The real Emperor Guangxu was not ugly. Looking at old photos, we can know that even now, Emperor Guangxu looks very handsome, but his expression is serious and looks unnatural, which may be related to the tense national conditions at that time. In the big photo, not only does Emperor Guangxu look serious, but others are also unhappy.
During Guangxu period, photography technology has been popularized, and few photos of Emperor Guangxu can be preserved. There are many photos of Cixi. Looking at various photos of Cixi can reveal her living conditions at that time, but Emperor Guangxu didn't.
One of the most well-known photos of Emperor Guangxu is a photo with Zhen Fei. In the photo, Emperor Guangxu is a handsome guy with a clean face. It is understood that this photo is not a photo, but a beautified portrait. The real appearance of Emperor Guangxu is not as handsome as the young man in this photo. Although the photos of Emperor Guangxu's real face are not ugly, the portrait of Zhen Fei looks better as a whole. The real appearance of Emperor Guangxu can't be said to be very handsome, but it is still a little worse than those princes and nobles in the Qing Dynasty drama.
Emperor Guangxu didn't have so many photos before his death, and many photos were left at the funeral after his death, but we can't see the true face of Guangxu. The whole funeral scene was spectacular. Perhaps Guangxu himself did not think that after being imprisoned for so many years, so many people would see him off.
Although there are few photos of Guangxu, later generations have restored the appearance of Guangxu before his death. Generally speaking, he is good-looking and strong-willed, but he still looks less handsome than the old photos.