History & Culture

The Chinese ancient armor protecting the head was called Zhou (胄, helmet) in the pre-Qin period. In oracle bone inscriptions, the helmet is painted as a shield with a vertical tube at the top. And many of the bronzes excavated from the Yinxu tomb in Anyang are fully consistent with this phenomenon. However, there is a lack of a standard for the definition of other ancient helmets without vertical tubes in Western Zhou and Spring and Autumn Warring States. Therefore, the emergence of iron head armor as the dividing line, before that, regardless of whether they had vertical tubes or not, they were called Zhou regardless of whether the material specifically leather or bronze, after that, they were divided into two categories: Dou Mou (兜鍪, helmet) and Kui (盔, helmet). But those with vertical tubes with feathers as decoration were still called Zhou, such as the unified style of the Qing Dynasty.   Ancient helmets from the pre-Qin period Bronze Zhou (胄) of the pre-Qin period is bounded by the Shang and Zhou (周) dynasties. The surface of Zhou in the Shang Dynasty is generally cast with Taotie, round sunflowers, and other patterns, and the unearthed objects in Xingan County,…

In the Book of Songs, it is said, "The peach blossoms are in full bloom, their colors are bright and vivid like fire. This girl is getting married and will make her husband's family happy and harmonious. (桃之夭夭，灼灼其华。之子于归，宜其室家。)" With a few words, it outlines a prosperous scene of joyfulness and marriage of men and women. Chinese marriage rituals were formed during the Xia and Shang dynasties, and because the ancient ritual of marrying a wife was often held at dusk, it was known as the "Hun Li (昏礼)". Since ancient times, people have attached great importance to weddings, and on this day people dress up to celebrate this important event in their lives and gather many good wishes on their wedding clothes. In recent years, more and more people are choosing traditional Chinese wedding dresses for their weddings, and the beauty of the Feng Guan (凤冠, phoenix crown) and Xia Pei (霞帔) has stunned countless people. Chinese traditional wedding dresses are not only beautiful, but also have the weight and uniqueness of the ancient oriental culture, let's follow ArtMoment to explore the romance that has lasted for thousands of years and belongs to the Chinese people.   Tang Dynasty: warmth…

If you’ve read my previous article that attempts to give a general overview of the many terms for supernatural beings in Chinese mythology and folkloric tradition, then you’ll know how nearly impossible it is to, well, give a general overview of Chinese mythology and folkloric tradition! Chinese culture is simply too vast, too complicated, with too many little offshoots and alternating viewpoints all fighting for prominence. Each mythological system comes with its own unique highlights and fascinating characters and stories, making each and every system indispensable, because no matter how much groups throughout China’s history have tried to clamp down on other traditions, religions, or mythologies, ultimately cultures and stories cannot be destroyed so long as they genuinely hold the fondness and interest of the people. So if you’re like me and are very interested in learning more about Chinese mythology—especially the roots of where they came from, and landmark works of literature that have helped various traditions and tales maintain popularity and longevity—then read on! In this article I’ve complied a list of six of the most well-known, most influential, and most well-written works of Chinese mythology and folklore. This is based on my own research, so it may…

Armor was an important war material in the cold weapon era, and its quality and quantity were crucial to the combat power of ancient armies and the rule of feudal dynasties. The Chinese emperors paid attention to improving the ability and quality of armor manufacturing, but also strictly controlled the private possession of armor by strict penalties and laws. During the Song and Yuan dynasties, this restriction was even stricter, and those who hid the whole set of armor privately would be regarded as having conspiracy to commit rebellion to be executed. The armor could only be handed out during the war and collected into the national treasury after the war. These military treasures were eventually destroyed and lost during the war between the dynasties, so except for a few surviving artifacts from the late Qing Dynasty that have been preserved as cultural relics, the rest of the dynasties have rarely survived to this day. However, after the death of the royal family and the senior military class, armor could be buried in the burial chamber as burial goods. For example, the Qin Dynasty, the images of armor portrayed on the terracotta warriors and the stone armor excavated from the…

"Story of Yanxi Palace" is a drama with a strong sense of history and court aesthetics. Previous dramas of the same kind focus on dramatic conflicts, while Yanxi is particularly prominent in the aspects of palace life, which is extremely rare. The whole drama gives the audience a strong sense of substitution, as if they have followed the characters live in the Forbidden City for 70 episodes. The furnishings in the palace are carefully arranged by the crew, whether it is Shoukang Palace, Chuxiu Palace or Yanxi Palace. Among them, the most impressive is the cloisonne! When it comes to cloisonne, it might not be known to everyone, but it definitely leaves a deep imprint in every viewer's heart. When stepping into the Qianqing Palace, the red-crowned crane and incense burners in front of emperor seat, all of which show the supreme power and dignity of the royal family. Let's learn more about cloisonne, the ancient royal luxury.   The characteristics and history of cloisonne China cloisonne, the national intangible cultural heritage, is one of the famous special metal handicrafts with a history of more than 600 years. It is also known as "copper padding thread weaving vitreous enamel", which…

Gods, ghosts, demons. These are terms we’ve all heard before, of course. When it comes to gods, you might think of the eclectic pantheons of Greek, Norse, or Egyptian tradition, or the capital “G” God of many huge, organized religions; for ghosts, you might think of translucent, ethereal, figures; for demons, horned and fork-tailed monsters. Chinese mythological traditions have these supernatural beings too—but in China, these beings are assigned very different traits and come from very different cultural roots. The problem stems from the fact that the Chinese names of these beings are often translated using English counterparts that already have pre-established, similar meanings (yet terms that are also just different enough that they can cause confusion and misunderstandings). So to those unfamiliar with Chinese mythology or Chinese folkloric tradition, here is a compiled list of the main supernatural beings of Chinese mythology, as well as there etymological roots, their interrelationships, their similarities, and their differences. I hope this will help you prevent accidental conflation of terms and mythologies, and I hope you have fun learning something from the guide below!   Gods（神） Let’s start at the very top: Gods, or 神/shen. Chinese folkloric tradition is home to innumerable thousands…

  Vocabulary Velvet Flower - 绒花 (rónghuā) - a realistically made flower made artificially from silk threads and copper wire. Palace Flower - 宫花 (gōng huā) - another way to call ronghua with the rise in popularities of ronghua to females in the palace. Untwisted Silks - 无捻蚕丝 (wú niǎn cánsī) - when it comes to silk threads, depending on the type and material of the threads, one single thread can be made up of thinner threads twisted together. Untwisted silk thread means there are no smaller twisted threads. You can directly skip to the brushing steps in ronghua making process. Hunan Embroidery Thread - 湘绣线 (xiāngxiù xiàn) - another type of thread used in ronghua making. Suzhou Embroidery Thread - 苏绣线 (sūxiù xiàn) - another type of thread used in ronghua making.   History 绒花, rónghuā, an artificial handcraft head accessories made from materials such as silks and coppers. It existed since the Qin Dynasty. There are many known “brands” of ronghuas, such as Nanjing Ronghua. In the Tang era, Wu Zetian listed Nanjing Ronghua as a royal tribute to the Yangzhou area becoming a luxury only princes and princesses can use. Eventually, Nanjing Ronghua became something that represents Nanjing but also…

1. The Picture of the Ode of the River Goddess The Wei and Jin dynasties, the most elegant era in Chinese history, were full of poems and famous scholars, leaving behind countless brilliant literary works. Cao Zhi's Luo Shen Fu (洛神赋) is one of the most brilliant pieces. This long poem, about a traveler who meets a goddess on the shores of the Luo River, but who eventually parts from her because of the difference between the gods and the people, has its roots in the great poetic tradition of the Chinese people, but also contains the romance of Chinese native mythology. The poem Luo Shen Fu was depicted by another legend of the Wei and Jin dynasties, the painter Gu Kaizhi (348-406), in the form of painting: "The Picture of the Ode of the River Goddess". Since then, from poetry to painting, "The Picture of the Ode of the River Goddess" has been permanently engraved in the memory of Chinese people and sublimated into an immortal cultural symbol.   2. Emperor Taizong Receiving the Tibetan Envoy One thousand four hundred years ago, during the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, Songtsen Gampo, an admirer of the prosperous…

Hey everyone, thanks for waiting! Our next topic is gonna be pretty exciting for most of you who love the classic ruqun aesthetic: we’re going to be going over the historical relics for the Wei/Jin and Northern/Southern Dynasty! Since there are so few of these relics, this article is going to focus on the Wei/Jin Dynasty as a whole, including restored relics, art references, and misconceptions about the Wei/Jin Dynasty. It might be a bit of a shorter article due to little material, but I know that people are really interested in this period of time, so let’s get to it! 魏晉南北朝/魏晋南北朝/wei4 jin4 nan2 bei3 chao2/Wei/Jin and Northern/Southern Dynasties refers to the period of time between 220 and 589CE. Also known as 六朝/六朝/liu4 chao2/Six Dynasties, this set of dynasties are compressed into one general block of time by historians because of the rapid exchange of power. Following the Eastern Han dynasty, the Three Kingdoms period had the Cao Wei kingdom at its forefront, with the Western Jin Dynasty coming right after ruled by Sima Yan. This was followed by the Northern Dynasties, when the Northern Wei, Western Wei, Easter Wei, and Northern Zhou and Qi Dynasties followed each other rapidly,…

Which ancient China period is the most fascinating? The Tang Dynasty may be the best choice. As the most powerful and advanced existence in the world at that time, the Tang Dynasty has strong national power, a booming economy, and splendid culture. There were prosperous scenes of different countries from all over the world coming to visit, but also the wonderful legends and stories of countless capable people. This undoubtedly provides a wealth of creative materials for contemporary film and television creation, among which the suspense works are quite representative. From "Amazing Detective Di Renjie" starring Liang Guanhua, "Detective Dee" series of films directed by Xu Ke, "Legend of the Demon Cat" directed by Chen Kaige, to "The Imperial Coroner" and "Luoyang" in the past two years. Nowadays, when a new drama "Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty" of the same type is popular, let's follow Peng Xiao Xian and the four elements: city, palace, market, and stagecoach to explore the story of the Tang Dynasty.   01 City At the beginning of the drama "Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty", Chang'an county magistrate Wu Daqi was killed by a demon cat and died strangely. And the main character Su Wu Ming…

  Tang Dynasty - Fei Qian Fei Qian (飞钱, flying cash) in the Tang Dynasty, the earliest prototype of Chinese paper money. The New Book of Tang – Recordings of foods and goods contains: “商贾至京师，委钱诸道进奏院及诸军诸使富家，以轻装趋四方，合券乃取之，号飞钱。” Fei Qian are also called "Bian Huan (便换, convenient exchange)" and "Bian Qian (便钱, convenient money)". In the middle of the Tang Dynasty, the production of copper coins could not meet the market demand, and there were many restrictions on the flow of copper coins. Besides, the carrying and transportation of large amounts of copper coins were also a problem. So, a new financial method was born. The merchants in the capital sent the money to the Jin Zou Yuan (进奏院, the official statutes of report) which is the office in the capital, and the Jin Zou Yuan issued a ticket for the merchants, with the amount, date, name and other items written on it. And this ticket would be divided into two halves, half sending to the merchant, and another half back to the local. The merchant returned with his half of the ticket to the designated department to exchange for the money, as long as the two halves of the ticket can be…

Recently, Dragon Television announced that China's first documentary to briefly describe the creation story of China and Chinese civilization with national archaeological discoveries, "He Yi Zhong Guo (何以中国)", will officially meet with the audience in the near future. The program team spent more than 400 days and nights photographing more than 40,000 kilometers, which is equivalent to more than one week around the equator, and photographing more than 230 archaeological sites, archaeological workstations, museums, and other sites across the country. In the "He Yi Zhong Guo" Special Program: Talk About Archaeological History, the program team invited the Chinese Hanfu restoration team  (中国装束复原小组). In the program, they took the audience on a tour of "fashionable clothing" from the Spring and Autumn period to the Three Kingdoms period through a hanfu show. The first is the long dress from the late Spring and Autumn periods to the early and mid-Warring States Period. It is characterized by the hollowing out behind the long dress, revealing the long skirt dragging on the ground. Red is the right color, which is suitable for the attendance of some important occasions. The hairstyle is a chic and delicate combed bun, showing the slender neck behind the head.…

The 馬王堆漢墓/马王堆汉墓/ma3 wang2 dui1/Mawangdui Han tomb is one of the most famous Han dynasty archaeological sites in China. Located in Mawangdui, Changsha, this elaborate tomb was found in 1968 and excavated in 1972 to reveal the remains of an incredibly well-preserved noblewoman that we now know was the wife to the Marquis of Dai in the Han Dynasty Kingdom of Changsha, Li Dai. A multilayered burial site containing furniture, food, art, accessories, and other belongings, the tomb contained her personal seal, which was found with the name 辛追/辛追/xin1 zhui1/Xin Zhui engraved in it; thus we know her as 辛追夫人/新追夫人/xin1 zhui1 fu1 ren2/Lady Xinzhui.  (A quick disclaimer—this series of articles is a result of my own research. I’m not a trained historian or archaeologist, I’m an inexperienced student with an interest in hanfu and chinese history. I don’t have a works cited page for these (though I can point you towards some of the resources I used off the top of my head if you really want them), and I didn’t spend a long time verifying my sources beyond checking with multiple sources to make sure the information was consistent, because frankly I don’t have the time to do that. All…

Hey everyone, sorry for the hiatus! I’m back now with a new series of articles—Hanfu Unearthed, a series examining the more technical, historical origins of hanfu. This series of articles is going to focus on the archaeological side of hanfu research: the relics that we’ve uncovered from various dig sites and tombs. The way that hanfu is defined by most is that its shape and construction is designed off of these relics, so let’s take a look at the real historical references that we have. A quick disclaimer—this series of articles is a result of my own research. I’m not a trained historian or archaeologist, I’m an inexperienced student with an interest in hanfu and chinese history. I don’t have a works cited page for these (though I can point you towards some of the resources I used off the top of my head if you really want them), and I didn’t spend a long time verifying my sources beyond checking with multiple sources to make sure the information was consistent, because frankly I don’t have the time to do that. All articles will come with this disclaimer, so please, please understand that I’m doing my best with what I…

We often say that fashion is a cycle, but have you ever wondered what fashion items were popular in ancient China? What kind of clothes are popular in different periods?   The ancient pleated skirt The preppy style has been really popular in recent years, various brands have also repeatedly used retro college style as the main style of the season. Kinds of pleated skirts and white shirts can be seen everywhere. However, in the Han Dynasty of China more than 2,000 years ago, there was already such a "pleated skirt" design. According to legend, its origin is related to Zhao Feiyan, one of the top ten beauties of ancient times. In the records, Zhao Feiyan was slim and likes to dance in long skirts. One time, a strong wind suddenly blew while she dancing on the lake. Zhao Feiyan was almost fly into the sky by the wind, and the palace maid hurriedly pulled her skirt to save her. The skirt was pulled out a lot of folds, but everyone felt that these folds made the skirt look more beautiful. The fairy-like Zhao Feiyan was not only not blown away by the wind, but also left the beautiful name…

In recent years, with the rise of the China-Chic trend, many gold stores have also begun to favor products of traditional culture and launched the so-called ancient gold craft and inheritance series of Chinese gold jewelry. The ancient Chinese used goldware as body decoration, dating back to the Xia Dynasty 4,000 years ago. The gold eardrops unearthed in Gansu is the best proof. The simple circle obviously cannot reflect the skill level of the ancients, so today let’s take a look at the gold earrings and gold bracelets in the museum’s collection of cultural relics. Let’s experience the luxury aesthetics of ancient Chinese gold jewelry.   Eardrop Eardrops (Er Zhui, 耳坠) is a kind of traditional Chinese earrings, with an additional part of the drop than earrings. This pair of gold eardrops in the Warring States Period adopts a cone and spring design, and the color matching of gold and turquoise is even more ingenious. This pair of gold eardrops from the Northern Wei Dynasty is composed of amber, silver ring, gold ring, silk column, hollow gold beads, wheat ear flower and other elements. Through weaving, welding, hammering, wire drawing, and other technologies, it creates a complicated but not messy…

The bronze mirror had a special meaning and use for the ancients. After the death of Wei Zheng, Li Shimin, Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty, said, "Using copper as a mirror, one can arrange one's clothes; using history as a mirror, one can know the ups and downs of history; using others as one's own mirror, one can know one's gains and losses every day." It can be seen that the mirror is not only a cosmetic appliance, but also rose to the humanistic meaning of mirror for people. Before the widespread use of mercury glass mirror, the ancients by adjusting the ratio of copper, tin and lead, so that the bronze mirror is a necessary tool to reflect the face of ancient Chinese people when dressing. In order to prevent the bronze mirror surface from becoming blurred by air oxidation, on the one hand, mirror boxes were needed for storage and preservation, and on the other hand, the mirror needed to be wiped and polished from time to time. So the mirror table, mirror frame, mirror trousseau, mirror box and other devices came into being, mirror polisher craft also passed down for thousands of years. These equipment can not…

China is an ancient civilization with a history of more than 5,000 years. There are many kinds of handicrafts, and they are all dazzling. Chinese traditional handicraft, each of them is a treasure of Chinese culture, and these handicrafts are worth inheriting and protecting.   1 Tuanshan Tuanshan (团扇), also known as Gongshan (宫扇) and Wanshan (纨扇), is traditional handwork and art of the Han nationality in China. It is a round fan with a handle, which represents a friendly and auspicious reunion. Fans have long circles, plum blossoms, hexagonal and other shapes; and making with silk, thin silk and so on; the craftsmanship includes Suzhou embroidery, Kesi, gold and silver inlays, and so on; the fan handle has wood, bamboo, bones, and so on. A Tuanshan contains too much learning.   2 Cheongsam The cheongsam (旗袍) is one of the traditional women's clothing that can represent Chinese characteristics. The cheongsam was formed in the 1920s, and some scholars believe that its origin can be traced back to the Shenyi of the pre-Qin and Han dynasties. Although its definition and timing are still controversial, it is still one of the most gorgeous phenomena and forms in China's long-standing clothing culture.…

One-third of life is spent on sleeping, and beds play an important role in people's lives. So, what did the bed look like in ancient China? Ancient humans often lived in caves. In order to keep warm, weeds, leaves, and animal skins were spread on the ground, which was roughly the earliest bed. During the Banpo cultural period of the matrilineal society, the prototype of the bed appeared, that is, the Tutai (土台), which is similar to today's kang bed-stove. In "Guangbo Wuzhi", there is such a record: "Shennong invented the bed, and Shaohao made the Kui (篑), and Lu Wang made the Ta (榻)." During the Shang and Zhou dynasties, the prototype of the bed was slowly determined. Compared with our modern beds, the ancient traditional beds had many functions. At night, the ancients slept on the bed, but during the day, they also needed to sit or lie down to rest, so the "Ta (榻, couch)" was invented. The earliest prototype of the couch is the mat. In other words, putting a mat on the ground can sit and lie down. In ancient times, people in northern China generally used grass to make mats, while southerners generally used…

A brief history of waist fan (yaoshan) and steps to DIY one for anyone interested. Vocab Tuan Shan: moon-shaped fan, 团扇, tuánshàn; Zhe Shan: folding fan, 折扇, zhéshàn; Yao Shan: waist fan, 腰扇, yāo shàn; Ping Feng: screen, 屏风, píngfēng.   Introduction When it comes to hanfu, one accessory that it is paired with is a fan. Well-known types of fans are moon-shaped fan and folding fan. But there is another type of fan known as Yao Shan, which translates as "waist fan." The reason why it is called a waist fan is that it can easily be secured at the waist when not used. When the fan is needed, you can just slip it out of the belt and open it up by twisting. It's unlike others where you will either have to constantly hold or unable to close it to take up less space. Waist fans contain characteristics from both moon-shaped fans and folding fans. It took the common round surface of a moon-shaped fan and the ability to close and open when needed from a folding fan. But the round shape is just a common shape everyone goes by. Moon-shaped fans have expanded from simply using a circle…

The pursuit of beauty is human nature. Beauty is not only a reflection of the mind, but also a reflection of the interest in life. Tang Dynasty women are the best representatives of beauty, because they inherited the mentality of "Dress up for those who like or admire yourself (女为悦己者容)" from ancient times, and pushed the beauty ideal realm to the highest level under the booming economy and the open and tolerant social atmosphere. Lively, dignified, noble, the endless types of Tang Dynasty female hairstyles, paired with exquisite makeup, made many literati and scholars unstinting in their talent to depict the Tang women's style. Let's follow ArtMoment to go back thousands of years ago, and enjoy the beauty of Tang female hairstyles in that remarkable era of spiritedness.   Ancient Hairstyle Tips What are Ji and Huan? The ancient Chinese women's hairstyle is commonly known as Ji Huan (髻鬟, jì huán), and according to the method of combing, there are two types of Ji (髻, jì) and Huan (鬟, huán). Ji, solid hair bun, suitable for ordinary women; Huan, ring-shaped hair bun, suitable for young girls. What does the change of hairstyle mean? In ancient China, a woman's hairstyle changed with…

Brief history on Chinese tool panbo and how it is different in the past when compared to Japanese tasuki.

Wearing armor, riding a horse, holding a traditional weapon, fighting on the battlefield. Such a scene may have appeared in the dreams of many people when they were young. But there is a person who turned the traditional Chinese armor in the dream into reality, he is the first person to restore the ancient armor of the Tang and Song dynasties, Wen Chenhua (温陈华). He has highly restoration the armor of the Song dynasty, which has been lost in China for 700 years, after 6 years. He founded the Lian Kai Tang (炼铠堂), and with his own strength, he promoted the obscure armor restoration craft, and let Chinese armor on the world-class combat stage.   #01 The first person in traditional Chinese armor restoration There are only about 1000 armor restorers in China, 90% of them are Wen Chenhua's students, and for 40 years, he has been restoring Jiazhou (甲胄, traditional Chinese armor) to the extreme. On Wen Chenhua's social platforms profile, there is only a simple sentence "Top Chinese Jiazhou maker" as an introduction. However, he has shared a lot of armor design drawings and finished armor photos, all revealing his deep love for Jiazhou. Traditional armor restoration and…

Huaxia dresses brilliantly for thousands of years. How rich is the Chinese traditional wear? Follow the INSTITUTE FOR PLANETS to enjoy a journey through a thousand years of Chinese costumes.   Huaxia Dresses - Prehistory to Shang & Zhou Period Looking back tens of thousands of years ago, human beings learned to sewn clothes with Guzhen (骨针, bone needle). Perhaps inspired by making ropes and bamboo baskets, around 7,000 B.C., Chinese ancestors began to weave fabrics with plant fibers. In order to improve the weaving efficiency, the Fanglun (纺轮, spinning wheel) was created that used pottery sheets to rotate inertial for twisted threads. There is also the Yaoji (腰机, waist machine) that is used to bind lines and make them tight and easy to knit. In that era of extremely backward productivity, it was not easy to get fabric, so the shape of clothes was relatively simple. Two narrow pieces of cloth were directly combined and then tie a straw rope, which may be the daily dress. With the continuous development of society, the function of clothing has long been more than just covering up and keeping warm, it has also been endowed with a lot of aesthetic concepts, which is…