () is the principal character in the classic 18th century Chinese novel '' Dream of the Red Chamber''. Introduction The first chapter describes how one piece of stone was left over from when the Wall of Heaven was repaired by the ...
later named the set ''"The Lament of the Five Beauties."'' Of these, only Xi Shi and Wang Zhaojun are included in the commonly known Four Beauties, indicating that in Cao Xueqin’s time, the standard version of the “Four Beauties” had yet to be firmly established.


See also

* Bao Si


References

{{reflist Lists of Chinese people Lists of women Chinese culture Female beauty Groups of Chinese people Quartets Chinese concubines Sexuality in China