Pan An, from the western Jin dynasty, was quoted as being one of the best looking men in Chinese History. When someone exclaims about a man's good looks, he or she would say that the person is as good looking as Pan An. Pan An served as a district governor and was popular with the women, and traveled around in an open carriage and allowed people to touch him and hold his hands (which is rather not fitting of a governor who sits in a closed carriage away from public eyes).
He also like to grow flowers. Thus his nickname is the Flower Governor. Although flirtatious, he didn't receive a bad name for his easy going behavior because he wasn't extremely sexual.
Full Version: Good looking men in Chinese History
Sephodwyrm, the man's name was actually Pan Yue 潘岳, but his personal name was Anren 安仁, so that may be the source of the term "Pan An". He was also a great poet, and quite a romantic figure who wrote a famous poem of mourning for his dearly departed wife. As Sephodwyrm mentioned, in his younger days he would ride around Luoyang and all the women in the streets would link their arms and form a ring around him, throwing fruits into his horse carriage to show their admiration (Western Jin groupies!!). Pan Yue would always return home with a carriage bursting with fruits.
Another famous poet of the time, Zhang Zai 张载, was incredibly ugly, and whenever he went out he would be pelted with stones and bits of clay by the children. Poor guy. :unsure:
Other famous pretty boys of the Three Kingdoms and Age of Fragmentation:
Zhou Yu 周瑜, known as "Pretty Boy Zhou" 美周郎.
Gao Changgong 高长恭, Prince of Lanling 兰陵王 in the Northern Qi. Nearly all the men of the Gao imperial house were known for their looks (athough many of them were also mentally unsound and plain evil), but Gao Changgong was the most handsome of them all. He distinguished himself as a general in several key battles against the Northern Zhou, and always wore a grotesque iron mask in battle because his pretty face would never strike fear in the enemy. Unfortunately, the last emperor of the Northern Qi, Gao Wei 高玮, was extremely jealous of him and wanted him dead. To keep a low profile and avoid commanding troops again, Gao Changgong went to the extent of declining treatment for his illnesses. But Gao Wei still had him murdered with poison in 573 AD. [Gao Changgong is the subject of a famous Noh play in Japan, entitled The Prince of Lanling - which is why he is much more famous among Japanese than among Chinese.]
Another famous poet of the time, Zhang Zai 张载, was incredibly ugly, and whenever he went out he would be pelted with stones and bits of clay by the children. Poor guy. :unsure:
Other famous pretty boys of the Three Kingdoms and Age of Fragmentation:
Zhou Yu 周瑜, known as "Pretty Boy Zhou" 美周郎.
Gao Changgong 高长恭, Prince of Lanling 兰陵王 in the Northern Qi. Nearly all the men of the Gao imperial house were known for their looks (athough many of them were also mentally unsound and plain evil), but Gao Changgong was the most handsome of them all. He distinguished himself as a general in several key battles against the Northern Zhou, and always wore a grotesque iron mask in battle because his pretty face would never strike fear in the enemy. Unfortunately, the last emperor of the Northern Qi, Gao Wei 高玮, was extremely jealous of him and wanted him dead. To keep a low profile and avoid commanding troops again, Gao Changgong went to the extent of declining treatment for his illnesses. But Gao Wei still had him murdered with poison in 573 AD. [Gao Changgong is the subject of a famous Noh play in Japan, entitled The Prince of Lanling - which is why he is much more famous among Japanese than among Chinese.]
The part of Zhou Yu being called "pretty boy Zhou" was only a folk tale when about when he got his wife Dia Qiao right?
QUOTE
always wore a grotesque iron mask in battle because his pretty face would never strike fear in the enemy.
It was said that Di Qing (狄青) from Song dynasty also used a mask for the same reason.
QUOTE
The part of Zhou Yu being called "pretty boy Zhou" was only a folk tale when about when he got his wife Dia Qiao right?
Liu Ce, thanks for pointing that out. I went and checked the Sanguo Zhi, and it does seem that the phrase "Mei Zhoulang" is not there at all. It only states that Zhou Yu was muscular and good-looking (长壮有姿貌). Can anyone verify this?
Incidentally, the Sanguo Zhi states that Sun Ce was also a handsome man (美姿颜). In an annotation to the Sanguo Zhi's biography for Zhou Yu, taken from the Jiangbiao Zhuan 《江表传》 (a local history book of the time), Sun Ce is said to have once jokingly told Zhou Yu in the early days of their campaigns in the south, "Master Qiao's two daughters may be leading a wandering life, but he can at least be happy that he's got two such sons-in-law!"
QUOTE (thirdgumi @ Jul 13 2004, 08:15 AM)
QUOTE
always wore a grotesque iron mask in battle because his pretty face would never strike fear in the enemy.
It was said that Di Qing (狄青) from Song dynasty also used a mask for the same reason.
No, Di Qing wore a silver mask becoz he was branded in the face.
I think that was just a folk tale but I cannot find proof of that or him being called "pretty boy Zhou" I'll have to try hard but what was Sun Ce's wife called again Dia Qiao or Dio Qiao I always get the wifes mixed up between Zhou Yu and Sun Ce?
QUOTE
Title: Good looking men in Chinese History
Sub-title: Don't be shy
Sub-title: Don't be shy
LOL
The subtitle was enough to crack me up.
:D I was thinking at that time that some forumites might be putting their own names in this thread... :D
That's only if we misread the heading as "Good-looking men in China History Forum" :P
So true :rolleyes: ....
Great, we're tlaking about guys now...
Yes, isnt' that wierd? :D
Well, then lets alter it slightly, by replying to a previous question...
Actually, the one that I hear mostly is Da (for big, I think) Qiao for Sun Ce's wife and Xiao (for little, I think) Qiao for Zhou Yu's wife. I don't think these names are anywhere except in some of Koei's games, but I could be mistaken.
QUOTE (Liu Ce)
I think that was just a folk tale but I cannot find proof of that or him being called "pretty boy Zhou" I'll have to try hard but what was Sun Ce's wife called again Dia Qiao or Dio Qiao I always get the wifes mixed up between Zhou Yu and Sun Ce?
Actually, the one that I hear mostly is Da (for big, I think) Qiao for Sun Ce's wife and Xiao (for little, I think) Qiao for Zhou Yu's wife. I don't think these names are anywhere except in some of Koei's games, but I could be mistaken.
These two women are indeed mentioned as wives of Sun Ce and Zhou Yu in Zhou's biography in the Sanguo Zhi. It is not specified who their father Master Qiao was, only that Sun and Zhou "acquired" them (possibly as captives or refugees) during their conquest of the south.
We got a list for females, but here are the famous male beauties of Chinese history:
A famous book on the features of ancient males was recorded in the Shi Shuo Xin Yu, Rong Zhi, 世说新语 容止
1) Pang An 潘安: Known as the "number one male beauty in the world", The proverb "with a feature like that of Pang An""貌似潘安"
is used to describe a good looking male. He lived during the Western Jin dynasty and died during the rebellion of the eight kings.
According to Shi Shuo Xin Yu: “潘岳妙有姿容，好神情。少时挟弹出洛阳道，妇人遇者，莫不连手共萦之。” "“安仁至美，每行，老妪以果掷之满车。”
"When Pan An traveled to Luo Yang in his youth in a chariot, wherever he went, the girls would surround him." "the old women tossed fruits on to his chariot so when he returned home, he will have a chariot load of fruits."
http://www.hanminzu.com/bbs/uploadface/798...61312263321.jpg
2) Song Yu 宋玉: Song Yu and Pan An are the two most famous male beauties. The proverb 美如宋玉 beautiful as Song Yu goes along with "a feature like that of Pang An"
According to 登徒子好色赋: "玉为人体貌娴丽，口多微辞，又性好色，愿王勿与出入后宫。” Deng Tu Zi stated that "Song Yu has a pretty feature, eloquent, but lascivious, and should be kept out of the harem." Song Yu refuted this by telling the king of Chu that "体貌娴丽，所受於天也；口多微辞，所学於师也。至于好色，臣无有也", "being pretty is a heaven given characteristic, being eloquent is learned from a good master, being lascivous, your subject does not have such a characteristic." He gave an example on how he was unmoved by the prettiest women in Chu while Deng Tu Zi was moved by even ugly women, so Deng Tu Zi was the lascivious one. And the Chu king believed him.
http://fm331.img.xiaonei.com/blog/20080129...16675978THO.jpg
3) Lang Lin Wang兰陵王:
From the three kingdom to the northern dynasties period, men of aristocratic class had a feminine standard of beauty. They often put on perfume and wore women's clothing. Cao Pi, first emperor of the Wei, put on so much perfume that his horse turned around and bit him, which pissed him off and killed the horse. The calligrapher Wang Yi Zhi would put on women's robe everyday after he worked, and walk elegantly like a lady.
Lang Lin Wang was a general of the Northern Qi who was ferocious on the battlefield. However, he was said to have a womanlike feature, and a beautiful white pale face like that of an elegant lady. Whenever he fought he had to put a mask on so the enemy would not look down upon his feminine features.
http://fm351.img.xiaonei.com/blog/20080129...42847587PEP.jpg
4) Wei Jie 卫玠:
A person who lived during the Western Jin,
According to Shi Shuo Xin Yu:
"卫玠从豫章至下都，人闻其名，观者如堵墙。玠先有羸疾，体不堪劳，
遂成病而死，时人谓“看杀卫玠”。"
When Wang Jie came to Xia Du, people surrounded him like a wall to look at him. Wei Jie was fragile, and because these people did not allow him to leave, he became sick and died later. Hence the proberb "看杀卫玠“"killing Wei Jie by looking."
http://campus.cyol.com/images/2007-12/24/x...42391242886.jpg
A famous book on the features of ancient males was recorded in the Shi Shuo Xin Yu, Rong Zhi, 世说新语 容止
1) Pang An 潘安: Known as the "number one male beauty in the world", The proverb "with a feature like that of Pang An""貌似潘安"
is used to describe a good looking male. He lived during the Western Jin dynasty and died during the rebellion of the eight kings.
According to Shi Shuo Xin Yu: “潘岳妙有姿容，好神情。少时挟弹出洛阳道，妇人遇者，莫不连手共萦之。” "“安仁至美，每行，老妪以果掷之满车。”
"When Pan An traveled to Luo Yang in his youth in a chariot, wherever he went, the girls would surround him." "the old women tossed fruits on to his chariot so when he returned home, he will have a chariot load of fruits."
http://www.hanminzu.com/bbs/uploadface/798...61312263321.jpg
2) Song Yu 宋玉: Song Yu and Pan An are the two most famous male beauties. The proverb 美如宋玉 beautiful as Song Yu goes along with "a feature like that of Pang An"
According to 登徒子好色赋: "玉为人体貌娴丽，口多微辞，又性好色，愿王勿与出入后宫。” Deng Tu Zi stated that "Song Yu has a pretty feature, eloquent, but lascivious, and should be kept out of the harem." Song Yu refuted this by telling the king of Chu that "体貌娴丽，所受於天也；口多微辞，所学於师也。至于好色，臣无有也", "being pretty is a heaven given characteristic, being eloquent is learned from a good master, being lascivous, your subject does not have such a characteristic." He gave an example on how he was unmoved by the prettiest women in Chu while Deng Tu Zi was moved by even ugly women, so Deng Tu Zi was the lascivious one. And the Chu king believed him.
http://fm331.img.xiaonei.com/blog/20080129...16675978THO.jpg
3) Lang Lin Wang兰陵王:
From the three kingdom to the northern dynasties period, men of aristocratic class had a feminine standard of beauty. They often put on perfume and wore women's clothing. Cao Pi, first emperor of the Wei, put on so much perfume that his horse turned around and bit him, which pissed him off and killed the horse. The calligrapher Wang Yi Zhi would put on women's robe everyday after he worked, and walk elegantly like a lady.
Lang Lin Wang was a general of the Northern Qi who was ferocious on the battlefield. However, he was said to have a womanlike feature, and a beautiful white pale face like that of an elegant lady. Whenever he fought he had to put a mask on so the enemy would not look down upon his feminine features.
http://fm351.img.xiaonei.com/blog/20080129...42847587PEP.jpg
4) Wei Jie 卫玠:
A person who lived during the Western Jin,
According to Shi Shuo Xin Yu:
"卫玠从豫章至下都，人闻其名，观者如堵墙。玠先有羸疾，体不堪劳，
遂成病而死，时人谓“看杀卫玠”。"
When Wang Jie came to Xia Du, people surrounded him like a wall to look at him. Wei Jie was fragile, and because these people did not allow him to leave, he became sick and died later. Hence the proberb "看杀卫玠“"killing Wei Jie by looking."
http://campus.cyol.com/images/2007-12/24/x...42391242886.jpg
This is a great subject.
I wonder was the " beauty" of the man always concidered a feminine beauty or could it be a handsome beauty?
I wonder was the " beauty" of the man always concidered a feminine beauty or could it be a handsome beauty?
Of all these I've listed above, only Lang Ling Wang was known to look feminine, all the others were quite "normal". In the ancient Chinese language, there is no separate word to describe male and female beauty, hence the word "美" "beautiful" was used to depict both a good looking male and a good looking female. But that doesn't mean that these males were "feminine" looking.
QUOTE (warhead @ Jun 16 2008, 06:00 PM) 
Of all these I've listed above, only Lang Ling Wang was known to look feminine, all the others were quite "normal". In the ancient Chinese language, there is no separate word to describe male and female beauty, hence the word "美" "beautiful" was used to depict both a good looking male and a good looking female. But that doesn't mean that these males were "feminine" looking.
Ahh, thank you for that explanation Warhead.
Here is a study of the matter about East Asian concepts of beauty:
http://books.google.com/books?id=Fm6iyk-pT...=result#PPA6,M1
This tradition of depicting scholarly males who were pretty and organized (清秀) even influenced today's East Asian standards(in both Japan and Korea) and was probably the predecessor to the Bishounen culture today that dominates the East Asian youth.
http://books.google.com/books?id=Fm6iyk-pT...=result#PPA6,M1
This tradition of depicting scholarly males who were pretty and organized (清秀) even influenced today's East Asian standards(in both Japan and Korea) and was probably the predecessor to the Bishounen culture today that dominates the East Asian youth.
Those traditional male beauties somehow appeared too feminine though; What's about the current view on our contemporary hunks such as:
or this guy
or this guy
Mmmmmmmmm 
QUOTE
This tradition of depicting scholarly males who were pretty and organized (清秀) even influenced today's East Asian standards(in both Japan and Korea) and was probably the predecessor to the Bishounen culture today that dominates the East Asian youth.
This may be a bit off topic, but it appears that the Chinese language is one of the least dichotomous languages when it comes to description of male and female. And despite its patriarchal culture, China showed almost no discrimination when it comes to literary distinctions of men and women. There were no third person differentiations, no need for the wife to change their surname when married and no different set of literary descriptions used to depict the same traits of men and women separately.
yup, japanese concept of ビショウネン ~ 美少年 ~ bishounen..
that implicitly showed male with pretty face..
and somehow with cute and sweet behavior..
that implicitly showed male with pretty face..
and somehow with cute and sweet behavior..
I didn't realize that we had a thread of this already here: http://www.chinahistoryforum.com/index.php?showtopic=397
Is it possible to merge this one with the older one?
Is it possible to merge this one with the older one?
Merged. Please continue discussion here!
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