When it comes to the Tang Dynasty, many people will think of the aesthetic trend of "taking fat as beauty"."Fat" seems to have become a landmark symbol of the Tang Dynasty. However, is this really the case? Some scholars have studied this and found that although this statement cannot be said to be wrong, it is biased. Because in different periods, the aesthetics of the Tang Dynasty were different.

Early Tang Dynasty. According to the unearthed pottery figurines, almost all of them are of the slender type. Works of art can often reflect people's aesthetics, and pottery figurines are made into slender types, indicating that during the early Tang Dynasty, women were mostly beautiful because of their thinness. Poems from the early Tang Dynasty, such as "Tie a slender waist in the palace","Thin waist makes the bright moon", and "Beautiful woman with small waist", can also be seen that slender waist was generally one of the beautiful characteristics of women at that time.

Tang Dynasty. As the times change, aesthetic concepts gradually change from being slender to being plump. This can be said to be a reflection of the style of the times and reflect the open and inclusive cultural atmosphere of the Tang Dynasty. Under the hard work of its rulers, the Tang Dynasty developed economy, stable society, and unprecedentedly strong national strength, reflecting vigorous vitality and vitality. In this context, a healthy, light-imprisoned female aesthetic view emerges, which is to take richness as beauty. For example, Imperial Consort Yang is known as the "fat beauty".

Middle Tang Dynasty. The Anshi Rebellion was a sign of the Tang Dynasty's transition from prosperity to decline. After this rebellion, the Tang Dynasty's population dropped sharply and its national strength dropped sharply. The surrounding foreign tribes were eager to seize the opportunity to occupy land. It can be said that the An-Shi Rebellion broke the stability of the Tang Dynasty and destroyed the self-confidence and heroism of the Tang Dynasty. The aesthetic concept also changed as a result. Slim and light have replaced plump and are called a popular aesthetic concept. However, this thinness is still different from the thinness in the early Tang Dynasty. It is not the thinness and weakness that "cannot defeat Luo Qi", but the thinness and lightness that "the waist is thin and can dance with the branches".

Late Tang Dynasty. The aesthetics at this time returned to the slimness of the early Tang Dynasty and even earlier periods, and became a little more frail and tender, which was consistent with the sad charm of the powerful empire at the end of its life. The people at the end of the empire lost that vitality and passion, and they also lost the courage of the people in the middle Tang Dynasty to seek innovation, change and hope to create greater glory. They closed the door, hid in their narrow space, and expressed their sadness and helplessness in a sad and resentful tone. Affected by this, the incomparable beauty and the delicate muscles have increasingly become the symbols of beauty. This aesthetic can be seen in poems such as "The waist is soft against the wind" and "The waist is thin and cannot dance".

To sum up, the Tang Dynasty did have a period when "fat was beautiful", but it cannot be said that the Tang Dynasty only regarded fat as beauty. If you really want to say, there are still more periods when "thin was beautiful". Moreover, it can be seen that aesthetic concepts are closely related to the development of the times. What kind of style of the times, what kind of aesthetic concepts will be.