Speaking of which, a long time ago, during the era of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, people began using carriages for travel, and those carriages were quite exquisite. During the Xia Dynasty, Xi Zhong was in charge of managing the carriages, and during the Yin Dynasty, there were also very beautiful carriages, such as the "mountain carriage with hanging lines," which were recorded in historical books. According to the "Book of Rites," craftsmen who made carriages had to imitate heaven and earth, paying great attention to detail!
During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, in the fourth year of Tianhan, he summoned the feudal lords to Ganquan Palace and also established a system of carriage and attire, which was mandated nationwide. By the thirteenth year of Emperor Guangwu's reign, he obtained luxurious horse carriages from Gongsun Shu, which finally completed the emperor's carriage fleet. Later, Cai Yong authored a work that was included in the "Book of Han" compiled by Ma Biao. During the Jin Dynasty, when Zhi Yu studied etiquette, the system of the five carriages (the five carriages used by ancient emperors for travel) was also discussed.
In the early Eastern Jin Dynasty, the carriages and horses were very simple, with only golden war chariots, and the grand court ceremonies were entirely omitted. By the time of Taixing, when the crown prince went to school, there weren't even any decent carriages, so Emperor Yuan specifically ordered him to use a safe carriage. During the reigns of Emperors Yuan and Ming, the emperor's entourage comprised only nine carriages. During the Yonghe period, when Shi Hu died, his craftsmen all fled back to their hometowns, and that marked the beginning of the slow process of building carriages.
During the Taiyuan period, Fu Jian was defeated, and some of his carriages were acquired, raising the number of carriages for the emperor's travels to twelve. During the Yixi period, Emperor Wu of Song pacified Guanzhong and Luoyang, and obtained many carriages and horses from Yao Xing. During the Song Dynasty, the emperor's carriages were rebuilt, making them the most luxurious of that era, not only incorporating features from the Di tribe but also restoring the grand court ceremonies. During the Yongming period, even more decorations were added, making them even more opulent than before.
In conclusion, based on references from the "Book of Rites" and the "Book of Han," I observed that the names and styles of carriages varied across the dynasties, with changes made during the Jin and Song dynasties, making them quite different from the past. This article mainly aims to record the situation of carriages in various dynasties.
The carriage has a golden roof, and the wheels are ornately painted, magnificent! The handrails on either side of the carriage feature intricate gold carvings inlaid with emerald green silk fabric and gold leaf. The outer surface is adorned with brocade, while the inner side showcases intricate gold carvings inlaid with tortoiseshell. The handrails are also covered with gold leaf, accompanied by gold incense burners and crane-shaped decorations. Perched on the handrails are golden phoenixes, stepping on lotus flowers and holding bells, alongside silver ribbons, tortoiseshell tiles, intricately carved gold accents, knife handles, and gold flower ornaments wrapped in brocade. The underside of the handrails, on the interior of the carriage, is similarly adorned with gold carvings and brocade. The front of the handrails is decorated with tortoiseshell and gold patterns. The front of the handrails also features golden upside-down dragons, with silver tortoiseshell turtle shells and gold patterns on the back. Every decoration on the carriage features intricate dragon engravings. In short, every part of the carriage is decorated with dragon patterns.
At the front of the carriage, there is a dragon-shaped panel, adorned with silver floral and animal motifs, with an inscription of "blessing" in gold, and edged with hollow metal, tortoiseshell, and brocade decorations. The interior is carved with gold, while the exterior features golden incense burners, guardian tigers, and phoenixes holding flowers. The roof of the carriage is also carved with gold, featuring 28 claw-shaped supports, covered with yellow satin, bordered with emerald green silk and oilcloth, secured with red ropes, and adorned with peacock feathers, satin, green ribbons, and hanging decorations of beads, seashells, gold bells, red knotted cords, and ribbons of various colors.
The pole is painted with silver patterns, and there is a golden incense burner on it. Four golden phoenixes stand on lotus flowers, each holding a bell; this is referred to as "Phoenix Standing on the Balance." There is also a dragon head holding the yoke on the pole, with decorative patterns on both sides, secured with red and green ropes, and featuring eight hanging ropes. The carriage's flag has twelve streamers, adorned with a painted rising dragon, and atop the flagpole is a golden dragon clutching a flame banner, along with peacock feathers. The halberd is sheathed in brocade, embellished with golden decorations and inscribed with the words "Receiving Blessings," as well as golden goose-shaped openwork carvings. Inside the carriage, there’s a lacquered table draped with brocade and yellow silk ribbons. Outside the carriage, there are eight brocade mudflaps, each nine feet long, edged with red brocade ribbons, and embroidered with intricate patterns.
Later, during the Yongming reign of Emperor Shizu, the emperor added a heavy canopy and crafted a qilin head adorned with colorful decorations to be placed on the horse's head. This left Prince Liang of Jingling quite alarmed, so he quickly reported: "I have heard that the patterns on the carriage flags are meticulously derived from historical texts; the items on the carriage must adhere to ritual norms, and the attire must comply with regulations. The round canopy symbolizes heaven, while the shape of the carriage represents the earth. There should not be two symbols of heaven above, nor two canopies below. Check the ancient classics; this could potentially violate established protocols. Furthermore, wearing a qilin head on the horse's head is not the practice of ancient times; it may not be appropriate." The emperor listened to his words and in the Jianwu period, all the heavy canopies and such were abolished.
In addition to the jade shaft, there is also a gold shaft, which is similar to the jade shaft but with slightly fewer decorations, also in gold color; there is also an ivory shaft, which is comparable to the gold shaft but with even fewer decorations; the wooden shaft is even more straightforward, featuring fewer decorations than the ivory shaft; the leather shaft is comparable to the large carriage. Finally, there is a large red flag topped with a flame-shaped pennant.
In the third year of the Shengming era of the Song Dynasty, the emperor rewarded the Prince of Qi with two carriages: one large carriage and one war carriage. The emperor himself rode a yellow carriage, but lacked matching carriages. Wang Qun, the Left Minister, expressed his view, saying, "The large carriage is a vehicle used for sacrificial rites of the Yin Dynasty, so it was not included in the types of carriages in the Zhou Dynasty's classics. However, the text 'Bright Hall Position' records: 'The large carriage is also a Yin carriage.' The accompanying annotation explains: 'The large carriage is a wooden carriage.' The 'Monthly Ordinance' states: 'The central region, ride the large carriage.' The accompanying annotation explains: 'It is also a Yin carriage.' The 'Rites and Instruments' states: 'The large carriage is adorned with a rich tassel,' with the annotation explaining: 'The large carriage is the Yin sacrificial vehicle.' The 'Rites of Zhou' mentions five types of carriages: jade, gold, elephant, leather, and wood carriages. Therefore, the wooden carriages of the Zhou Dynasty were essentially the large carriages from the Yin Dynasty. The Zhou Dynasty's leather carriages were adorned with large white flags for military campaigns, which is the war carriage. My point is that the major affairs of the state are sacrifices and warfare, so the emperor rewarded the Prince of Qi with a carriage for Yin Dynasty sacrifices and a carriage for Zhou Dynasty warfare. The sacrifices used the Yin Dynasty carriage, and the warfare used the Zhou Dynasty carriage, because the significance of sacrifices to heaven and earth is profound, so the rituals of the previous dynasty are continued; while warfare is immediate, so the current system is used. The 'Bright Hall Position' also records: 'The Lord of Lu, in the spring of Meng, rode on the main road, carrying the twelve flags of the sun and moon, to perform a sacrifice to the Emperor in the outskirts.' It is reasonable for the emperor to reward the vassals with a large carriage. Now, the wooden carriage is the large carriage." The Grand Commandant's Left Chief Clerk Wang Jian also expressed his opinion, believing that a nine-flag gold carriage should be used. At that time, the emperor's yellow carriage lacked matching carriages, so several of the five carriages were temporarily borrowed and placed in front of the hall during the court meeting, meeting the specifications of three carriages.
During the Yongming reign of the Southern Qi Dynasty, the Prince's Infantry Colonel Fu Manrong made a suggestion, saying, "Our Qi Dynasty values the color green. The five routes, five cattle sacrifices, and five colored banners should all start with green, followed by the other colors. The vehicles used for military travel and the sacrifices for worship should also follow this color system. The color system from the Three Dynasties is based on the pronunciation of surnames. The Han Dynasty did not be familiar with these phonetic rules, so they continued to use the colors they used during their reign. Currently, we also lack individuals who understand phonetic rules, so Great Qi should adopt the practices of the Han Dynasty. If there are people who understand phonetic rules in the future, then we can determine based on the pronunciation of surnames."
However, the Prince's Attendant Zhou Yu disagreed. He said, "The pronunciation of surnames in the Three Dynasties is not recorded in ancient books. The notion of determining color preferences based on pronunciation comes from you, Fu Manrong. In other words, since you can distinguish the pronunciation of surnames, there's no need to depend on those who understand phonetics. If you understand the ancient phonetic rules, why can't you grasp the musical theory of our dynasty and still say that there are no people who understand phonetic rules to determine the preference for colors, and we should follow the practices of the Han Dynasty? Our dynasty has always advocated for the colors used during the reign, which is unrelated to phonetic rules. Therefore, even if there are people who understand phonetic rules in the future, they should not dictate color preferences based on pronunciation." Cavalier Liu Lang and fifteen others also voiced their opposition to Fu Manrong's suggestion, and ultimately, his suggestion was rejected.
The crown prince's chariot is an elephant chariot, similar in decoration to the emperor's chariot. The flags on the chariot have nine tails, embroidered with a dragon descending motif. The empress dowager and empress's chariot is a heavy Zhai carriage, with a golden body and luxurious decorations. The interior of the carriage is adorned with white brocade featuring motifs of humans and horses. There is a hidden side door at the back of the carriage, and the decorations on the chariot are finely crafted from white ivory, gold paint, lacquer, and other materials. The wheels are lacquered and fitted with iron bells, while the rear of the carriage is similarly adorned with gold. Various parts of the chariot, such as the Shizi Xian (lion-headed finials) and the Kangyan (eaves), are decorated with gold Chi dragons, divine dragons, birds, and other patterns. The yoke features a golden Boshan decoration, and there are gold-painted long horned heads. The carriage cover is golden with twenty-eight claw-shaped flowers, made of blue silk and yellow silk cloth on the outside and lacquered cloth on the inside. The carriage curtain is purple, with yellow and purple twisted ribbons that vary with the shape of the curtain, and the edges are decorated with blue stripes. The exterior of the carriage cover is secured with crimson purple ties.
The crown princess's chariot is a Yanzhai chariot, similar to the empress dowager and empress's chariot, but slightly simpler in decoration. The "Golden Roots" chariot referred to in the "Donggong Yiji" during the Song and Yuan Dynasties was used by the empress dowager's attendants, but the specific meaning of "Golden Roots" is not explained in the book.
The guide car is a vehicle featuring directional indicators. Imagine a closed carriage with an operator inside managing the guidance, dressed in celestial-like clothing. Dragon-shaped poles are mounted at each corner of the carriage roof, with colorful peacock feathers hanging from them. The carriage is draped in black cloth curtains, the wheels are painted black and adorned with copper accents, and the carriage is pulled by oxen.
The drum car, which shares a similar structure with the guide car, features an additional canopy on top and is decorated with painted patterns on the carriage. The drum and timing mechanisms are located inside the carriage.
The carriage, similar to a calf cart, has a bamboo canopy on top. The exterior of the carriage is adorned with gold leaf, draped with emerald green silk, and embroidered with various patterns of brocade. The interior of the carriage, including the roof and back panel, is decorated with gold foil, inlaid with tortoiseshell, and features exquisite decorations like gold-painted pine nuts and dengxian flower knots. The carriage is trimmed with green accents, has gauze windows, and boasts exquisite carvings at both the front and back. The yoke pillow features a long-horned dragon, along with ivory, tortoiseshell, and gold ornaments. A dust shield in front of the yoke is intricately carved with gold and silver patterns, depicting various rare birds and beasts along with exquisite designs. Golden phoenix bells, silver reins, and an array of exquisite decorations adorn the yoke. From the emperor's carriage down, including other vehicles in the imperial palace, they are adorned with green oil flags and crimson ties. The emperor's carriage is two-tiered, while the princess's is adorned with emerald green oil flags. In the "Sima Fa," it is said that the Xiahou tribe's carriage is called the golden carriage, the Yin dynasty's is called the Hunu carriage, and the Zhou dynasty's is called the Zhi carriage; all of these refer to carriages. In the "Book of Han · Shusun Tong Chuan," it is recorded that "the emperor's carriage came out of the house." Emperor Cheng also once rode a carriage to the harem, showing that carriages were also used in court banquets. The "Yufuzhi" records that "the carriage is decorated with gold, silver, and paintings, carved with grape patterns." When Yinxian encountered Jing Dan, attendants carried a carriage as well, indicating that ministers could also ride in carriages. Emperor Wu of Jin once bestowed a mica carriage to King Fu of Anping. In the later period of the Jin dynasty, there was also the Xiangyi carriage, while in the Jiangzuo region only the emperor could ride it. The litter is decorated similarly to the sitting carriage, but is less commonly used.
First paragraph: This lacquered cart, adorned with gold and styled like the emperor's carriage, is just a bit simpler. The golden carriage bells, even the handrails at the back of the carriage are shaped like lions. It is used by ministers to pay their respects to the emperor. The empress and the crown princess also travel in this carriage.
Second paragraph:
This painted carriage, (small and exquisite, shaped like an ancient carriage, adorned with gold, the handrails at the back of the carriage are shaped like lions, iron bells, and the carriage is adorned with brocade. The doors on both sides of the carriage can cover the knees, decorated with ivory and orchids, the yoke, headrest, and roof pillars of the carriage are all decorated with gold.) is used by the emperor and the crown prince, also known as the ancient "yangche." During the Tai Shi period of the Jin Dynasty, the Central Guard Yang Xiu was riding in a "yangche" and was reported by the Colonel Liu Yi. Emperor Wu decreed, "Although there is no specific regulation prohibiting the use of 'yangche', it is not for ordinary people to use. He was relieved of his official position." The "Wei Jia Zhuan" records: "Wei Jia rode in a 'yangche' when he was young, and the people on the street all watched." Nowadays, they no longer drive "yangche", but this type of carriage is still called "yangche."
The second paragraph:
This sedan chair, (shaped like a carriage, painted and embellished with gold, adorned with brocade. The doors on both sides of the carriage can cover the knees, decorated with ivory and orchids, inlaid with tortoiseshell, with knife handles, hollow patterns, and nails. The roof pillars of the carriage are also decorated with gold. There are eight wheels under the carriage, and the wheels are also adorned with gold decorations, and there is a "zhao chuang" (a type of sedan chair) as an accessory. It is carried by people.) is also called a small sedan chair, used by the emperor when traveling incognito. The crown prince can also ride in this type of carriage in the palace.
The third paragraph:
These twelve book transport carts, (as recorded in "Mu Zi": elm wheels, Jizi walls (a type of decoration), green painted carriage, green gauze curtains outside the carriage, painted canopy and ropes, a through canopy, pole spikes instead of roof pillars, dragon carvings on the yoke, decorated with floral motifs on the carriage. There are mud boards shaped like divine beasts and wheel axle decorations behind the yoke, all decorated with gold.) are the style of ancient auxiliary carts. Nowadays, they are also called "wushi auxiliary carts."
Qingmengche, also known as the "Shixi Manche" in our language (the character "Shixi" is not recognized here, so it is retained in the original text). The princess, queen, and three noblewomen ride in oil-painted Anche, which are considered high-end! During the Han Dynasty, the empress and noblewomen rode in exquisite purple silk carriages. The empress of the Jin Dynasty rode in a mother-of-pearl decorated Anche, pulled by six horses, with a pair of five-horse carriages as auxiliary carriages. The princess's Anche was pulled by six horses, with a pair of carriages pulled by three horses as auxiliary carriages. The princess's Anche pulled by three horses and the three noblewomen's Qingjiaolian Anche, also pulled by three horses, all had a purple silk carriage pulled by three horses as auxiliary carriages. The carriages of the nine concubines and noblewomen were pulled by two horses, while the carriages of the royal concubines and distinguished ladies were pulled by two horses as auxiliary carriages. During the Han Dynasty, they valued the carriages of noblewomen and looked down on the carriages of concubines, while during the Jin Dynasty, it was the opposite, depending on the occasion for the use of the carriages.
The Huangwu carriages are of the highest specifications! Nine green flags are displayed atop the carriage, and the nine flags symbolize the phoenix. The "Han Yu Fu Zhi" writes: "The golden root carriages are lined with yellow silk, so they are called Huangwu." Now, both the golden and jade carriages use yellow brocade; only the Huangwu carriages use yellow silk. The decorations on the carriage are all gilded, featuring a yellow carriage, green feathers, twenty-eight claw-shaped flower holders, and purple ties, it looks very grand! Only officials of the Ninth Rank are permitted to ride in them.
The Qinggai Anche has a vermilion canopy, black wheels, one horse pulling the carriage, with an additional horse on each side, and a Tongyan ox-drawn carriage as an auxiliary. This is the carriage used by the princes when traveling. Any carriage with a canopy is called a "Xuan." The Zaogai Anche has a vermilion canopy, black wheels, one horse pulling the carriage, paired with a Tongyan ox-drawn carriage as an auxiliary; this is the carriage used by the three nobles when traveling.
The Anche features black carriage ears, a black canopy, and a vermilion canopy, with one horse pulling the carriage, and an ox carriage as an auxiliary. This is the carriage used by the dukes and marquises when traveling.
This one-horse carriage is used by officials such as the Nine Qing, Ling, Hu, two guards, Xiaoyou, and others during worship ceremonies in the suburbs.
During the Jin Dynasty, from the Three Dukes to the Nine Ministers, each person was assigned a black carriage. The Three Dukes used three horses to pull the carriage, the Special Envoys used two horses, and the Ministers used one horse. They were also each assigned a black small carriage, with a door at the back and black wheels.
The Youzhuang Liaoche was used by the Prefect of the Masters of Writing, the Minister Steward, the Director of the Palace Library, the Prefect, the Palace Attendants, the Central Yellow Gate, the Masters of Writing, and the Cavalry Attendants. They rode in this type of carriage, pulled by a cow, when going to court. It was stipulated during the Jin Dynasty that the Prefect of the Masters of Writing's carriage had a door at the back and black wheels; the Minister Steward, the Director of the Palace Library, and the Prefect's carriages also had doors at the back and black wheels; the Masters of Writing's carriage had no door and the wheels were pitch black.
The two teachers of the Crown Prince traveled in an Anche with a red screen, pulled by a horse, and accompanied by a Lu carriage with a door at the back as a secondary carriage.
In ancient times, the hierarchy of carriages was quite elaborate! First, there was the "Four-View Carriage," with a grand name, a magnificent carriage cover, and shiny black wheels, reserved for the highest-ranking officials. Emperor Wu of Jin even specially granted Wei Shu a "Four-View Small Carriage"!
Next came the "Three-View Carriage," similar to the "Four-View Carriage" but slightly less prestigious, for high-ranking officials with a slightly lower status. The "Youzhuang Liaoche" was similar in style to the "Three-View Carriage," but slightly simpler, usually used by nobles and with a lower status than the "Three-View Carriage."
Then there was the "Pingcheng Carriage," a more ordinary carriage with a bamboo body, elm wheels, and a carriage cover, but simpler in other aspects, which commoners could also use, although without a carriage cover. However, the "Pingcheng Carriage" used by the Three Dukes and various princes was distinct, featuring copper decorations.
Finally, let's talk about the luxurious carriage, which is even more opulent! Featuring four wheels and dazzling decorations, adorned with dragon heads at each corner, various colored ribbons and jade ornaments hanging, and cloud patterns painted on the carriage curtain, it is nothing short of magnificent! This type of carriage is reserved for the funerals of only the most distinguished officials, although the standards may be slightly reduced, and the horses pulling the carriage are all top-quality white horses, led by the Grand Equerry himself!
The "Book of Yu" states: "I wish to see the ancient totems, such as the sun, moon, stars, mountains, dragons, and various patterns, as well as ancestral vessels, algae, fire, powdered rice, fupu, and fu, along with various silk fabrics, decorated with patterns of five colors on clothing of five colors." The emperor's clothing features the most elaborate patterns, decreasing in order from dukes downwards. The emperor has six crowns, and the empress has six sets of clothing, as detailed in the "Zhou Officials." Officials ranked below dukes all have designated clothing and jade ornaments, and these ceremonial systems are recorded in later works such as the "Han Annals" and "Jin Clothing System Regulations." Cai Yong's "Du Duan" mentions thirteen levels of crowns. In the fourth year of the Taishi reign of Emperor Song Ming, five types of carriages and crowns were officially established, with distinct attire for court meetings, sacrificial rites, and hunting, all recorded in the "Song Annotations."
In the past, officials ranked below the Three Excellencies wore crowns adorned with seven hanging pearls crafted from blue jade, while officials below the rank of marquis wore crowns with five hanging pearls made of black jade. In the sixth year of the Yongming era, the Minister of Rites, He Yin, proposed to modify the rule based on the "Rites of Zhou," suggesting that the Three Excellencies wear crowns with eight hanging pearls, and marquises wear crowns with six hanging pearls. The Prefect of the Masters of Writing, Wang Jian, suggested that, following the attire of the Three Excellencies in the Han dynasty, the patterns on the Three Excellencies' clothing should feature nine motifs of mountains and dragons, while the patterns on the clothing of marquises should consist of seven chapters of huachong. Finally, Wang Jian's suggestion was adopted.
Talking about the clothes of ancient emperors, they were very exquisite! Take the "平冕黑介帻" (pingtian crown) for example; wearing it was truly majestic! The hat was seven inches wide and twelve inches long, with a black brim and a red lining, adorned with twelve strands of beads hanging from it, tied with red silk ribbons matching the color of the hat. The upper garment was black, and the lower garment was red, featuring three panels in front and four in back of the skirt. The upper part had painted patterns while the skirt was embroidered with images of the sun, moon, stars, mountains, dragons, phoenixes, algae, fire, grains, and decorative motifs, totaling twelve kinds. The belt was four inches wide, red inside, decorated with red and green silk ribbons on the sides, and a red center with green silk ribbons hanging down three feet. The inner garment featured red collars and sleeves, and the shoes matched in red. This attire was reserved for ceremonies honoring heaven and earth or for court appearances. During the Han Dynasty, the beads on the hat were made of white jade, but Emperor Ming of Wei favored women's adornments, leading to a switch to coral beads. In the early Jin Dynasty, they were changed back, then changed again later. In the Jiangnan region, where quality jade was scarce, they used something called "Bing Zhu" as a substitute, known as white xuan beads. Regarding the Guan Yi, during the Han Dynasty, it was woven in Chenliu Xiangyi. In the late Song Dynasty, there were both embroidered and woven versions. During the Jianwu era, Emperor Ming deemed the woven version too heavy, so it was changed to a painted version with added gold and silver foil, referred to as "Tian Yi." Historical records say that the designs on the Guan Yi were meticulously crafted, with five colors, six patterns, and twelve garments that complemented each other. The dragon robes of previous dynasties were traditionally woven, and now, these garments are uncomfortable to wear. With the alteration of traditional styles, how can these be deemed beautiful ceremonial attire?
Let's talk about the official headwear in ancient times. Wearing a black cap, paired with a golden incense burner shaped like Mount Bo, and a red silk robe over a black inner garment, this outfit was worn by the emperor when attending court. Previously, hairpins were made of rhinoceros horn, but during the Dong Hun Marquis period, they were changed to jade. The ministers' court attire is similar to that of the emperor.
There is another type of clothing, worn with a black cap and a single garment in varying colors, worn by the emperor when worshipping at tombs. Wearing a white cap and single garment is called plain clothing, used for expressing mourning and attending funerals.
The traveling crown is worn by the crown prince and other princes. The crown prince wears a red silk ribbon, emerald green feathers, and decorations made of pearls; the other princes wear black silk ribbons.
The flat crown is secured with ribbons, featuring eight strings of pearls on the hats of princes and dukes, and nine patterns of mountains and dragons on their robes; seven strings of pearls on the hats of officials, and seven patterns of Chinese insects on their clothes, worn during sacrifices. These garments are all made of black and red silk.
Well, all the above are about the hats and clothes of ancient officials! First of all, civil officials, from the highest-ranking to the lowest-level, wear different hats. According to the "Jin Code," senior officials wear three-beam crowns, middle-ranking officials wear two-beam crowns, and junior officials wear one-beam crowns, where the beams indicate the number of decorations on the hats. The regulations for wearing these hats specify ranks from the Duke of Kaiguo and Marquis, down to village marquis, officials, imperial secretaries, inner marquis, two thousand stones, scholars, secretaries, assistant secretaries, prince's attendants, equerries, attendants, prefects, and sub-prefects, down to the magistrate of six hundred stones and minor officials.
Then there are the military officials' hats; the attendants' hats are required to have fur tails attached, while other military academies, imperial guards, cavalry officers, imperial princes' attendants, second-rank officials, court officials, and commandants all wear military caps. However, the cavalry officers wear the attire of civil officials but with pheasant tails added to their military caps, which is quite unique. Historical records state that in Ying Shao's "Han Officials" and Sima Biao's historical records, there is no mention of any difference between the hats of the Palace Attendants and the Palace Attendants, only that they both wear fur tails. However, Xiang Shi's explanation is that the pheasant on the hat of a Palace Attendant in the Han Dynasty is carved out, while that of the Palace Attendant is just a ring without a pheasant. Which explanation is correct, it's really hard to say; it's unclear when this change occurred.
The fa guan is worn by law enforcement officers such as the court magistrate; the gao shan guan is worn by envoys; the fan kui guan is worn by palace gate guards. The hei jie zhi guan is a civil official's hat, while the ping zhi guan is a military official's hat; the decorations on the hats of the Prefect of the Masters of Writing, the Minister of Works, and the Imperial Secretaries are also different. Children wear hats with open tops and wear fake hair buns, regardless of wealth or poverty. If there is a solar eclipse, civil and military officials must remove their hats, put on red silk caps, and then wear court dress. This red silk cap symbolizes power and authority.
Ku zhe is the attire worn by the emperor when going to war or holding grand ceremonies, wearing a black hat with purple silk decorations on it, using silk cords instead of leather belts. The inner officials wear purple decorations, while the outer officials wear crimson decorations. However, during grand ceremonies, the military attire lacks any silk decorations; everything else remains the same. When hunting or going on excursions, officials accompanying the emperor wear military attire, using leather belts or silk cords; civil officials do not wear tassels, and military officials remove their hats.
Finally, this gui yi is a type of outer garment called yi yi, worn by the empress when making offerings at the temple; princesses wear large hair buns when receiving guests, and their everyday attire is more luxurious, adorned with a variety of precious jewelry. This gui yi is made of embroidered fabric, the skirt has five different colors, and is decorated with gold and silver. Wow, the clothing system of ancient times is incredibly complex!
Ah, the ancient official clothing system and official rank insignia are really complicated! Look at these sashes: the emperor uses five colors of yellow, red, cyan, dark blue, and pale green. The crown prince uses four colors of red, yellow, pale green, and dark blue, and the princes and princesses are similar. The prime minister uses a sash with three colors of green, purple, and dark blue, the duke uses black and red, the earls use blue and red, and the viscounts use white and red, all of which are three colors. The duke's heir apparent uses purple, the marquis's heir apparent uses blue, and the marquis of the county uses a black sash, which are two colors. The provincial governors and ministers of the interior use blue, the chief ministers, officials, directors of the imperial archives, prefects, and secretaries of the imperial secretariat use black, while the subordinates use yellow, and the subordinates of each department also use yellow. The empress wears a red sash just like the emperor, the noble concubines, ladies, and noble ladies use purple, the princess dowagers, princesses, and feudal lords also use purple, and the concubines of the six palaces use blue sashes, which include blue, white, and red.
Next are the seals. The emperor uses the jade seal that has been passed down through generations, which was from the Qin Dynasty. Later, during the turmoil in the Central Plains during the Jin Dynasty, the jade seal fell into the hands of the barbarians. Initially, the Eastern Jin did not have the jade seal, and the northerners mocked the Jin Dynasty, calling it the "blank emperor." It was not until Ran Min was defeated that the jade seal returned to the south. In addition to the jade seal, there are six other seals, all made of gold, with styles similar to those of the Qin and Han periods. The empress, crown prince, and princes all use gold seals with turtle knobs. The five ranks of nobility all have gold seals, with the heir apparent of a duke using a gold seal, a marquis using a silver seal, noble concubines and ladies using gold seals, princesses, princess dowagers, and feudal lords using gold seals, and the wives of lower-ranking nobility using silver seals. The nobles and generals use gold seals, while the grand masters, ministers, magistrates, crown prince's tutors, various generals, generals of the imperial guard, colonels, governors of provinces and ministers of the interior, fourth and fifth rank generals, all use silver seals. The chief ministers, officials, directors of the imperial archives, prefects, secretaries of the imperial secretariat, subordinates of the imperial secretariat, deputy tutors to the crown prince, chief historians of each department, ministers, magistrates, subordinates, colonels, deputy directors, water commissioners, and governors of various provinces all use copper seals as well.
The second-grade civil officials from the three divisions and five provinces all wear white hairpins (簪子). The nobles of the fifth rank and military officials do not wear hairpins; only the eunuchs do. All officials carry hand boards, with the heads of the Minister of Personnel, the Minister of Works, and the Secretariat having white pens inserted on top, wrapped in purple leather, referred to as "hu." According to Zhong Changtong of the late Han Dynasty, all officials were expected to carry a "hu." They also carry purple cloth bags slung over their shoulders, called "qi nang," also known as "zi he" by others. Wearing jade, from the emperor downwards, the system of jade ornamentation is similar to that of the Jin and Song dynasties. In the fourth year of Jianyuan, it was stipulated that the jade ornaments worn by high-ranking officials, including princes, marquises, barons, and ministers, should be made of pearls and crystals, while others should be made of ivory and shells. Officials of the Tai Bureau wear "li zhi" robes, and later this system was established. "Praise: The cultural artifacts are impressive, the ceremonial practices are solemn. The distinctions of etiquette, nothing surpasses the carriage and attire." Look, this ancient system is so particular! Clothing and accessories must be based on rank and status, truly strict and meticulous. This praise poem is also right; the ancient system of cultural artifacts is impressive, with clear ranks and various ceremonial norms, most clearly reflected in these ceremonial vehicles and attire. From the emperor to ordinary officials, the materials used for the jade ornaments vary, and this hierarchical system can be seen from these details. Just think, the distinction between pearls and crystals, and ivory and shells, is significant!
