After entering China, the Indian Bodhisattvas lost their gender distinctions. The eight categories of supernatural beings after the Buddha also lacked distinctions in age and sex. This feature may be seen in the majority of early Dunhuang caves. On one hand, it conformed with the Buddhist preaching that in Buddhak tra there is no sexual distinctions, and on the other hand, it was also in line with the Confucian value system which shunned physiological differences between the sexes and regarded nudity as an affront to tradition and morality.
From the Sui Dynasty (581-618), the Bodhisattvas underwent a clear process of feminization. The faces of the deities became plump and charming. Greenish moustaches appeared over their lips, they had flat chests and elegant and graceful postures. Dao Xuan, the eminent monk-scholar of the early Tang Dynasty (618-907), observed: “During the Song and Qi (420-502) of the Southern Dynasty (420-589) Bodhisattvas had thick lips, high noses, long eyes, plump cheeks … like strong men. From the Tang onwards, the Bodhisattvas began resembling female celestial musicians painted using soft strokes. Today, we compare palace maids with Bodhisattvas.” The figures of the Bodhisattvas painted by Zhao Gongyou were colorful, soft and beautiful, with mysterious clothing and beautiful eyes, like those of court ladies.
（Source: chinaculture.org）
