Sizihwan ( Chinese : 西子灣 ; Hanyu Pinyin : Xīzǐwān ; Tongyong Pinyin : Sizǐhwan ) is a community and sightseeing spot in Gushan District , Kaohsiung , Taiwan , named for the adjacent bay of the Taiwan Strait , also called Sizihwan.
31-511: The name Sizih ( 西子 ) can also refer to Xi Shi , an alternative name used by the poet Su Dongpo of the Song dynasty referring to the famous ancient beauty, which somehow implies the view in this scenic area is as beautiful as the lady. Historical names include: Located on the Taiwan Strait at the north of the entrance to Kaohsiung Harbor , Sizihwan is surrounded by mountains with Shoushan to
62-642: A fishing boat, roaming like fairies in the misty wilderness of Taihu Lake , and no one saw them ever again. This is according to Yuan Kang's Yue Jueshu (越绝书), which records: "After the West Shi died of Wu, he returned to Fan Li, and went with Pan Wuhu." Another version, according to Mozi , is that Xi Shi later died from drowning in the river. No matter how she died, she has been remembered for her sacrifices and for embodying ideals of loyalty, courage and selflessness for more than two millennia. The West Lake in Hangzhou
93-467: Is in the eye of the beholder " (literally: "in the eyes of a lover, Xi Shi appears"). Since its introduction into literary works, the image of Xi Shi has continuously appeared and presented different colors in the writings of literati. From the initial "beauty of the world" to the "beauty disaster" in the Song Dynasty, and then to the "heroine" in the mid Ming Dynasty, the portrayal of her image carries
124-621: Is mentioned in the novel Journey to the West , as a sign of grace and beauty. Xi Shi is referenced in one of the Four Masterpieces of Chinese literature, Dream of the Red Chamber , where the heroine Lin Daiyu is described as having a delicate and frail appearance akin to that of Xi Shi. Both Lin and Xi Shi evoke the image of a beautiful lady with a delicate and fragile presence. Xi Shi appears in
155-475: Is said to be the incarnation of Xi Shi, hence it is also called Xizi Lake, Xizi being another name for Xi Shi, meaning Lady Xi. In his famous poem Drinks at West Lake through Sunshine and Rain (飲湖上初睛居雨), renowned Song Dynasty poet Su Shi compared the beauty of the West Lake to that of Xi Shi. Several Tang Dynasty poets wrote about Xi Shi and her story in their poetry, including Li Bai and Wang Wei . Xi Shi
186-524: The Grand Historian . Xi Shi, Wang Zhaojun , Diao Chan and Yang Guifei are known as the “Four Beauties in Ancient China”, among which Xi Shi is chronologically the first. Xi Shi's beauty is reputed to have been so extraordinary that, as she leaned over a balcony to observe fish in a pond, the fish were allegedly mesmerized to the extent that they momentarily ceased swimming and descended beneath
217-721: The Han dynasty and the Xiongnu. The new emperor, Emperor Huan , ordered that the plainest woman from the harem be given to Huhanye, and so Wang Zhaojun was chosen, based on her unflattering portrait. The artist Mao Yanshou was subsequently executed for deceiving the Emperor. Diaochan is a fictional character in the Ming novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms . Set in the waning years of the Eastern Han and
248-565: The West ' ), also known by the nickname Xizi , was one of the renowned Four Beauties of ancient China . She was said to have lived in a small Yue village (today part of Zhuji , a county-level city in Shaoxing , Zhejiang ) during the end of the Spring and Autumn period . According to legend, Xi Shi was originally a girl who regularly washed gauze in the Huan Sha river. In traditional stories, Xi Shi
279-686: The area is available from G-Bus [ zh ] #99 and O1(橘1) metro shuttle bus . The nearest Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit station is the Orange Line 's terminus at Sizihwan Station which, despite its name, is not in Sizihwan but in neighboring Hamasing . This article about a location in Taiwan is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Xi Shi Xi Shi ( Hsi Shih ; Chinese : 西施 ; pinyin : Xī Shī ; Wade–Giles : Hsi Shih , lit. ' (Lady) Shi of
310-490: The centuries. Yang Guifei lived in the 8th century and was the beloved consort of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang . She was said to have had a face that put all flowers to shame. Emperor Xuanzong doted on her so much that she was able to persuade him to make her cousin, Yang Guozhong , leading chancellor. During the An Lushan Rebellion , as Emperor Xuanzong and his cortege were fleeing from the capital Chang'an to Chengdu,
341-466: The controversy over whether Xishi's hometown is Zhuji or Xiaoshan has settled over the years. Four Beauties#Idioms The Four Beauties or Four Great Beauties are four Chinese women who were renowned for their beauty. The four are usually identified as Xi Shi , Wang Zhaojun , Diaochan , and Yang Yuhuan . Among them, Diaochan is a fictional character while the rest have been greatly embellished by legend . They gained their reputation from
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#1732855595221372-559: The emperor's guards demanded that he put Yang Guifei to death because they blamed the rebellion on her cousin Yang Guozhong and the rest of her family. The emperor capitulated and reluctantly ordered his attendant Gao Lishi to strangle Yang to death. Yang Guifei became a tragic figure in later depictions. Particularly influential was the Tang poet Bai Juyi 's long poem, " Chang hen ge " (" Song of Everlasting Sorrow "). Well-known idioms describe
403-466: The harem of Emperor Yun , despite her young age. Despite her beauty, the emperor never visited her, as she had refused to bribe the official portraitists, who had then painted an unflattering portrait of her. In 33 BCE, the Xiongnu Chanyu Huhanye came to the Han capital Chang'an on an official visit, and asked for a Han beauty as his wife as part of the marriage alliance system between
434-474: The historic Lingsing Temple [ zh ] at the peak of Shaochuantou overlook Sizihwan Bay. Sizihwan is directly accessible by bicycle and on foot through the Sizihwan Tunnel (through Shaochuantou mountain). Built from 1927 to 1933, the tunnel is itself a tourist attraction. Larger vehicular traffic can reach the area by two other more circuitous routes around the mountain. Public bus service to
465-529: The hustle and bustle of the city, where he would boast to those around him about winning the heart of the most beautiful woman in the world. Influenced by Xi Shi's counsel, he made the grievous decision to eliminate his trusted advisor, the esteemed general Wu Zixu . Furthermore, Fuchai constructed the Guanwa Palace (Palace of Beautiful Women) within an imperial park situated on the slopes of Lingyan Hill, approximately 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) west of Suzhou . In
496-717: The imprint of changes in the times and the interpretation of literati individuals. Xishi Old Town, located on the south side of Zhuji City, Zhejiang Province, is an important part of the national key scenic spots of the Ruanjiang River.It is a national AAAA tourist area. The scenic spots include the Wansa River Scenic Belt, the ancient Yue Cultural District, the Hall of Fame, the leisure resort, Fan Li Temple, Xishijeon Hall, Zheng Danjeong Pavilion, Guoyue Terrace, Feijianjeong Pavilion and Panshan Monument Gallery. The scenic spot
527-450: The influence they exercised over powerful men and, consequently, their impact on Chinese history . One of the earliest references to qualities later associated with the canonical Four Great Beauties appears in the Zhuangzi . In one chapter, the women Mao Qiang and Lady Li are described as "great beauties" who "when fish see them they dart into the depths, when birds see them they soar into
558-652: The martial arts fiction by Jin Yong (Louis Cha), " Sword of the Yue Maiden ". Her name also inspired the modern name of the Shih Tzu , whose Chinese name translates to "Xi Shi dog", but whose English name has been claimed to come from the word for "lion". The moniker "lion dog" in Chinese is actually reserved for the Pekingese . Xi Shi is referenced in the idiom 情人眼里出西施 , meaning " beauty
589-465: The northeast and Shaochuantou Hill ( 哨船頭山 ), a spur of Shoushan to the east. The area is dominated by the campus of National Sun Yat-sen University which faces the open waters of the Taiwan Strait. Sizihwan Beach (known as Takao Beach during Japanese rule ) is a black sand beach that sits right at the edge of the campus and is a popular recreation area. The Former British Consulate at Takao and
620-418: The rural girl into a learned lady, good at drawing, calligraphy and chess, and presented them to Fuchai in 490 BC. Enchanted by the beauty of Xi Shi and Zheng Dan, King Fuchai became wholly preoccupied with their presence, diverting his attention from matters of state. Gradually, he began to overlook his political responsibilities and preferred to spend leisure time with Xi Shi. He often took her by carriage to
651-496: The skies, when deer see them they bolt away without looking back". This passage is the source of the well-known Chinese idiom "to make fish sink and birds fall", which refers to feminine beauty (see 沉魚落雁 ). Xi Shi lived around the 7th to the 6th centuries BCE, during the Spring and Autumn period . Similar to the story in the Zhuangzi , she was said to be so entrancingly beautiful that fishes would forget how to swim and sink below
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#1732855595221682-438: The subsequent Three Kingdoms period, she was said to be so luminously lovely that the moon itself would shy away in embarrassment when compared to her face. Chinese historical records indicate that the warrior Lü Bu had a secret affair with one of the warlord Dong Zhuo 's maids and he constantly feared that Dong Zhuo would find out. This was one of the reasons why he betrayed and assassinated Dong Zhuo in 192. The maid's name
713-556: The surface upon seeing her reflection in the water. Xi Shi was from Zhuji , the capital of the Ancient Yue Kingdom . Goujian , the King of Yue, had surrendered to the rival state of Wu , with the aim of biding his time before enacting his revenge. Part of his plan was to dispatch Xi Shi as a gift to Fuchai , the King of Wu, in the hope that Fuchai would become infatuated with her and become distracted from his official duties. The plan
744-495: The wake of these events, the power and influence of the Wu kingdom began to wane. In the year 473 BC, King Goujian seized the opportunity to launch a decisive offensive against Wu, resulting in the complete and utter defeat of the Wu army. King Fuchai, overwhelmed with remorse for disregarding the counsel of Wu Zixu, took his own life. In the legend, after the fall of Wu, Fan Li (范蠡) retired from his ministerial post and lived with Xi Shi on
775-511: The water's surface. This narrative serves as the origin of the first two characters of the Chinese idiom 沉魚落雁, 閉月羞花 ( pinyin : chényú luòyàn, bìyuè xiūhuā ). This idiom is commonly used to compliment a woman's beauty, symbolizing that her allure is so captivating that it can cause fish to submerge, birds to descend, the moon to hide, and flowers to blush. (Literal translation: 'fish dive, goose fall; moon hide, flower shame') King Goujian of Yue
806-578: Was named Shi Yiguang (施夷光). She was discovered by the Yue minister Fan Li and given to King Fuchai of Wu by King Goujian of Yue in a sexpionage operation which successfully brought down the State of Wu in 473 BC. This account first appeared in Spring and Autumn Annals of Wu and Yue published five centuries after the conquest, and is completely absent in earlier works such as Guoyu , Zuo zhuan , and Records of
837-526: Was named Xishi Legend's municipal heritage base in June 2006, and was named Zhejiang Intangible Cultural Heritage Tourism Scenic Area in 2010. Although there has been controversy over the hometown of Xi Shi, on June 10, 2006, the first China Intangible Cultural Heritage Day, the State Council announced the first batch of China's intangible cultural heritage list, and the "Legend of Xi Shi" was listed.This means that
868-450: Was not recorded in history, but it is believed the story partly inspired the character of Diaochan. In Romance of the Three Kingdoms , Diaochan, a geji of Wang Yun, assists her master in his plot to bring down Dong Zhuo. She seduces both Lü Bu and Dong Zhuo and thus drives a wedge between the two, eventually having Lü killed his foster father Dong Zhuo. She then becomes a concubine of Lü. The fictional details about her life were added over
899-550: Was once imprisoned by King Fuchai of Wu following a military defeat. As a result, the state of Yue became a tributary state to the State of Wu . In a clandestine effort to plot his revenge, King Goujian's minister Wen Zhong suggested training exceptionally beautiful women and offering them to King Fuchai as a tribute, well aware of Fuchai's weakness for beautiful women. Another minister, Fan Li , identified and procured two such women, namely Xi Shi and Zheng Dan (郑旦), After nearly three years of training and training, Xi transformed
930-433: Was successful, with Fuchai spending all his time entertaining Xi Shi and not attending to military matters. In part due to his distraction, Goujian was able to defeat an unprepared Fuchai in battle. Fuchai, full of regret, committed suicide. There are two accounts of what then happened to Xi Shi. The first is that Goujian killed her by drowning her because he was afraid that he too would be mesmerized by her beauty. The second
961-466: Was that she eventually came together with her lover Fan Li and they lived in seclusion together. Wang Zhaojun was born around 50 BCE, during the Western Han dynasty . Again reflecting the Zhuangzi , she was said to be so beautiful that her appearance would entice birds in flight to fall from the sky. Locally renowned for her beauty and skill at playing the pipa , she was chosen to be admitted into