Cultural Legacy
Yang was known for having a full and fleshy figure, which was a much sought-after quality at the time. She was often compared and contrasted with Empress Zhao Feiyan, the wife of Emperor Cheng of Han, because Yang was known for her full build while Empress Zhao was slender. This led to the Four-character idiom yanshou huanfei (Chinese: 燕瘦環肥; pinyin: yàn shòu huán féi), describing the range of the types of beauties.
Lychee was a favorite fruit for Yang, and the emperor had the fruit, which was only grown in southern China, delivered by the imperial courier's fast horses, whose riders would take shifts day and night in a Pony Express-like manner, to the capital. (Most historians believe the fruits were delivered from modern Guangdong, but some believe they came from modern Sichuan.)
A copy of the outline of her right hand still exists, having been carved on a large stone at the site of the Xi'an Palace.
Yang was also granted use of the Huaqing Pool which had been the exclusive private pool of previous Tang emperors.
In the following generation, a long poem, "Song of Everlasting Sorrow" (長恨歌), was written by the poet Bai Juyi describing Emperor Xuanzong's love for her and perpetual grief at her loss. It became an instant classic, known to and memorized by Chinese schoolchildren far into posterity. 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.
Yang is also well known in Japan, and 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 Yōkihi.
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. These stories of varying points of view include:
Read more about this topic: Yang Guifei
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