Foundation General: When Chinese Commanders Wore Powder and Perfume

At the start of 2026, the Chinese costume drama “Zhu Yu” sparked a social media debate about the “foundation general” — male warriors with flawless skin and glossy lips. Many viewers mocked the look as unrealistic. But a Beijing Evening News essay by Cai Hui, drawing on historical texts and a 2026 study by Zhang Haisha and Xu Shimin, shows that during the Six Dynasties (222–589 CE), elite men and even generals did wear powder, perfume and ornate robes. The Six Dynasties, based in Jiankang (today's Nanjing), included Eastern Wu, Eastern Jin, Liu Song, Southern Qi, Liang and Chen. In this period, male beauty ideals became androgynous, with male figures described using feminine language. He Yan, a Cao Wei leader, was suspected by Emperor Ming of wearing powder; after a hot meal, his skin turned whiter after he wiped his sweat — a story preserved in “Shishuo Xinyu.” Yan Zhitui's “Yan's Family Instructions” criticized aristocratic youth who perfumed clothes, applied powder and rouge, wore high clogs and silk cushions, but could not walk or ride when the Hou Jing rebellion came. Wang Fu even mistook a horse's neigh for a tiger. Wang Gong, a Pingbei general of Eastern Jin, wore a 4.5-meter battle robe embroidered with dragons and phoenixes, but he was militarily weak and was captured after fleeing. Xie Xuan, by contrast, was elegant and fond of silk scarves, yet he was a real general who defeated Former Qin at the Fei River. Han Zigao, a Chen dynasty general, had a womanlike face but was a decisive fighter; favored by Emperor Wen of Chen, he was later executed after the emperor's death, leaving historians to question whether his exploits were exaggerated. The article argues that the “foundation general” is not purely a modern invention; there was a historical period when male commanders valued beauty. However, ancient sources often used such descriptions as moral warnings. The modern drama industry, obsessed with “traffic actors” and visuals, substitutes looks for substance. The lesson: beauty did not win battles; the evidence chain of skill and leadership matters. Future historical dramas should show generals from multiple angles, not just a single polished frame.