Beauty

Name: Beauty
ISBN: 9787301283653

赖庆芳Peking University Press · ChinaAug 2025

3.2

Word count: 156K words
Chapters: 42
ISBN: 9787301283653

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Summary

Meiren is an academic popular-science book devoted to the culture of beautiful women in ancient China. It first discusses the definition and concept of the beautiful woman in ancient China, exploring the qualifications, evaluative standards, critical vocabulary, and moral traits associated with her. The book begins with beautiful women of the pre-Qin era and continues through the Tang dynasty, with detailed case studies of Jiang Zhuang, Xi Shi, Lady Li, Zhuo Wenjun, Consort Zhen, Lüzhu, Wang Zhaojun, Ban Jieyu, Xi Shi, and Yang Guifei. Its discussion of standards of beauty integrates internal and external conditions: beyond physical beauty and a fine figure, the beauty of inner character and lofty moral conduct matter more. The subject holds great appeal, and the author's grounding in classical literature and history ensures the depth and rigor of the discussion.

Editor's review

This book pulls the "beautiful woman" out of the realm of aesthetics and back into the现场 of cultural history.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers interested in ancient Chinese women's culture and aesthetic concepts
Students of classical literature and history, usable as an introductory reference for thematic research
Readers who want to understand how figures such as Xi Shi and Wang Zhaojun were shaped and retold
Readers who enjoy academic popular-science books and prefer arguments grounded in primary sources over dramatic retellings

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting light, gossipy character stories and unwilling to engage with conceptual analysis
Readers interested only in the culture of beautiful women after the Tang dynasty and not in the pre-Qin to Tang scope
Readers seeking extensive visual material or image-based appreciation

Reading tips

Read the sections on definitions and evaluative standards first to grasp the author's analytical framework before moving to the case studies; understanding will flow more smoothly.
After finishing each case study, recall how that figure changed in later literature and continue reading with that question in mind.
Read alongside familiar poems and prose to see how the critical vocabulary works in specific texts.
After finishing, pick the figure that interests you most and look up related primary sources for further reading.

About the publisher

Peking University Press China · Founded in 1979

Peking University Press is a comprehensive university press whose publishing areas cover classical literature, popular science, social culture, world history, Western philosophy, and culture. Its catalogue contains 6,031 titles, with representative books including A Dream of Red Mansions, Relativity: The Special and General Theory (15th Edition) (with Einstein's classic papers on unified field theory and other topics), Elements, Conics, The Aristocratic Families of the Eastern Jin, The Philosophy of Mythology (Volume I), The Philosophy of Mythology (Volume II), and The Origin of Continents and Oceans. Representative authors include Cao Xueqin, Zhou Ruchang, Albert Einstein, Euclid, Apollonius, Tian Yuqing, Schelling, and Xian Gang. The press has developed distinctive strengths in classical Chinese literature and in the translation of Western philosophical classics, while also covering scientific classics and social and cultural studies. As public information is limited, this description is based only on the books in the catalogue and offers no further extrapolation.

版权信息
序言
第1章美人的定义
1.1 何谓“美”
1.2 何谓“美人”
1.3 美女的称呼
第2章先秦时期的美人
2.1 先秦时期的美女形象——北方美人
2.2 先秦审美条件
2.3 先秦时期的美女形象——南方美人
2.4 先秦绝色美人——西施
第3章汉代文学展示的美女
3.1 民间乐府诗中美女
3.2 文士赋篇里的美女
3.3 如何理解汉代重视女子年龄
第4章汉代著名的美人
4.1 倾国倾城李夫人
4.2 后宫第一王昭君
4.3 美丽才女班婕妤
4.4 白富美惟卓文君
4.5 被历史掩埋的貂蝉
第5章魏晋六朝美人
5.1 魏晋士子描述的美人
5.2 蓬头垢面亦国色——甄妃
5.3 三斛珍珠换美人——绿珠
第6章魏晋时期著名美男子
6.1 魏晋美男子的外在条件
6.2 魏晋美男子的内在品质
6.3 美男子其他条件
第7章唐代美女的内在美
7.1 美人之品德要求——贞节操行
7.2 美人之品德要求——仁义之心
7.3 美人之品德要求——痴情专一
7.4 美人的内在要求——知礼重孝
第8章唐代美女的外在美
8.1 唐诗展现的美女外表
8.2 唐传奇展现的美女外在条件
第9章唐代的美人
9.1 唐代女性肥硕之说
9.2 一生受宠杨贵妃
9.3 宠遇第一独孤皇后
各章图表附录

FAQ

Is this book about stories of beautiful women or an academic discussion?

Both, but it is positioned as academic popular science. It discusses figures such as Xi Shi and Yang Guifei in concrete terms, but only after establishing a conceptual framework of the ancient definition of the beautiful woman, evaluative standards, and moral traits; it is therefore not a mere compilation of anecdotes.

Why does it stop at the Tang dynasty?

According to the source material, the book begins with beautiful women of the pre-Qin era and continues through the Tang dynasty, using Jiang Zhuang, Xi Shi, Lady Li, Zhuo Wenjun, Consort Zhen, Lüzhu, Wang Zhaojun, Ban Jieyu, and Yang Guifei as case studies. Content after the Tang is outside its scope; interested readers will need to find relevant research elsewhere.

Are looks the only criterion by which the book judges beautiful women?

No. The book explores standards of beauty by combining internal and external conditions; beyond physical beauty and a fine figure, it emphasizes the beauty of inner character and lofty moral conduct, which were important dimensions of the ancient evaluative system.

Can I understand it without a foundation in classical Chinese?

Yes. This is an academic popular-science book, and the author keeps the citation and discussion of sources readable. Slow down when you encounter critical vocabulary or quoted classical passages; systematic training in classical Chinese is not required, though some experience reading classical literature will make it smoother.

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About the author

赖庆芳 Author

Lai Qingfang: publicly available information is limited. The only confirmed detail comes from one work, Beautiful Women (Meiren), which is classified under general biography, suggesting that the author's writing is related to biography or to figures and personalities. The title points to an interest in female images or in writing about people centered on the theme of beauty, possibly involving women from history, culture, or literature. Because only this single work is included in the database, it is not yet possible to judge Lai Qingfang's overall direction, output, or style, nor to confirm nationality, dates of birth and death, education, or professional identity. The available material is insufficient to sketch a complete biography, and readers may learn more about the author's subjects and narrative approach by examining the contents of Beautiful Women.