Why would fat be considered beautiful in ancient times, but skinny is considered beautiful now?

To give you an excerpt of the two points of view, compare it:

One, the Tang Dynasty is indeed fat for the beauty of the

According to historical research, the Tang Dynasty is indeed fat and rich for the aesthetic orientation. If you go to view the Tang Dynasty paintings, sculptures, figurines and all kinds of art works of the female figure, leaving the most prominent impression, must be "fat, rich and beautiful, warm and relaxed".

Fat and beautiful that is full, fat, colorful, bright; enthusiastic posture that is wearing bare, confident and open expression posture. From the description of Wu Zetian in the history books, we can conclude that she won the status of "Meiniang" with her wide forehead, plump cheeks, round and overlapping neck and rich image, thus laying the foundation for her to further approach the center of power. Yang Yuhuan, one of the four great beauties of ancient China, is a household name and a model of fat beauty.

Obviously, the Tang people were different from the Han Dynasty and most of the ancient times when people appreciated the subtle and introverted aesthetics of the fair lady. This "alternative" aesthetic vision was an inevitable feature of that era.

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First of all, the Tang Dynasty, prosperity, clothing and food, as Du Fu's poem recorded "rice flowing fat corn white, public and private warehouses are rich", people have the conditions to eat and wear warm to maintain a healthy and plump physique. Secondly, the Tang Dynasty was open and inclusive. National strength and civilization developed, so that the Tang people full of confidence, become a highly open country. According to incomplete statistics, there were more than 130 countries that interacted with the Tang at that time. Influence of different cultures, mingling, so that the Tang people are not bound by tradition, wide-eyed, enthusiastic release. Thirdly, the ruler's lineage also determined that the Tang people were more approachable to the robust physique. Li Yuan, the founding emperor of the Tang dynasty, his grandfather is a great nobleman of Xianbei Dugu Ruwang, that is to say, at least half of the royal family of Li Tang is Xianbei blood, and the nomadic life of the Xianbei people to create and the need for swarthy, robust physique. Therefore, it is not difficult to understand that several generations of Tang dynasty kings favored plump women.

The revered "fat, rich and beautiful, enthusiastic release" is by no means purely female physique on the fat and thin, wearing a cover up. It can be said that this aesthetic orientation is a kind of all-round aesthetic concept, which embodies a kind of power, open and compatible cultural vision. The Tang people loved peonies, and the flower type of peonies is precisely noble and plump. The steeds portrayed by the Tang people were all full-bodied with rounded hips. And the most influential calligraphy of the Tang Dynasty, the Yan Style, was even more plump, solemn and thick.

If you look at the horizon a little wider, you will find that the Tang capital Chang'an was the world's largest capital city, the road is the widest, the palace is the most high and grandiose, China was the center of the world's aspirations. All these reflected the vigorous vigor and high confidence of a nation that had entered a high degree of maturity and was in the most vigorous stage of its vitality. The Tang people revered and intoxicated by this kind of vigor, strength and open beauty, passed to us is a kind of breath of the times - warm release, pioneering and enterprising, positive. (Author: Wang Bin, deputy director of Shaanxi Museum of History)

Second, the Tang Dynasty is not fat for beauty

Ding Qifeng

Tang Dynasty people look at the female "fat for beauty," said, along with a long time, spread to a wide range. Some experts after some verification, asserted that the Tang Dynasty people aesthetic is indeed fat for the United States, and pointed out that the Tang Dynasty people to fat for the United States for a number of reasons: economic prosperity in the Tang Dynasty, people have the conditions to eat, wear warm, maintain a healthy and plump physique; the Tang Dynasty cultural openness, compatibility, broad-minded fat; the Tang Dynasty royals on the Xianbei lineage, so that they naturally love the robust body of the women! ...... head of the words.

In fact, this statement is not right, at least not accurate.

The reason why people think that Tang Dynasty women are beautiful with obesity is based mainly on Yang Guifei's physique as well as the images of women in Tang Dynasty court paintings and ladies' paintings.

In fact, if you take a close look at the famous Tang Dynasty painter Yan Liben's "Step in the Emperor's carriage" and Zhou Fang's "Hairpin painting of ladies", it is not difficult to find out that the court ladies and ladies in the paintings can't be said to be obese at all. In the picture of the emperor's carriage, there are nine palace maidens walking slowly with Li Shimin in their arms, some carrying the carriage, some holding umbrellas, and some holding fans. It seems to have a handful of strength, not a weak sickly beauty. However, look at their figure, are really quite thin. The women in the "hairpin ladies" is about the identity of the more noble, a little older for the sake of a slightly fuller figure, but standing posture is not graceful and elegant, light as the spring breeze willow. There is no doubt that their body, can be described by the word "slim".

About Yang Guifei, literature, there are fat and fear of hot records. For example, the "Kaiyuan Tianbao" said that she "has a flesh, to the summer bitter heat". However, Yang Guifei's "vegetarian body", never to the degree of obesity that people say today. At most, it is, a little muscle, that is, "Yang Taizhen outreach" on the said "slightly muscular also". A good dance ("Nishang Yuyi Dance" is her masterpiece) of people, usually certainly less body movement, a little muscle is very normal. Yang Guifei's fear of heat, in fact, not because she is obese, but because she is so physical. The Kaiyuan Tianbao remains" records, Yang Guifei "every night wine consumption, more bitter lung heat", often in the early hours of the morning to go alone to the back garden to suck the flower dew, moisturize the throat. In order to moisturize the lungs, Yang Guifei summer daily in the mouth with a piece of cool jade fish.

There are no historical documents to show that Yang Guifei was favored by Emperor Minghuang of Tang because of her obesity or plumpness. Both the old and the new "Tang Book" of Yang Guifei biographies recorded that Yang Guifei's favor, the main reason for her "qualifications of the sky". Specifically, including: "good song and dance, profound understanding of the music and rhythm, and the wisdom of the calculations of the police Ying, meets the intention of the understanding" ("New Tang Book" this biography), that is, with literary and artistic expertise, clever and clever, good understanding. Coupled with the poet Du Fu in the "Li Ren Xing" poem described, "the state of thick meaning far Shu and true, delicate flesh and bones," that is, voluptuous, dignified, temperament, as well as delicate skin. In reality, Emperor Tang Minghuang did not appreciate the muscles on Yang Guifei's body. Yang Taizhen Wai Wai said, once Tang Ming Huang in the Hundred Flowers Yuan Hall to read "Han Cheng Di Nei Zhuan", Yang Guifei saw, and asked him what books to read. Tang Ming Huang smiled and said, "Don't ask. It will be hard on your heart to know." Yang Guifei grabbed the book, saw the book reads: "Emperor Chengdi of Han Dynasty was given Feiyan, light body want to not overcome the wind. Fear of its floating soar, the emperor for the manufacture of crystal disk, so that the palace people in charge of it and singing and dancing ......." At this time, Tang Minghuang joked her, said: "you than she can not stand the wind." Yang Guifei was not convinced, very confident that her "Nei Shang Fei Yi Dance" surpassed Zhao Fei Yan.

Li Bai, during his time at Hanlin, wrote three songs called "Qing Ping Tiao" (The Songs of Qing Ping Tune), in which he sang about the beauty of Yang Guifei and the life of the court at that time. The second of them is dedicated to the beauty of Yang Guifei, saying:

A branch of red dew condensation fragrance, clouds and rain Wushan in vain broken heart.

Who can be similar to the Han Palace? I'm sorry to hear that, but I don't know what to say.

The poem compares Yang Guifei to peony and Zhao Feiyan. If Yang Guifei is really an obese person, and Zhao Feiyan can constitute a sharp contrast between fat and thin, then this kind of comparison is a mockery, is disobedient. Most likely, Yang Guifei herself is also appreciate Zhao Feiyan, and willing to others to compare themselves to Zhao Feiyan. It is said that Yang Guifei was nicknamed "Fat Maiden", which was probably a kind of curse from those who envied and hated her (such as Princess Mei). This shows that people at that time never regarded obesity as beauty.

The expression "fat and thin" began with Su Dongpo, a great writer of the Song Dynasty. Su Dongpo's poem "Sun Xin Lao seeks Mo Miao Pavilion" has these two lines: "Short, long, fat and thin have their own state, the jade ring flying swallows who dare to hate!" There are three possible reasons why Su Dongpo took Yang Guifei and Zhao Feiyan as typical of fat and thin beauty: First, Mr. Dongpo himself was fat and appreciated all fat things, including calligraphy and figure, and pulled out Yang Guifei as a friend to strengthen the facade; Second, Mr. Dongpo followed the example of Tao Yuanming, who was a good reader and didn't want to know much, and mistakenly took Yang Guifei as a fat girl; Third, Mr. Dongpo intentionally made jokes and tampered with the allusions to the examination for the entrance exams. The words of the ancient sages he dared to fabricate, wrongly accused Yang Guifei naturally does not matter. Because Mr. Su Dongpo's literary fame, far-reaching influence, "fat and thin" became a household name "historical knowledge".

It is certain that there was a slimness in the beauty standard of Tang Dynasty people. The "Liu's old news", "Tang Yulin" and other documents, Tang Minghuang's son Suzong Li Heng is still the crown prince, was framed by Li Linfu, the situation is dangerous, so worried about his hair white, away from all the sound and color of the entertainment, the days are very miserable. Tang Minghuang learned, let Gao Li Shi sent Jingzhao Yin (the capital of Changan mayor), "choose the women on earth thin long white five people, will be given to the Prince". It can be seen that Xuanzong's generation of beauty standards, the same as today: slim, tall and fair-skinned.

The poet monk Guan Xiu's two lines of poetry, the most can prove that the Tang people do not take obesity as beauty:

For the people have no nobility and lowly, do not learn the chickens and dogs are fat ("White Snow Song")

Meaning, people, no matter nobility and lowly, should not be raised to become obese. In other words, the Tang Dynasty people's concept of honor and shame, there is "to slim and thin for the honor, to fat and big for shame" one. Visible, the Tang Dynasty people not only do not take obesity as a beauty, is simply extreme hatred of obesity.

The Tang Dynasty people do not take obesity as beauty, but also from the Tang poetry, "fine waist", "slender" and other words used, get strong evidence. In Tang poetry, the words "thin waist" and "slender" are used to describe beautiful women. See:

Blowing the dragon flute, beating the alligator drum, singing with white teeth, dancing with thin waist.

When the day of youth is drawing to a close, the peach blossoms fall like red rain.

(Li He's "Wine in the Garden")

I would like to be a light robe with a thin waist, I would like to be a mirror with a delicate face (Liu Xiyi's "The Duke's Row")

The woman with a thin waist on the swing is swaying and slanting by the wind (Bai Juyi's "Twenty Songs of Harmony and Spring Depths")

There are so many fair women in the harem that they are learning a new voice day by day (Lu Guimeng's "Complaints of Hanyu")

Small and slender women with a pair of maids have a face as good as jade (Bai Juyi's "Ten Continued Poems from the Ancient World"). (Bai Juyi's "Continuation of Ten Ancient Poems")

Tang Dynasty people, of course, also have a "fat for the beauty" of the place, traveling on the road riding horses, the mouth and stomach of the chicken, ducks, fish, meat, planting crops in the fields, ornamental peaches and plums buds, and so on, are concerned about a "fat" word. There are poems to prove it:

Peach and plum from the advocate, Beijing ranger bloom light fat (Luo Binwang "Emperor's Capital")

Student teenagers more than cheap, the Wuling clothes and horses since the light fat (Du Fu "Eight Songs of the Autumn Xing")

Fat horses and light fur and have, rough songs and thin wine also follow (Bai Juyi "leisure")

Xi Sai mountain side of the egret, peach and water mandarin fish fat (Zhang Zhi and the "Fishing Song")

Peach and water Mandarin fish fat (Zhang Zhi and "fishing song")

The white herons fly by Xise Mountain, the peach blossoms and the flowing Mandarin fish are fat (Zhang Zhihe's "Fishing Songs")

I love the perch being fat, and I still feel sorry for the sugar cane being ripe when I wake up. The most interesting is Bai Juyi's two lines, "Horses are fat and quick to walk, and prostitutes are long and able to sing and dance" ("Three Songs of Feeling"). Horse fat for beauty (Zhaoling six steeds, are very fat), singing and dancing prostitutes but to thin and high for the best. Prostitutes look fat, simply unforgivable shortcomings. The famous poet Du Mu met a rather fat prostitute who persuaded her to drink in Shaanxi - that is, a bar girl - and he immediately made a poem that was extremely satirical and scandalous. See:

Pangu had distant grandchildren at that time, and still makes today's family show off.

A cartload of white soil will be the mud item, ten red flags to mend the broken pants.

The Waguan Temple is a place where you can see the traces of your travels, and Huayue Mountain is a place where you can see the traces of your palm.

No need to be upset and worried about the difficulty of getting married, to be with the book to ask Lekun.

(Du Mu "mocking prostitutes")

See, people in the Tang Dynasty, measure the beauty of people and horses, the standard is very different.