Wang Zhaojun's appearance has been restored to its original state, leaving netizens shocked and unable to believe their eyes.

What did one of the four great beauties of China, known for her breathtaking beauty, actually look like?

According to historical records, Wang Zhaojun was the daughter of a commoner family, but because of her beauty, she entered the palace, hoping to become a favored concubine of the emperor. Thousands upon thousands of beautiful women entered the palace with Wang Zhaojun. However, the emperor paid no attention to them, instead having painters draw portraits of these young women, then personally examining the paintings and making his selection.

Actress Yang Mi once played the role of Wang Zhaojun in the film of the same name.

Wang Zhaojun was breathtakingly beautiful, but due to her family's lack of means, she couldn't "bribe" the painter and was therefore depicted in a bizarrely ugly way. Conversely, those who were less attractive but had used "backdoor" methods were painted much more beautifully. As a result, Wang Zhaojun was not chosen by the Emperor.

According to palace rules, Wang Zhaojun and other palace maids washed clothes, becoming ordinary maids in the palace, and were not allowed to leave the palace.

Some time later, when the Xiongnu leader came to pay his respects to Emperor Han Yuan, he expressed his desire for a marriage alliance. If granted, the Xiongnu would no longer harass the border region. Emperor Han Yuan considered the matter and agreed. Following the old custom, before the alliance, a palace maid would be selected, then granted the title of princess, and finally the marriage would take place.

But no palace maid wanted to make such a sacrifice. It was better to stay in the palace, where there was still a chance to become a noble consort, than to go to the distant Xiongnu territory, which meant leaving her homeland behind, and she might never be able to return even if she died.

At that moment, Wang Zhaojun suddenly insisted on going. Upon seeing Wang Zhaojun, Emperor Han Yuan was astonished and immediately wanted to replace her. But Wang Zhaojun's mind was made up, so he could only agree. It is said that the more Emperor Han Yuan thought about it, the angrier he became, even wanting to sentence the painter to death.

This is the story of "Wang Zhaojun's Departure from the Camp ," a tale highly praised by literati and poets for both her outward appearance and inner qualities. The stories of Wang Zhaojun that have been passed down through generations are remembered by posterity. However, official history does not record it this way; there was a saying at the time: "Even from afar, those who invade the Han dynasty will surely perish." (*Original: Ming fan qiang Han zhě, tuy viễn tất chu).

Wang Zhaojun in an ancient painting.

Accordingly, the Southern Xiongnu had long since submitted to the Han Dynasty and were not so "rebellious" as to insist on such an unreasonable marriage alliance. Emperor Han Yuan only agreed out of social etiquette and to maintain harmony. The story only mentions the detail of Wang Zhaojun marrying a Xiongnu woman, but the people have fabricated the story of "Zhaojun leaving the camp" as described above.

The true appearance of Wang Zhaojun, as reconstructed by experts.

Currently, many experts have been restoring Wang Zhaojun's appearance to its original state . Upon seeing these images, netizens can hardly believe their eyes. Compared to what people imagined, the Wang Zhaojun reconstructed by the experts seems like she's from two different worlds. But the experts have affirmed: " What you see is the truth, believe it . "

In ancient times, the definition of beauty was like a constantly changing painting; over time and with culture, aesthetic standards quietly evolved. When viewing the portrait of Wang Zhaojun from a modern aesthetic perspective, we can see that she did not necessarily meet the traditional classical standards of beauty.

Typically, our standard of classical beauty is a delicate oval face, bright eyes, a straight nose, and a small mouth. However, Wang Zhaojun's features are not overly striking; her eyes are small, even single-lidded, and her facial features tend to be rounder and fuller.

Despite the astonishing reconstructed images presented by modern technology, there is much skepticism. However, leading experts are convinced that this is an authentic portrait and have provided in-depth analysis. In ancient dynasties, beauty standards were very different from modern times. Beautiful women needed to be plump and benevolent, much more so than the slender standard of today. In this era, a plump figure and a full face were considered attractive features of women, and single eyelids were a dominant characteristic. Therefore, in this era, Wang Zhaojun was certainly one of the women who attracted much attention, and her appearance was thus praised as a model of beauty.