From marking good looks to advancing political careers: See how the rules and styles of facial hair changed in ancient Chinese history
Picture a random man from China in your mind: Does he have a beard or mustache?
If your answer is no, chances are that it’s a man living in modern China. A clean-shaven look has been the mainstream since the start of the 20th century, but in ancient China, almost all the adult men—except eunuchs—kept facial hair. A luxuriant beard used to be an important standard for judging handsome men.
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Sun Jiahui is a freelance writer and former editor at The World of Chinese. She writes about Chinese language, society and culture, and is especially passionate about sharing stories of China's ancient past with a wider audience. She has been writing for TWOC for over six years, and pens the Choice Chengyu column.
