For those who are very interested in Yang Guifei’s figure, the History Encyclopedia editor brings a detailed article for your reference.
When it comes to the Tang Dynasty, one would think of a beautiful woman, who was Yang Guifei. In some historical TV dramas, we can see the figure of Yang Guifei, who is one of the four beautiful women in China. Yang Yuhuan was not only a concubine, but also a court musician and dancer during the Tang Dynasty. She was also the cousin of Prime Minister Yang Guozhong, and her status was already extraordinary. So there is a saying about the Tang Dynasty called ‘beauty comes from being fat’, which also indicates that ‘fat’ beauties were popular at that time. So how much does the famous Yang Guifei really weigh?
In fact, there are some historical records of Yang Guifei’s weight and height. Yang Guifei weighed around 60KG and had a relatively plump figure. We have also seen in some famous paintings of the Tang Dynasty that these Tang Dynasty beauties were not of the type whose bodies were too fat to look at. This indicates that in the Tang Dynasty at that time, the concept of “beauty based on obesity” referred to the fullness and beauty of one’s body, rather than the idea that the fatter the better.
Based on the bloodline and ethnicity of the Tang Dynasty emperors at that time, it is not difficult to understand why the emperor liked Yang Guifei. The maternal grandfather of Li Yuan, the founding emperor of the Tang Dynasty, was of the Xianbei ethnic group, which means that half of the Li Tang royal family at that time had Xianbei ancestry. These Xianbei people appreciate the magnificent beauty. In addition, the Xianbei people live a nomadic life, which requires a strong physique. If the body is too weak and weak, it will be difficult for the physical condition to adapt to this kind of life.
And Yang Guifei is not just plump, she is a very talented woman who not only knows music and rhythm, but also excels in singing and dancing. Beauty and wisdom coexist, combined with the emperor’s preferences at that time. It’s hard to justify not spoiling Yang Guifei. This kind of woman would be highly appreciated by anyone, because people always yearn for beautiful things. Of course, being plump and beautiful also requires a proper balance, as being too obese can also be troublesome. At that time, not only was it popular for women to be “fat as beauty”, but there was also a man who was “following the trend”. He is An Lushan, the godson of Yang Guifei. In his later years, the “Biography of An Lushan” in the Old Book of Tang recorded that his weight was 330 pounds, which is considered overweight.