荔枝最著名的故事與美女有關。中國歷史上的四大美女，其中之一就是唐代皇帝李隆基的愛妃——楊貴妃。唐明皇和楊貴妃的愛情故事在中國家喻戶曉。

　　It was told that there were four most famous beauties in ancient China, one of which was the Tang Dynasty Emperor Longji Lee’s (685-762) favorite concubine Yang Guifei (her child name was Yuhuan=Jade-ring). Most people know her romantic love in China’s history.

　　楊貴妃出生于719年，今山西永濟人。她身材豐滿 ，天生麗質 ，性格溫柔，善解人意 ，從小就精通音樂 和舞蹈 ，17歲的時候成為唐玄宗第十八子壽王的王妃。唐玄宗寵愛的武惠妃病逝后，十分悲傷 ，見到傾國傾城 的楊貴妃后，便將她納入宮中。有了楊貴妃的陪伴，唐玄宗漸漸疏于朝政。

　　Yang Guifei was born in today’s Yongji County, Shanxi Province, in 719. The girl was a little bit fat but extremely beautiful in appearance of bearing. She behaved in polite and lovely manner. From her childhood, she was good at singing and dancing, especially at pandering and catering in public or private surrounding. At first she was selected as a concubine of the Emperor’s son at her age of 17. However, the old emperor’s original concubine Wu Hui died and substituted by Yang years later. Actually, Yang became the first wife of the Emperor falling in love with her all day long. Although he was at the age of 61, still his mind and heart were full of the 27-year-old beauty. The Emperor had been lazy to manage public affairs every day since his favorite beauty joined his life.

　　唐玄宗整天沉迷于酒色，楊貴妃家族一時權力顯赫 ，政治越來越腐敗 ，邊地將領勢力逐漸增強，最后爆發 了“安史之亂”。756年，楊貴妃被士兵陜西興平市西馬嵬坡縊死。“安史之亂”時間持續7年之久，唐朝由強盛開始走向衰敗。

　　As a Chinese saying goes, "An old husband married a young wife." the Emperor was deeply intoxicated in debauchery. The "new bridegroom" spent much more time in leading his life of indulgence in sensual pleasures; therefore he neglected his administrative duty. Simultaneously the Emperor tried to appoint more officials from Yang’s family and relatives who played an important part in the court, and the original higher officials, especially in the border regions, got so furious that rebellions happened at last. The rebelling army killed her first cousin and at the same she was hung in 756, in Maweipo, Xingping County, Shaanxi Province. Although it took seven years to wipe out the seething rebellion, the Tang Dynasty turned progressively worse.

　　作為中國古代四大美女之一，人們對楊貴妃都感到同情 和惋惜，關于她的故事也一直被人們津津樂道 。我們現在夏季 常吃的水果 ——荔枝也是楊貴妃的最愛。唐朝大詩人 杜牧的《過華清宮絕句》就講述了這個真實的故事。

　　However, as a beautiful concubine, Yang Guifei was still attractive to everyone showing great sympathy and regret to her. So the common people still told about her story as a pleasure. Particularly in early summer when we have various sorts of fruit to eat, we will be used to remind of the beautiful lady who took litchi as her favorite fruit. And still her story has been told about litchi. Here I’d like to quote the Tang Dynasty famous poet Du Mu’s poem about it.

　　“長安回望繡成堆，山頂千門次第開。一騎紅塵妃子笑，無人知是荔枝來。”荔枝不容易保存，在沒有現代化交通工具的唐代，靠飛馬從南方傳送荔枝到長安是多么的困難 。但是為了討好楊貴妃的歡心，唐玄宗還是令人騎上快馬，從嶺南七天七夜，以接力的方式，從千里之外運送荔枝到長安，以供楊貴妃享用。在荔枝傳送的途中，差官和馬匹常常會累死，他們的千辛萬苦只是為了換得楊貴妃的一笑，而人們不知道送的是荔枝，還以為是緊急公文呢。

　　I look back Chang’an hilltop embroidered in multicolor,Its palace gates consecutively open one after another. Whipping the horse galloping up dust is the rider, No one knows the concubine smiled for litchi drew near.

　　The poem tells us a true story in his poetic way. In ancient times, no easy traffic provided as we have but riding as the best way. In order to transport litchi from the southern China to the capital city of the Tang Dynasty, it was necessary for heralds to ride on turn for one stop to another and still another. The herald should carry litchi on horseback and whipped it galloping fast to the traveling palace on Lishan-hilltop as a termination so as to meet the beauty’s favorite need.