Empress Zhao Feiyan - Chinese Ancient Beauty in the Han Dynasty

2016-05-12  Source：Chinese Culture

Empress Zhao Feiyan (赵飞燕) (c. 32 BC — 1 BC), formally Empress Xiaocheng (孝成皇后), was an empress during the Han Dynasty. Her husband was Emperor Cheng. She was known in the Chinese popular mindset more for her beauty than for the palace intrigue that she and her sister, the also beautiful Consort Zhao Hede engaged in, but unlike most of the famous beauties in Chinese history (such as the Four Beauties), she was often vilified by historians, deserved or not. She was often compared and contrasted with Yang Guifei, the beautiful concubine of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, because she was known for her slender build while Yang was known for her full build. This led to the Chinese idiom yanshou huanfei (燕瘦环肥), describing (frequently in advertisement for sexual services) the range of the types of beauties.