Bringing Sexy Back

During the Tang Dynasty (618-907), one of the most prosperous periods of Chinese history, Emperor Xuanzong had a beloved concubine, Yang Guifei, about whom much was written. Yang was reported to have a voluptuous figure and started a fashion trend towards full-figured ladies being all the rage. A woman with a double chin was very desirable during this time . When our group toured a musuem in Xi'an, we viewed a porcelain exhibit of these fashionable ladies, which you can see in the picture Paige took. Their low necklines were apparently very scandalous for the time.

Later in our travels we visited a courtyard home in Beijing. Immediately on being seated around a table in the receiving room my eyes were drawn to a large glass jar of dark liquid containing a preserved snake. I was at once repelled (fearing I might be asked to consume some of the substance) and fascinated. I asked the hostess about the jar of liquid and was informed through an interpreter that the unfortunate snake was caught in a rural area, then preserved with some combination of ingredients the hostess had prepared. After we'd left the courtyard home I was informed that some Chinese people believe that the snake will release its essence in such a concoction and help bolster a man's sexual stamina if he drinks it. Kind of like a tradtional Chinese viagra, I thought...

Peggy