Home : Culture : Celebrities :

Wang Zhaojun

Wang Zhaojun (52 BC-85 BC), one of the Four Beauties of ancient China, was born in Zigui in the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-24 DC). She was most renowned for the indispensable role she played in keeping good relations between her community and a neighboring nomadic Hun tribe --- Xiongnu. Stories and legends about Wang Zhaojun have been the popular subjects for literary creation as well as film and television.

Life in the Harem
When under the reign of the Emperor Yuan, the 17-year-old Wang was chosen as a lady-in-waiting and resided in the imperial harem. At that time, many of the ladies in waiting ordered self-portraits and the artist would be bribed to make the portraits much more charming. But Wang Zhaojun was such a confident and righteous woman that she refused to do so, annoying the artist. He defaced the portrait so the Emperor had no idea about her great beauty. So for a further three years Wang stayed unknown to the emperor.

Marrying Chanyu
The Chief of the Xiongnu came to meet Emperor Yuan in the hope of marrying a Han woman. Emperor Yuan took this opportunity to keep the peace with this aggressive nomadic tribe, by promising to betroth him to one of his waiting ladies. Wang Zhaojun, did not want to idle away her time in this harem, and so volunteered for the marriage and decided to leave her country to go to remote area. Only on the day that Wang was offered to Chanyu did the emperor set eyes on her. Shocked by her beauty, Emperor Yuan was deeply regretful and could hardly keep his promise; however, what had been done could not be retracted.

Contribution
Wang Zhaojun's arrival in Xiongnu was warmly welcomed by the locals. During her very limited life, Wang contributed greatly to the exchange between the Han and Hun cultures. It was Wang's marriage to the chief of the Hun Tribe that ensured the Western Han were able to maintain a harmonious relation with Xiongnu for more than sixty years. Wang Zhoujun died at the age of 33, but her sons and daughters continued her good deeds in keeping this good relationship between the Han and Hun nations.