Yang Guifei

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Statue of Yang Guifei bathing in Huaqing Pool, near Xi'an.
Statue of Yang Guifei bathing in Huaqing Pool, near Xi'an.

Yáng Guìfēi (Simplified Chinese: 杨贵妃; Traditional Chinese: 楊貴妃; pinyin: Yáng Guìfēi), Yáng: (a common surname), Guìfēi: 'highest-ranking imperial concubine' (literally means 'precious princess consort'), (June 1, 719 — July 15, 756), born Yáng Yùhuán (楊玉環), was one of the Four Beauties of ancient China. She was the beloved consort of the Xuanzong emperor. She was executed (together with her sisters and her cousin Yáng Guózhōng 楊國忠) because the enraged Imperial bodyguard troops were convinced that the Rebellion of Anshi was ultimately the fault of the Yang family.

Yang was born in Yongle (永樂), Pu Prefecture (蒲州) with an ancestry in Huaying (華陰), Hongnong (弘農) (in Shaanxi) to Yang Xuanyan (楊玄琰), the sihu (司戶), a finance and food official, in Shu Prefecture (蜀州). A few years after her father's death, sixteen-year old Yang married the Xuanzong's sixteen-year old son Prince Shou (壽王), Li Mei (李瑁), as "princess Shou" (壽王妃).

Three years after Emperor Xuanzong's consort Wu Huifei (武惠妃) died in 737, the highly-placed eunuch advisor Gao Lishi arranged for Xuanzong to meet Yang in Xingwen Fountain Palace (幸溫泉宮). The emperor then made Yang divorce her husband the prince, and become a nun with the sobriquet Taizhen (太真 "Utmost Truth") living in Taizhen Palace. Five years later, Prince Li Mei was given another wife, the daughter of General Yuan Zhaoxun (韋昭訓), and then Yang was made a guifei (imperial consort).

Many of Yang's relatives received preference and high titles through her influence:

  • her eldest sister became Lady of Han (韓國夫人) (Note: the name 韓國 does not correspond to the modern-day Korea)
  • her third eldest sister became Lady of Guo (虢國夫人)
  • her eighth eldest sister became Lady of Qin (秦國夫人)
  • her playboy distant cousin, Yáng Guózhōng (楊國忠), became a high-ranking official, eventually the Chief Minister.

In addition, members of the Yang family married two Li princesses and two prefects. She also recommended her favorite, the "court jester" An Lushan, to military command, with disastrous consequences.

Lychee was a favorite fruit for Yang, and the emperor had the fruit, which was only grown in southern China, delivered by the imperial messenger service's fast horses, whose riders would take shifts day and night in a Pony Express-like manner, to the capital. (Most historians believe the fruits were delivered from modern Guangdong, but some believe they came from modern Sichuan.)

During the Anshi Rebellion, when the capital was taken, the emperor made his escape to Chengdu. Along the road, at Mawei Relay Station (馬嵬驛站) (today in Xingping (興平縣), Shaanxi), the soldiers accompanying the imperial party, believing that the Yangs were responsible for the country's upheaval, demanded and obtained the death of Yang Guozhong. Still unsatisfied, the army insisted that Yang Guifei should be killed as well. Rather than turn herself over to them, Yang (then 38) hanged herself or was hanged by Gao Lishi. The following year, the devastated Xuanzong tried to retrieve her body from the Mawei Relay Station, but no body was ever found, so a memorial tomb for her was erected in Xi. A Japanese myth grew up telling that she was rescued, escaped to Japan and lived her remaining life there. In Japanese, she's known as Youkihi. In the following generation, a long poem, "Song of the Everlasting Sorrow" (長恨歌), was written, describing the Emperor's love for her and perpetual grief at her loss; it became an instant classic, known to and memorized by Chinese schoolboys far into posterity.

Yang Guifei is known for being slightly overweight, which was a much sought-after quality at the time. Misinterpretation of quotes describing this in the West has often led to her being described as "Obese". The term "obese", when used to describe Yang Guifei, must not be viewed in its modern context of someone who is extremely overweight. She was often compared and contrasted with Zhao Feiyan (趙飛燕), the beautiful wife of Emperor Cheng of Han, because she was known for her full build while Zhao was known for her slender build. This led to the Four-character idiom yanshou huanfei (燕瘦環肥), describing the range of the types of beauties.

[edit] Cultural legacy

Yang's story is often retold in culture. While some literature describes her as the author of much misfortune, other writings sympathize with Yang as being a scapegoat. These stories of varying points of view include:

Literature:

Operas

  • Guifei Intoxicated (貴妃醉酒 Guifei Zuijiu)
  • The Unofficial Biography of Taizhen (太真外傳 Taizhen Waizhuan)
  • The Slope of Mawei (馬嵬坡 Mawei Po) by Chen Hong (陳鴻)

Novels:

  • The Unofficial Biography of Yang Taizhen (楊太真外傳 Yang Taizhen Waizhua)
  • The Biography-Song of the Everlasting Sorrow (長恨歌傳 Changhen Kezhuan)
  • The Court of the Lion (modern English novelization) - Eleanor Cooney, Daniel Altieri (ISBN 0-87795-902-1)

Drama plays:

  • The Hall of Longevity (長生殿 Changshen Dian) by (洪升) of the Qing Dynasty
  • The Mirror to Grind Dust (磨塵鑒 Mocheng Jian) by an anonymous of the Ming Dynasty
  • The Records of Shocking the Grandeur (驚鴻記 Jinghong Ji) by (吳世美) of the Ming Dynasty
  • The Records of Colourful Hair (彩毫記 Caihao Ji) by (屠隆隆) of the Ming Dynasty
  • Emperor Ming of Tang China in an Autumn Night with Kolanut and Rain (唐明皇秋夜梧桐雨 Tang Minghuang Qiuye Wutong Yu) by Bai Pu (白樸) of the Yuan Dynasty

Movies:

Television:

  • The Legend of Lady Yang (TVB) Starred by Anne heung

She's also well-known in Japan, and Noh plays have been staged based on her story.

[edit] External links

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