By staff reporter HUO JIANYING

Renowned Tang painter Tang Yin depicted these noblewomen embracing in a circle.

China has been home to a myriad of beautiful women throughout the ages, and differing standards of beauty account for its wide aesthetic scope. Some women were lauded for their dancing or singing skills, others for their virtuous nature, and still others for their involvement in political intrigue.

Beauty for the Good of the People

Four women, Xishi, Wang Zhaojun, Diaochan and Yang Yuhuan, stand out in the latter category. Besides their comliness, these women demonstrated unparallelled wit and heroism, and are still remembered today for their significant roles in history. When her state of Yue faced aggression from the state of Wu, Xishi accepted an assignment to seduce the king of Wu and make him kill his marshal. Her patriotic efforts helped Yue win the war against Wu. Diaochan beat a treacherous warlord at a badger game, ensuring the safety of her people. Wang Zhaojun volunteered to marry the Hun Khan for the sake of Han-nomad pacification, and Yang Yuhuan hanged herself to quash a mutiny.

No less beautiful are Daji and Baosi, but these two names invoke aversion rather than admiration. Daji, the concubine and accomplice of tyrannous King Zhou of Shang, was cruel to the people. The story of Baosi, concubine of King You of Zhou, is that she seldom smiled, and the king was eager to make her happy. One day he ordered a beacon fire to be lit at the defense posts, sending his dukes a false enemy invasion signal. The dukes and their forces rushed to the capital, only to find they had been fooled. Baosi was amused at the chaos she had caused, and grinned. Later the enemy state did launch an attack, but because the king had "cried wolf," no duke sent troops at the sight of beacon fires, and he was killed.

A Northern Wei (386-534) mural depicting a woman of traditional aesthetics: slender figure, almond shaped eyes and long narrow eyebrows, straight nose bridge, tiny mouth and sloping shoulders.

These two women were considered a scourge on their country and people. In Chinese conceptions, virtue outweighs appearance. The Book of Songs has a love poem that reads "water fowl are tweeting on the shoal; a fair and chaste lady is the ideal spouse of gentleman." This verse is almost 3000 years old and testifies to the importance Chinese people attach to moral character.

Shifting Ideals

Some people still use the phrase "buxom Huan and slinky Yan." Huan refers to Yang Yuhuan (719 - 756 A.D.), a favored concubine of Tang emperor Xuanzong, and Yan to Zhao Feiyan (?-1 B.C.), wife of Han emperor Chengdi. Yan was so slim and lithe, it is said she could dance on the palm of a hand, and Huan was plump and fit, adept at the vigorous whirling dance of the nomads.

During the centuries in and before the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.- A.D.220), slenderness was considered ideal feminine beauty. Books of that period often described waists "as delicate as a sheaf of white silk." Chinese aesthetic conceptions changed drastically in the Tang Dynasty, when the country was powerful, and people were affluent. It was plump women with wide foreheads and round faces that were deemed most graceful.

It is difficult to ascertain exactly what these ancient beauties looked like. Literati of old times described them as having "eyebrows the shape of silkworms and eyes similar to those of a phoenix," but according to folk standards of feminine beauty eyebrows resembled willow leaves, eyes were almond-shaped and lips in the form of a cherry.

Beauties as depicted by famous painter Chen Hongshou of the late Ming and early Qing dynasties.

Han Dynasty lore contains an extraordinarily minute description of a woman who was selected as Han emperor Hengdi's concubine. It detailed her demeanor, voice, complexion, stature, hair and even genitalia. It listed exact measurements of her shoulder width, arms, legs, feet and hands from fingertip to palm, but gave no record of the size of her bust or buttocks, as they were considered unimportant. Chinese ancestors deemed sexiness as immoral, and had waged campaigns throughout history calling on women to bind their breasts.

Cattle-call Beauty Contests

Besides some notable exceptions, few women are remembered today in Chinese history. This can be explained by women's low social status and feudal ethics. In feudal times, women were confined to the home and denied social involvement. Beauty contests only took place among prostitutes and candidates for imperial concubines and maidens. Though accomplished in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and poetry, all the winner could expect was the title of "flower queen" rather than respect and recognition.

In 1621, Ming emperor Xizong sent eunuchs across the country to handpick 5,000 young women aged 13 to 16, from whom he would select a wife. During the first round of the competition, the women stood in lines of 100 according to age. One thousand were eliminated for being too tall, short, fat or thin. On the second day, the eunuchs intensively examined the women's bodies, and had them speak to evaluate their voice and manner. This slimmed down the field by another 2,000. The third day was spent looking at feet and hands, and movement, eliminating another 1,000. The remaining thousand then underwent gynecological examinations, and another 700 were dismissed.

The remaining number went to the palace for a month-long test of intelligence, merit, temperament and moral character. The most outstanding 50 were imperial candidates subject to further examinations and interviews about math, literature and art. The best three received the highest ranking for imperial concubines. Out of those who had survived the rigorous process, only a few might win the emperor's favor. Most spent their lives in bitter loneliness. In this period of history, beauty was more a curse than a blessing.

Ten Criteria for Beauty in Ancient China Different periods of history had their own ideals regarding feminine beauty, but 10 specific characteristics are consistent throughout. 1. Black lustrous hair and temples "as thin as cicada wings." 2. Hair loosely coiled on the head to give an appearance of added height. 3. Finely shaped black eyebrows. During the Tang Dynasty, many women shaved their eyebrows, and drew them in with pigment. 4. Large, bright expressive eyes. 5. Red lips and white teeth. Besides beauty, this is thought to indicate good health. 6. Graceful fingers and arms. A pretty woman was expected to have well-shaped hands with slim and soft fingers as well as fair and fleshy arms. 7. Slender waist and fair skin. For most part the willowy figure has been deemed the best throughout history. 8. Tiny feet and a light elegant gait. 9. Dressing according to complexion, figure and disposition. 10. Fragrant body. It's said a concubine of Qing emperor Qian Long (1711-1799) emanated natural fragrance.