Four Beauties
| Four Beauties | |||||||||||||||
| Chinese | 四大美女 | ||||||||||||||
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| Alternative Chinese name | |||||||||||||||
| Chinese | 四大美人 | ||||||||||||||
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The Four Beauties or Four Great Beauties are four ancient Chinese women, renowned for their beauty. The scarcity of historical records concerning them meant that much of what is known of them today has been greatly embellished by legend. They gained their reputation from the influence they exercised over kings and emperors and consequently, the way their actions impacted Chinese history. Three of the Four Beauties brought kingdoms to their knees and their lives ended in tragedy.
The Beauties
The Four Great Beauties lived in four different dynasties, each hundreds of years apart. In chronological order, they are:
- Xi Shi (c. 7th to 6th century BC, Spring and Autumn period), said to be so entrancingly beautiful that fish would forget how to swim and sink below the surface when seeing her reflection in the water.[1]
- Wang Zhaojun (c. 1st century BC, Western Han Dynasty), said to be so beautiful that her appearance would entice birds in flight to fall from the sky.[2]
- Diaochan (c. 3rd century, Late Eastern Han/Three Kingdoms period), said to be so luminously lovely that the moon itself would shy away in embarrassment when compared to her face.[3] Unlike the other Beauties, there is no evidence she actually existed historically.
- Yang Guifei (719–756, Tang Dynasty), said to have a face that puts all flowers to shame.
Idiom
Well known idioms describe the four beauties.[4] The exact origin of these idioms is debated.
| Chinese character | Pinyin | Jyutping | Pe̍h-ōe-jī | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 西施沉魚 昭君落雁 貂蟬閉月 貴妃羞花 |
xī shī chén yú zhāo jūn luò yàn diāo chán bì yuè guì fēi xiū huā |
sai1 si1 cam4 jyu4 ciu1 gwan1 lok6 ngaan6 diu1 sim4 bai3 jyut6 gwai3 fei1 sau1 faa1 |
Se Si tîm gû Chiau-kun lo̍k gān Tiau Siâm pì goa̍t Kùi-hui siu hoa |
Xi Shi sinks fish Wang Zhaojun entices birds into falling Diaochan eclipses the moon Yang Guifei shames flowers |
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 沉魚落雁, 閉月羞花 (sinks fish and entices birds to fall, eclipses the moon and shames flowers); the two parts can also be used separately.
See also
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Four Great Beauties. |
- ↑ Big5.ce.cn. "Big5.ce.cn." 西施浣紗——沉魚. Retrieved on 2010-02-20.
- ↑ Big5.ce.cn. "Big5.ce.cn." 昭君出塞——落雁. Retrieved on 2010-02-20.
- ↑ Big5.ce.cn. "Big5.ce.cn." 貂蟬拜月——閉月. Retrieved on 2010-02-20.
- ↑ Xinhuanet.com. "Xinhuanet.com." 纪连海叹说四大美人 . Retrieved on 2010-02-20.