Four beauties
The four beauties ( Chinese 四大 美人 , Pinyin sì dà měirén or 四大 美女 , sì dà měinǚ ) are four characters in Chinese history or mythology who are known for their extraordinary beauty.
Xishi
Yang Guifei
Wang Zhaojun
Diao Chan
_2.jpg)
Legends
Although they represent historical figures or are at least modeled on them, their lives have been embellished with numerous legends. The four beauties are said to owe their fame in posterity to the magic they exercised on the rulers of their time. Often the fall of a kingdom or a dynasty is ascribed to them. According to legend, their life stories usually end tragically.
The four beauties in chronological order:
- ( 西施 ) Xi Shi (at the time of the spring and autumn annals , 7th or 6th century BC) is said to have “been so beautiful that the sight of it made the fish dive deeper ”.
- ( 王昭君 ) Wang Zhaojun (during the Western Han Dynasty , 1st century BC) is said to have "been so beautiful that geese fell from the sky in flight ".
- ( 貂蟬 / 貂蝉 ) Diaochan (during the Eastern Han Dynasty , 2nd century AD) supposedly had " a countenance that the full moon would hide its face behind the clouds ".
- ( 楊貴妃 / 杨贵妃 ) Yang Guifei (during the Tang Dynasty , 719–756), supposedly had " a face that would put all flowers to shame ".
In a short poem, the characteristics of the four beauties are summarized as follows:
| Chinese | Pinyin | translation |
|---|---|---|
| 西施 沉 魚。 昭君 落雁。 貂嬋 閉 月。 貴妃 羞 花。 |
Xī Shī chén yú. Zhāo Jūn luò yàn. Diāo Chán bì yuè. Guìfēi xiū huā. |
Xi Shi lets the fish sink. Wang Zhaojun drops the birds. Diaochan makes the moon disappear. Yang Guifei put the flowers to shame. |
Representation in the literature
In Chinese literature , the four beauties are described as noble and aloof, but also afflicted with all of the traditional female virtues in China. In addition, small flaws are repeatedly added to them in order to make their figures appear more realistic. For example, Xi Shi is said to have bigger feet than most women of her day and suffer from chest pain. Yang Guifei smelled unpleasant and was a bit stocky, but corresponded to the ideal of beauty of the Tang Dynasty.
Of the four beauties, only Diaochan seems to be a fictional figure, since her name does not appear in any historical source. The book of the Later Han mentions a servant of the then warlord Dong Zhuo , with whom his bodyguard Lü Bu had an affair, but whose name is not known. In addition, Diao is an unusual Chinese family name , whereas diaochan refers to the hat ornaments of the top officials of the Jin Dynasty .
