Evolution of beauty standards in China


Evolution of beauty standards in China

Some standards of beauty have not changed for thousands of years (Photo: Shutterstock / aslysun)

When we look at pictures from past dynasties in China, we can see that girls who were considered “beauties of the ages” look vastly different from girls who follow today’s beauty standards.

Some features of Chinese beauties have not changed for thousands of years while other facets are completely opposite of the traditional idea of beauty in China.


For thousands of years, ‘creamy skin’ has been considered a staple of Chinese beauty. The description of beauty usually sounds like this:  perfect skin is like the frost and snow, and it is as smooth and soft as cream. Often the phrases “transparent crystal” and “warm jade” are used to describe the warmth and clarity of beautiful skin. The standard for beautiful skin is not limited to a pure white skin color, but includes pink – reflecting the harmonious beauty of red touched with white.


"Tender bamboo shoots,” “very light blue” and “white jade” are the classical phrases used to describe beautiful hands in ancient China. Fingers should be long, delicate and graceful, but not too spindly. In addition, beautiful hands had to be white, smooth and seemingly boneless.


Dark, bright, thick and long hair is the only type considered traditionally beautiful when hair is concerned. People praise thick, black hair like streaks of clouds in the sky. An empress of the Tang Dynasty named Dou was born with long hair. When she was just three years old, her hair was already as long as her body. When she became an adult, it was said she owned beautiful “black clouds.”

Hairstyles throughout Chinese history have varied, influenced by a particular concubine who represents the style of each dynasty. Styles have ranged from straight hair (Zhang Lihua), short hair (Luzhu), curly hair (Zhao Hede), ornate hairdos (Zhao Feiyan) to hair that is gathered up on top of the head and decorated with various ornaments (Zhen).


In ancient China, the standard of beautiful eyes is not only focused on charm, but also a sense of propriety and class. Autumn water is clear; clear all the way to the bottom. Phrases "Like Autumn water" and "autumn moiré" have historically been used to describe the beauty of eyes. Therefore, clear bright eyes represent the beauty standard. A poem written about Yang Guifei praises that "the enchanting eyes makes six palace powder women have no colour."


Whether the hips are full and round or not has been a varying standard of beauty through Chinese history. Although modern girls tend to favor a narrow silhouette, during earlier dynasties such as the Tang Dynasty women with wide hips were considered especially beautiful. The reason was that the Chinese believe that women will be more likely to have healthy babies if their hips are full and round. According to Chinese agrarian beliefs, a man without any offspring is the worst thing for his parents; with this in mind the preference for full, round hips quickly becomes clear.


The shape of a woman’s waist is another attribute that has undergone change. Nowadays, a slender waist is considered to be one of the most desirable features a woman can possess. This modern standard is similar to the preferences observed during the Han Dynasty when slender, narrow waist. But during the Tang Dynasty women who were round and full-waisted were considered beautiful – not only were they seen as healthy but they also seemed affluent and able to afford excess.

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