Beauty Ideals in China: Reconfiguration of the Body through the Prospect of Westernization and Modernization
This study explores the pattern behind Chinese women’s desire to “beautify” their facial features and what builds their standards of a “beautiful face”. By examining the evolution of manners toward commodified beauty, the overall progression of China on its way to modernization is unveiled. The essay follows a chronological order from the traditional beauty ideals in late-imperial China, which are...