Standards of beauty are ever-changing across cultures. While some beauty standards have remained consistent in China since ancient times, others have recently evolved.

Chinese women went through every beauty diktat: from curvy and fat to thin and skinny, they embodied every fantasy throughout China’s history.

But one special tradition distinguished itself from the others. From the 17th to the 20th century, the more fragile a woman looked, the more beautiful she was. But close attention was given to her feet and, if they were small, she was a pure beauty. But small in a special way: indeed, since they were toddlers, Chinese women have got their feet tightly bandaged to keep them small. With this technique, their toes went down the sole of their feet, making the foot look like a lotus flower, the purity symbol of China.

Hopefully, this beauty standard was abolished in 1911. Today, a Chinese woman pays close attention to her skin. They have massage techniques to look less tired and tone up their skin.

And yet, to put it simply, there are some really big differences in what is deemed as the “ideal” in China versus the “ideal” in the West.

A Chinese woman considered beautiful in the West won’t necessarily be viewed that way in China and the reverse goes for those women viewed as beautiful in China.

Take famous Chinese model Lu Yan, who is renowned for her stunning features in the West, but is regarded in China as rather unusual looking and certainly not a perfect example of Chinese beauty.

One of the biggest key differences between Chinese beauty standards and the West is skin tone. In China white, pale skin is the beauty ideal in stark contrast to the West where a year-round tan is sought after by most.

But where does this obsession for the palest skin come from?
The desire for pale skin dates back to Ancient China when only rich people had fair skin because they didn’t have to work in the fields like peasants would. This ideal still exists in China today with white, smooth skin being a sure indication that you’re not lower class.

Socialism?!