Yang Guifei

Yang was born in 719 during the Tang dynasty, early in the reign of Emperor Xuanzong. Her great-great-grandfather Yang Wang () was a key official during the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui, and, after the fall of the Sui dynasty, served one of the contenders to succeed Sui, Wang Shichong; Yang Wang was then killed when Wang Shichong was defeated by Tang forces in 621. Yang Wang was from Huayin (; in modern Weinan, Shaanxi), but his clan subsequently relocated to Yongle (; in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi). Yang's father Yang Xuanyan () served as a census official at Shu Prefecture (; in modern Chengdu, Sichuan), and his family went there with him. He appeared to have had no sons, but had four daughters who were known to history—Yang Yuhuan and three older sisters. Yang Xuanyan died when Yang Yuhuan was still young, so the latter was raised by her uncle Yang Xuanjiao (), who was a low-ranking official at Henan Municipality (; modern Luoyang). ==Princess and Taoist nun==

On 10 Feb 736, seventeen-year-old Yang married Li Mao, the Prince of Shou and the son of Emperor Xuanzong and Consort Wu. She thus carried the title of Princess of Shou. After Consort Wu died in January 738, Emperor Xuanzong was greatly saddened by the death of his then-favorite concubine. Some time after that, however, Princess Yang somehow came into Xuanzong's favor and the Emperor decided to take her as his consort. However, since Princess Yang was already the wife of his son, Emperor Xuanzong secretly arranged for her to become a Taoist nun, with the tonsured name Taizhen, in order to prevent criticism that would affect his plan of making her his concubine. Yang then stayed, for a brief moment, as a Taoist nun in the palace itself, before Emperor Xuanzong made her an imperial consort after bestowing a new wife on his son Li Mao. Yang became the favorite consort of the Emperor. ==Imperial consort==

On 19 September 745, after Emperor Xuanzong gave the third daughter of the general Wei Zhaoxun () to Li Mao as his new wife and princess on 28 August, he officially made Taizhen an imperial consort—with the newly restored rank of Guifei, which was greater than the previously highest rank of Huifei, carried by Consort Wu. He bestowed posthumous honors on her father Yang Xuanyan and granted her mother the title of Lady of Liang. He also gave high offices to her uncle Yang Xuangui () and cousins Yang Xian () and Yang Qi (). Since 745, all within the imperial court and the palace had treated her like the new empress (), and bowed to her as if she was the most powerful woman in the land (), and in the palace, they called her lady (), like the honorific used for the empress. Her three older sisters were conferred the ranks of Ladies of Han, Guo, and Qin, and it was said that whenever the noble women were summoned to imperial gatherings, even Emperor Xuanzong's highly honored sister Li Chiying (), the Princess Yuzhen, did not dare to take a seat more honorable than theirs. Emperor Xuanzong also gave his favorite daughter, Princess Taihua (born of Consort Wu), to Yang Qi in marriage. The five Yang households—those of Yang Xian, Yang Qi, and the Ladies of Han, Guo, and Qin—were said to be exceedingly honored and rich, and all of the officials fought to flatter her. Around the same time, Yang Guifei introduced her second cousin Yang Zhao (whose name was later changed to Yang Guozhong) to Emperor Xuanzong. Yang Zhao, who flattered the emperor, rose quickly in the ranks. Yang Guifei became so favored that whenever she rode a horse, the eunuch Gao Lishi would attend her. Seven hundred laborers were conscripted to sew fabrics for her. Officials and generals flattered her by offering her exquisite tributes. In 746, she angered Emperor Xuanzong by being jealous and rude to him, and he had her sent to her cousin Yang Xian's mansion. Later that day, however, his mood was such that he could not eat, and he battered his servants for minor offenses. Gao knew that he missed Yang Guifei, and requested that the treasures in Yang Guifei's palace be sent to her. Emperor Xuanzong agreed, and sent imperial meals to her as well. That night, Gao requested that Emperor Xuanzong welcome Yang Guifei back to the palace, a request that Emperor Xuanzong easily agreed to. Thereafter, she was even more favored, and no other imperial consort drew his favor. In 747, when the military governor (jiedushi) An Lushan arrived at the capital Chang'an to meet Emperor Xuanzong, Emperor Xuanzong showed him much favor and allowed him into the palace. He had An honor Yang Guifei as his mother and Yang Guifei's cousins and sisters as his brothers and sisters. In 750, Yang Guifei again offended Emperor Xuanzong with her words, and he sent her back to her clan. The official Ji Wen () told Emperor Xuanzong that he had overreacted, and Emperor Xuanzong regretted his actions. He again sent imperial meals to her, and she wept to the eunuchs delivering the meal, stating: She cut off some of her hair and had the hair taken back to Emperor Xuanzong. Emperor Xuanzong had Gao escort her back to the palace, and thereafter had even greater love for her. In 751, An Lushan again visited Chang'an. On An's birthday on 20 February, 751, Emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guifei rewarded him with clothing, treasures, and food. On 23 February, when An was summoned to the palace, Yang Guifei, in order to please Emperor Xuanzong, had an extra-large infant wrapping made, and wrapped the obese An in it, causing much laughter among the ladies in waiting and eunuchs. When Emperor Xuanzong asked what was going on, Yang Guifei's attendants joked that Yang Guifei gave birth three days before and was washing her baby Lushan. Emperor Xuanzong was amused by the comic situation and rewarded both Yang Guifei and An greatly. Thereafter, whenever An visited the capital, he was allowed free admittance to the palace, and there were rumors that he and Yang Guifei had an affair, but Emperor Xuanzong discounted the rumors. Yang Guifei's cousin, Yang Guozhong, had been serving—remotely—as commander of Jiannan Circuit (; headquartered in modern Chengdu, Sichuan). In 752, following Nanzhao incursions against Jiannan Circuit, chancellor Li Linfu wanted to send Yang Guozhong to Jiannan to personally supervise defenses against the Nanzhao attacks. Yang Guifei interceded on Yang Guozhong's behalf, and Yang Guozhong did not actually report to Jiannan. Li Linfu soon died, and Yang Guozhong became chancellor. ==Death==

Yang Guozhong and An Lushan soon were in conflict, and Yang Guozhong repeatedly acted provocatively, such as arresting and executing staff members from An's mansion in Chang'an. In 755, An finally rebelled and marched his troops toward the capital. In order to try to placate the populace, which believed that Yang Guozhong's conflict with An Lushan had provoked the rebellion, Emperor Xuanzong considered passing the throne to his crown prince, Li Heng. Yang Guozhong, who was not on good terms with the prince, feared this development, and persuaded Yang Guifei and her sisters, the Ladies of Han, Guo, and Qin, to speak against it. Emperor Xuanzong, for the time being, did not abdicate the throne. In 756, Yang Guozhong forced General Geshu Han to engage An Lushan, at least partly out of fear that the general himself might attempt to usurp the throne. Geshu Han was defeated and Tong Pass, the last major imperial defense, fell to An's forces. With the situation becoming desperate, Yang Guozhong suggested fleeing to Chengdu, the capital of Jiannan Circuit. On 14 July, Emperor Xuanzong, along with Yang Guifei, her family, and his immediate clan members, secretly left Chang'an, heading toward Chengdu. With him were Yang Guozhong, his fellow chancellor Wei Jiansu, the official Wei Fangjin (), the general Chen Xuanli, and some eunuchs and ladies in waiting close to him. On 15 July, but after Wei E (, Wei Jiansu's son) and Gao Lishi spoke in agreement with Chen, the Emperor eventually agreed. He had Gao take Yang Guifei to a Buddhist shrine and allow her a forced suicide, considered a more dignified death than execution. When Yang Guifei's body was shown to Chen and the other imperial guard generals, the soldiers dispersed and prepared to continue the journey. Yang Guifei was buried at Mawei, without a coffin, but with masses of fragrance wrapped in purple blankets. In 757, Prince Li Heng, who had taken the throne as Emperor Suzong, recaptured Chang'an and welcomed ex-Emperor Xuanzong, then Taishang Huang (retired emperor) back to the capital. Emperor Xuanzong went through Mawei on his way back to Chang'an. He wanted to locate Yang Guifei's body and rebury her with honor. The official Li Kui spoke against it, pointing out that the imperial guard might again mutiny if he did so. However, Emperor Xuanzong secretly sent eunuchs to rebury her with a coffin. When they found the body, it had decomposed, but the fragrance bag buried with her was still fresh. The eunuchs returned with the fragrance bag, and upon its presentation to Emperor Xuanzong, he wept bitterly. When he returned to Chang'an, he had a painter create a picture of Yang Guifei in a secondary palace, and often went there to view the portrait. ==Personal characteristics==

Yang was known for having a larger figure in an era of Chinese history when such body types were preferred. Because of that, Yang is often compared and contrasted with Empress Zhao Feiyan, who is known for being a slender person. This, in turn, led to the four-character idiom huanfei yanshou (), describing the physical range of the types of beauties between Zhao and Yang. Modern-day description of Yang's physical size differs. She has been variously described as "rotund", "well rounded", "full-bodied", "portly", and "obese". However, some consider the description of Yang as an obese woman to be either a misinterpretation of ancient Chinese texts, or a misapplication of modern standards on body size. ==Yang Guifei Kannon==

It is said that this seated Kannon statue was modeled after Yang Guifei's appearance, and is enshrined in the Yang Guifei Kannon () Sennyū-ji Hall. It is said that in 1255, Shunsho's disciple Tankai brought it from the Southern Song Dynasty along with the Buddha's relics. It’s called Yokihi Kannon in Japan and Empress Yang Avalokitesvara. There’s a legend at Sennyū-ji temple that Yang Guifei is a manifestation of Kannon. For a long time, it was a secret Buddha statue that was only displayed once every 100 years, but it has been open to the public since 1955, 700 years after it was brought there. Its style and materials are clearly different from Japanese Buddhist statues, and it is thought to have been made in the Southern Song Dynasty, as per the temple's legend. The wooden standing statue of Idaten and the wooden standing statue of Gatsugai Choja, both of which are enshrined in the relic hall, are also from the Southern Song Dynasty, and were designated Important Cultural Properties in 1997, along with the seated Yang Guifei Kannon statue. ==Influence==

as Yang Guifei in a 1928 opera Yang's story has been often retold. While some literature describes her as the author of much misfortune, other writings sympathize with her as a scapegoat. Her story was immortalized in the poem "Chang Hen Ge" ("Song of Everlasting Sorrow") by Bai Juyi. The story of Yang and the poem also became highly popular in Japan and served as sources of inspiration for the classical novel The Tale of Genji, which begins with the doomed love between an emperor and a consort, Kiritsubo, who is likened to Yang. Noh plays have been staged based on her story. A Japanese rumour states that Yang had been rescued, escaped to Japan and lived her remaining life there. In Japanese, she is known as . Legend says that her final resting place was at Atsuta Shrine in Nagoya, where she found refuge. A water spring is dedicated to her. The east gate () of the shrine was also connected to her memory. The gate was a National Treasure and was lost in the Pacific War. In the novel Dream of the Red Chamber, the two ladies Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai, besides the main character Jia Baoyu, are similar to Xi Shi and Yang Guifei. Both Lin and Xi Shi are sick and weak, whereas Xue and Yang are plump and healthy. In chapter 30, Xue gets angry because Jia said she is like Yang and she is chubby. The real reason is that Xue does not have a brother like Yang Guozhong. Other works retelling her story include: Literature • Chang Hen Ge – Song of Everlasting Regret or Song of Everlasting Sorrow () by Bai Juyi • The Unofficial Biography of Yang Taizhen ( Yang Taizhen Waizhuan) by Yue Shi () • The Biography – Song of the Everlasting Sorrow ( Changhen Kezhuan) • Under Heaven (Fictionalized as Wen Jian) by Guy Gavriel Kay • Yang Yuhuan's death is featured in the wuxia novel Datang Youxia Zhuan by Liang Yusheng. Operas • The Drunken Concubine ( Guifei Zuijiu) • The Unofficial Biography of Taizhen ( Taizhen Waizhuan) • The Slope of Mawei ( Mawei Po) by Chen Hong () • The Great Concubine of Tang ( Da Tang Guifei), a contemporary Beijing opera with historical motif. Stage plays • The Hall of Longevity ( Changshen Dian) by Hong Sheng (洪昇) of the Qing dynasty • The Mirror to Grind Dust ( Mocheng Jian) by an anonymous playwright of the Ming dynasty • The Records of Shocking Grandeur ( Jinghong Ji) by Wu Shimei () of the Ming dynasty • The Records of Colourful Hair ( Caihao Ji) by Tu Longlong () of the Ming dynasty • Tang Minghuang on an Autumn Night with Wutong Tree and Rain ( Tang Minghuang Qiuye Wutong Yu) by Bai Pu () of the Yuan dynasty • Cathay: Three Tales of China by Ping Chong Film • Princess Yang Kwei-Fei (), 1955 Japanese film starring Machiko Kyō, directed by Kenji Mizoguchi. • The Magnificent Concubine (Yang Kwei Fei), 1962 Hong Kong film directed by Li Han-hsiang, starring Li Li-hua. • Yang Guifei (), 1992 Chinese film directed by Chen Jialin. • Offspring of Concubine Yang (), 1996 Chinese film directed by Xiao Feng, with Hou Junjie in the title role. • Lady of the Dynasty, 2015 Chinese film starring Fan Bingbing. • Legend of the Demon Cat, 2017 Chinese film directed by Chen Kaige, with Sandrine Pinna as Yang Guifei in a supporting role. • The Lychee Road, 2025 Chinese film directed by and starring Da Peng, with Yang Guifei's love of lychees as the film's context. Based on Ma Boyang's novel The Lychee(s) of Chang'an Television • Lady Yang (), a 1976 Hong Kong series produced by TVB, starring Lina Yan as Yang Yuhuan. • Yang Gui Fei (), a 1985 Taiwanese series aired on CTS, starring Petrina Fung (馮寶寶) • Tang Ming Huang (), a 1990 Chinese series starring Liu Wei and Lin Fangbing as Emperor Xuanzong and Yang Yuhuan respectively. • The Legend of Lady Yang (), a 2000 Hong Kong series produced by TVB, starring Anne Heung and Kwong Wa as Yang Yuhuan and Emperor Xuanzong respectively. • Whatever is Takes a 2001 TVB series has Annie Man and Benny Chan (actor) portray Yang Yuhan and Emperor Xuanzong in the final episode. • Da Tang Fu Rong Yuan (), a 2007 Chinese series starring Fan Bingbing and Winston Chao as Yang Yuhuan and Emperor Xuanzong respectively. • The Legend of Yang Guifei, a 2010 Chinese series starring Yin Tao and Anthony Wong as Yang Yuhuan and Emperor Xuanzong respectively. • ''The Longest Day in Chang'an'', a 2019 Chinese series with Xu Lu as Yang Yuhuan Video games • Yang Guifei appears in the mobile game Fate/Grand Order as a foreigner-class servant - her beauty and the unrest it causes are attributed to her serving an Outer God. ==Gallery==

File:Pao-Shan Tomb Wall-Painting of Liao Dynasty (寳山遼墓壁畫：頌經圗).jpg|Imperial Yang Guifei is teaching a parrot to chant sutras, Liao dynasty (907–1125). File:Ch'ien Hsüan 002.jpg|Detail showing Yang Guifei mounting a horse, from 1250 to 1300. File:Hosoda Eishi - Yang Gui Fei.jpg|Painting of Hosoda Eishi titled "The Chinese beauty Yang Guifei". Edo period, about AD 1800–20. File:Kano Eitoku 007.jpg|The Chinese emperor Minghuang and his concubine Yang Guifei, with attendants on a terrace. By Kanō Eitoku (1543–1590). File:Lintong Xian China Huaqing-Pool-02.jpg|Statue of Yang Guifei at Huaqing Pool. File:Yang Gui-fei by Takaku Aigai.jpg|Yang Guifei. By Takaku Aigai, 1821. File:Yang Guifei got drunk at a feast..JPG|Yang Guifei had a few drinks while waiting for the emperor, from the opera. File:Yang Guifei (Yôkihi) Viewing Cherry Blossoms from Verandah.jpg|Yang Guifei (Yôkihi) Viewing Cherry Blossoms from Verandah. Edo period, circa 1823. File:Emperor Minghuang and Yang Guifei, Shaanxi province, China - Museu do Oriente - Lisbon, Portugal - DSC06789.JPG|Minghuang and Yang Guifei, from Shaanxi File:Yang guifei tomb.jpg|alt=Yang guifei tomb|Tomb of Yang Guifei File:Yang Guifei in a Flower Garden, woodblock print.jpg|Yang Guifei in a Flower Garden, woodblock print with colors File:Yang Guifei by Uemura Shoen (Shohaku Art Museum).jpg|Yang Guifei, by Uemura Shoen, Shohaku Art Museum, Nara, Nara, Japan File:Postcard of gates of Atsuta Shrine 02.jpg|Postcard of the east gate Shunkō-mon () of Atsuta Shrine, dedicated to Yang Guifei. The gate was a National Treasure and was lost in the Pacific War. ==See also==

• Old Book of Tang, vol. 51. • New Book of Tang, vol. 76. • Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 215, 216, 217, 218. ==External links==