Speaking of beauties of China, no one cannot avoid thinking of the top four beauties of ancient China who lived in different dynasties or times in Chinese history. Who are they on earth? They are Xi Shi, Wang Zhaojun, Diao Chan and Yang Yuhuan, ranked according to the times when they lived. How beautiful were they?
Xi Shi (西施), whose real name is Shi Yiguang (施夷光) and who was born in the State of Yue during the Spring and Autumn Period of China (770 BC - 403 BC or so). Her birthplace is a small village of today’s Zhejiang Province. How beautiful was she? One day when she went to a stream to wash clothes and the fish in the water saw her and fell down from the surface of the water after being astonished by her beauty. This is the legend, but the fact is Xi Shi was sent to the State of Wu to seduce the ruler for her own state. Finally, the ruler of the State of Wu was defeated by the State of Yue.
Wang Zhaojun (王昭君/about 52 BC - 15 BC), whose real name is Wang Qiang (王嫱) and who was born in today’s Xingshan County, Yichang, Hubei Province. She was once a maid in the imperial palace of the Western Han Dynasty (202 BC - Dec. 8 AD). How beautiful was she? It is said that when she was sent to marry the ruler of Xiongnu, one of the ancient nationalities in China, whose headquarters was located beyond the Great Wall, and a wild goose saw her and forgot to fly and fell to ground because it saw the beauty of the beauty.
Diao Chan (貂蝉), whose real family name is Huo (霍) but who has no name. She was born in the Three Kingdoms period (220 AD - 280 AD) and was the adopted daughter of a senior official Wang Yun (王允) of the imperial court of that time. How beautiful was she? One night when the shining moon in the sky met her, the moon hid itself behind the clouds. The fact is one night when the shining moon appeared and a gust of wind suddenly came, some clouds covered the moon. But this surprising moment was seen by Wang Yun, who later spoke that when the moon saw his adopted daughter, the moon hid itself behind the clouds.
Yang Yuhuan (杨玉环/719 AD - 756 AD), who was born in Henan, Shaaxi, Shanxi, Sichuan or Guangxi (not sure which one is her birthplace). How beautiful was she? One day when she was strolling in the imperial palace of the Tang Dynasty (618 AD - 907 AD) and saw the Chinese rose and peony, she began crying because she was forbidden to leave the palace and caged like a bird. As soon as her tears fell on the petals of the flowers, these petal shrank, which means the flowers were surprised by her beauty and hid themselves.
The stories of the four beautiful ladies have been widely known by all Chinese people. Now when people compliment you by mentioning their names, it means you are really amazingly beautiful.
Source: baike.baidu.com.cn
