Archive for category Chinese Beauties
Four Handsome Men in Ancient China
Posted by ancient chinese culture in Chinese Beauties on March 23, 2011
There are Four Beauties in ancient China, also, in Chinese history, there are four men renowned for their beauty. There are many versions for the most handsome men in ancient China. However, these four (Pan An, Song Yu, King Lanling, Wei Jie) are widely accepted as the Four Handsome Men in ancient China.
Pan An
People usually use “Mao Si Pan An” (a man looks like the good-looking man named Pan An) to describe the appearance of a handsome man. Wherever he went, there was always a group of girls around him. But Read the rest of this entry »
the Twelve Beauties of Jinling – Qin Keqing
Posted by ancient chinese culture in Chinese Beauties on August 10, 2010
Qin Keqing is one of the Twelve Beauties of Jinling (refers to the twelve excellent ladies) in the book of The Dream of Red Mansions. She is one of the most significant character and her real identity and early death are also amongst the most mysterious in the book.
Qin Keqing is the adopted daughter of Qin Bangye and wife of Jia Rong. However, she also has an affair with her father-in-law. She is described as one of the most beautiful and most lamentable women in this book.
She was more of a delusory figure than a real person in this book. In the chapter five, Jia Baoyu dreamed that he was led by fairy Jing Huan (Qin Keqing) to a fantasyland. Read the rest of this entry »
Fragrant Concubine – Xiangfei
Posted by ancient chinese culture in Chinese Beauties on August 1, 2010
Fragrant Concubine (1734~1788), also called “Xiangfei” or “Rongfei” in Chinese history, is the only Uighur maiden among the forty Empresses of Emperor of Qianlong (1711~1799).
In 1759, Xiangfei’s family helped the Qing troops put down a rebellion between ethnic groups. They were called to the Palace to confer a title. In order to show their gratitude, Xiangfei’s family chose Xiangfei to serve the Emperor of Qianlong. She was soon fully favored by the Emperor. Later, she was conferred the highest-ranking imperial concubine by the emperor.
However, she was more of a legendary figure than a real person in the Chinese history. It was said that her body emitted fragrant aura since she was born. Even the butterflies would come around her due to the fragrance. However, why Xiangfei’s body emitted fragrant aura is still a mystery. Some hold that it was caused by the special tea Xiangfei often drank. Some others argue that the distinctive environment of her childhood was the answer.
The fragrant concubine’s burial ground is also a mystery. Which place is her last resting place, Xinjiang province, Taoranting (the weeds heap) of Beijing, or the Royal Garden Tomb of Qing Dynasty? No one knows.
Chen Yuanyuan
Posted by ancient chinese culture in Chinese Beauties on October 6, 2009
Chen Yuanyuan (1624–1681) was one of the most famous beauties in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasty. Originally, she was a famous courtesan. Then she was purchased by Tian Wan, the 60-year-old father of one of the emperor’s concubines. However, Wu Sangui, a famous general of the Ming imperial court, fell in love with her and married her later.
At that time, Wu was fighting with the Qing armies at Shanhai Fortress to prevent them from going inside China. However, Beijing, the capital of the Ming Dynasty, was fell to a rebel army led by Li Zicheng and Chen was brought to the palace as a gift to Li. Legend said that in order to rescue Chen, Wu opened the gate of Shanhai Fortress and led the Qing armies to the capital. At that time, Wu was regarded as the traitor due to his betrayal of the Ming Dynasty, while Chen was always compared to Helen of Troy.
In her late years Chen became a Taoist nun and spent the rest of her life in Yunnan province.
Dragon Lady-Empress Dowager Cixi
Posted by ancient chinese culture in Chinese Beauties on June 27, 2009
Empress Dowager Cixi, also known as the West Dowager Empress in China, is one of the most powerful women in Chinese history. Actually, she was the de facto ruler of Qing Dynasty for nearly half a century, from 1861 to her death in 1908.
Empress Dowager Cixi – Bio
In 1835, Cixi, surnamed Yehe Nala, was born in an ordinary official family.
In 1851, she was selected as one of the Xianfeng Emperor’s concubines and later was promoted to “Gui Ren”, the concubine of the fifth rank.
In 1856, after her son, as the only male heir of the Xianfeng Emperor, reached his first birthday, she obtained an elevation to “Noble Imperial Consort Yi”, the rank second only to the Empress.
In 1861, Emperor Xianfeng died and Cixi’s son became the new Emperor as Emperor Tongzhi. Cixi was honored as Holy Mother Empress Dowager and began her “rule behind the curtain”.
In 1862, she was crowned Empress Dowager Cixi by Emperor Tongzhi.
In 1874, Emperor Tongzhi died. Cixi’s nephew was selected to be the heir – Emperor Guangxu. She continued her ruling behind the curtain.
In 1889, Cixi retired to a summer home Peking and left the government up to the Emperor.
In 1898, Cixi returned to the throne and reinstated her power over the Emperor to stop the new Emperor’s reform.
On November 15th of 1908, Empress Dowager Cixi died.
In the Qing Dynasty and even Chinese history, Cixi is among one of the most influential people. She had great political ability and quite good at strategies.
However, she was considered as the main cause of the fall of the Qing Dynasty and the villain who should be responsible for the fall of China to foreign powers.
If you want to know more about her, I suggest you to watch a film named The Burning Of Imperial Palace.
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