Old Chinese man beard
ANCIENT HISTORY

Best Beard Fashions in Ancient Times

From marking good looks to advancing political careers: See how the rules and styles of facial hair changed in ancient Chinese history

Picture a random man from China in your mind: Does he have a beard or mustache?

If your answer is no, chances are that it’s a man living in modern China. A clean-shaven look has been the mainstream since the start of the 20th century, but in ancient China, almost all the adult men—except eunuchs—kept facial hair. A luxuriant beard used to be an important standard for judging handsome men.

All of the terracotta warriors sport some form of facial hair

All of the terracotta warriors sport some form of facial hair (VCG)

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author Sun Jiahui (孙佳慧)

Sun Jiahui is a freelance writer and former editor at The World of Chinese. She writes about Chinese language, society and culture, and is especially passionate about sharing stories of China's ancient past with a wider audience. She has been writing for TWOC for over six years, and pens the Choice Chengyu column.

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