The Lychee Road

In the cdrama The Lychee Road, not only women but also men are into manicures. He Cishi, a seemingly rugged man, and some officials have well - manicured nails, which challenges many people's modern thinking. What's going on? Were the Tang people more progressive than us? Actually, ancient men also liked growing nails. But it wasn't for beauty. It was a symbol of upper - class status, showing they didn't do manual labor. We can see long nails in some portraits. Take Zhuge Liang, a well - known figure in the Three Kingdoms period. In a Yuan - Dynasty portrait of him (collected in the Palace Museum in Beijing), he has long nails, and the ruyi in his hand is delicate. His black - and - white - and - red clothes are still fashionable today. Nail Art in Tang Dynasty The trend of manicures became more popular in the Tang Dynasty. There were 'nail - dyeing' techniques and a specialized manicure industry. Similar to today, nail - dyeing was a sign of beauty and noble status, especially favored by noble women. In ancient times, 'Koudan' referred to dyed nails or delicate hands with dyed nails. Balsam flowers, also known…

In the ancient cdrama The Lychee Road, Li Shande was sent to Lingnan to transport litchis for the emperor. Attentive netizens noticed that in this drama, Lingnan was extremely hot, with almost everyone sweating. However, except for Governor He, almost everyone wore long sleeves. Weren't they hot? Let's start with the conclusion. During most of the Tang Dynasty, the temperature in Lingnan was actually a bit higher than our current summers. Some scholars pointed out that the temperature at that time was about 1 - 2℃ higher than it is now. People wore long sleeves mainly because of the basic etiquette for formal occasions. Another reason is that although the clothes were long - sleeved, they were made of natural fabrics, which weren't as stuffy as chemical fibers. Moreover, long - sleeved shirts and long trousers could effectively prevent mosquito bites. As we've popularized before, the short - sleeved clothes worn by Governor He were generally used as an inner layer with a round - collared robe. For someone like Governor He to appear directly in short - sleeved clothes alone, such occasions were basically at home or other informal settings. Also, some laborers or working people who needed to…

The poster of the movie version of The Lychee Road reveals that Yang Mi plays Zheng Yuting, the lawfully - wedded wife who shouts, "I'm marrying him, not Chang'an". She always accompanies Li Shande played by Da Peng. Fans believe this can make up for the regret of the TV series version. Careful fans found that the stripes on her dress in the play are horizontally gradient. Similar striped prints have even been featured on various international fashion runways by foreign designers! Were the people in the Tang Dynasty so trendy? Let me give you the conclusion first. This horizontally gradient dress is inspired by the pattern of a woman's dress in the Tang Dynasty silk painting The Birth of Buddha. And this pattern is created through the dyeing and resist - dyeing techniques of the Tang Dynasty. The dyeing and resist - dyeing techniques can be further divided according to their functions. "Dyeing" mainly focuses on coloring the fabric, while "resist - dyeing" is about creating patterns on the fabric. It is said to have originated in the Qin and Han dynasties and was very popular from the Sui, Tang to the Song dynasties. According to Shuowen Jiezi, "Xie…

Yue Yunpeng, why don't you wear your clothes properly! In the ancient costume drama The The Lychee Road, when Yue Yunpeng's character Zheng Ping'an makes his first appearance, he is sloppily dressed and wears what seems like a "mini skirt". The CP combination with Lei Jiayin's Li Shande makes people can't help laughing. Is this "mini skirt" deliberately done for the drama effect or did such a garment really exist in history? First, let's state the conclusion. This is a common Tang-style inner garment in the round - necked robe, which can be simply called "Banbi" (半臂) according to its appearance features. Generally speaking, this kind of Banbi inner garment has two functions. In the Tang Dynasty, both civil and military skills were highly valued. This inner garment can support the shoulder contour of the outer round - necked robe, making the figure look more upright. Also, it can be conveniently worn with the chest exposed in hot summer or during sports. Since it is used as an inner garment, natural and breathable materials such as linen are usually used. "Banbi" also has another name, "Banxiu" (半袖). It is a very special short - sleeved top in ancient China. Its…