The TV drama The Empress of China is hot among audiences recently. Actress Fan Bingbing, who plays the role of Empress Wu Zetian, is a fabulous¹ beauty. What did Wu Zetian, China`s only female monarch<sup>2</sup>, look like in real life? Let`s explore the possibilities.

电视剧《武媚娘传奇》成了观众们的新宠。扮演武媚娘的范冰冰可谓美若天仙。而现实中，这位中国唯一的女皇帝到底容貌如何？且让我们一探究竟。

The famous Chinese scholar Guo Moruo researched this, and he thinks that a plump empress portrayed³ in a painting by Tang Dynasty painter Zhang Xuan is Wu Zetian. Zhang left many famous paintings, such as Paintings of Lady of Guoguo on a Spring Outing of the Tang Dynasty, Court Ladies Preparing Newly-Woven Silk and Lady of Wei.

我国著名学者郭沫若曾对此做过考证，他认为唐朝画家张悬笔下（《唐后行从图》）体态丰满的“皇后”正是武则天。张悬曾留下了许多著名画作，包括《虢国夫人游春图》、《捣练图》、《卫夫人像》等。

It is guessed that Zhang Xuan was a court painter and had met Wu Zetian before, so the portrait by him is quite reliable.

（由于多绘宫中仕女）有猜测认为张悬曾作为宫廷画家见到过武则天本人，因此，他画中的武则天应较为可信。

Another frequently seen image of Wu Zetian is the block-painted edition of Images of Ancient People in History, created in 1498, during the reign⁴ of Emperor Hongzhi in the Ming Dynasty. However, as the painting was recreated by Ming people, it is not very reliable and possibly a portrait born out of imagination.

另一个版本的武则天出现频率很高，它出自明弘治十一年(1498年)的刻本《历代古人像赞》。由于是明人的再创作，所以这个版本的可信度不高，很可能是后人根据想象所画。

There are also many stone statues of Empress Wu Zetian, and the most ancient one is now at her birthplace, Guangyuan in Sichuan province. The statue is said to be vey close to the real appearance of Wu Zetian.

除了画像，还有很多武则天的雕像（可做参考），比如位于武则天出生地四川广元皇泽寺的武则天石刻像，它是最早的武则天石像，也被认为是最接近武则天真实形象的一座。

When Empress Wu Zetian ascended⁵ the throne, she built many temples and Buddha⁶ statues. Many Buddha statues in the Longmen Grottoes in today`s Luoyang in Henan province were constructed during her reign. Among them, a large Vairocana Buddha in Fengxian Temple is considered to be a "portrait" of Wu Zetian at 44 years old.

武则天称帝后，曾大兴佛寺、广凿佛像，洛阳龙门石窟中有许多佛像都完成于武则天时代。而龙门石窟奉先寺中的“卢舍那佛”，则被不少学者认为是武则天44岁时的“写真”。

The Buddha has characteristics of an oriental beauty`s face and is honored as the most beautiful Buddha in the world. At 17.14 meters high, the face of the Buddha looks elegant, pretty and plump, and has a mysterious smile.

卢舍那佛的面部特征具有东方女性之美，被誉为“世上最美丽的佛陀”。它身高17.14米，面容丰腴饱满、秀丽端庄、露出一丝神秘微笑。

Wu Zetian funded the statue`s construction and took part in the consecration⁷ ceremony when it was completed. Ancient people assumed that the statue was an embodiment of Empress Wu Zetian.

（据《造像铭》记载）时为皇后的武则天曾为奉先寺的修建“助脂粉钱两万贯”，同时亲自参加了卢舍那佛的开光仪式。因此古人推测卢舍那佛正是武则天的化身。

According to ancient records, Wu Zetian had big eyes, a long neck, a big face and a square forehead. Anyway, Wu Zetian would not look like Fan Bingbing, who has the little face of a modern beauty. Moreover, maybe Wu Zetian was a woman who had a face similar to a man`s, as the Tang Dynasty regarded chubbiness⁸ as a standard of beauty and feminine temperament⁹ was not popular then.

而据古书记载，武则天有着“龙睛凤颈”，眼大而有神、脖颈细长；“方额广颐”，额头较方、脸颊较大。反正一定不会是范冰冰那样符合现代审美的小脸美女。说不定武则天其实生了一副男子面相，不过，这倒与唐代以胖为美，阴柔委婉不受青睐的女子审美标准十分相符。