Chinese Han Ethnic Women’s Makeup—Hua Tian

Hua Tian is a flower-shaped decoration that ancient women stuck on their temples, foreheads, or cheeks. It’s a floral adornment on the faces of Han Chinese women back in the day, originating in the Southern Song Dynasty. Hua Tian came in red, green, and yellow shades, with red being the most popular, crafted from gold or silver into flower shapes and worn in the hair.

Origin

The story starts with Princess Shouyang, daughter of Emperor Liu Yu of the Song Dynasty. On the seventh day of the first lunar month, she was lying under the Chanchang Hall when a breeze blew a plum blossom from the hall’s tree, landing perfectly on her forehead. The spot turned into a petal shape and wouldn’t wash off for days. Palace ladies thought the plum mark on her forehead looked stunning and started copying it. That’s why it’s called “Plum Blossom Makeup” or “Shouyang Makeup.” (From the Southern Song: “On Human Day, Princess Shouyang of Emperor Wu lay under the Chanchang Hall eaves. A plum blossom fell on her forehead, forming a five-petal flower that wouldn’t brush off. After three days, it washed away, and palace ladies, amazed by its uniqueness, followed suit.”)

Texture

The simplest Hua Tian is just a tiny dot. Fancier ones are made with gold foil, pearls, fish cheekbones, fish scales, tea oil flower cakes, black glossy paper, mother-of-pearl, or mica, cut into various flower shapes—plum blossoms being the most common, likely nodding to Princess Shouyang’s legacy. In the Five Dynasties, Empress Zhang Taihua of Later Shu wrote in Cemetery Vision, “Recalling past favor in the palace, tears wet my robe and damaged my jade Hua Tian”—her jade Hua Tian was made from kingfisher feathers. The Song Dynasty’s Shan Yi Lu by Tao Gu notes, “Tang palace ladies sometimes caught dragonflies, loved their thin green wings, and painted them with gold pens to make small branch flower Hua Tian.” That’s using dragonfly wings for Hua Tian!

Colors

Hua Tian colors are super vibrant, depending on the material—gold foil shines golden, black glossy paper glimmers darkly, fish cheekbones glow white like jade. Others are painted with all sorts of colors to match patterns, making them dazzling and full of flair.

Adhesive

The glue for sticking Hua Tian is a handy breath-activated adhesive, said to be made from fish swim bladders. Women would blow on it, add a dab of saliva to dissolve it, and stick the Hua Tian on. To remove it, just apply warm water and peel it off—super easy and practical!