Whether it be in paintings, television shows, or books, Chinese characters are often depicted wearing traditional apparel that is heavily inspired from clothing of antiquity; however, what usually stands out the most — at least to me — is the various assortments of fascinating hats and headwear. From the wing-like protrusions of the futou cap to the veil-like bundle of tassels of the Mian Guan heawear, Chinese headgear possess intriguing designs that are distinct from the headwear worn nowadays.
Thousands of years ago, garments and headgear were not worn just for aesthetic purposes, as they also signaled one’s occupation and social status. For instance, people of lower status could only wear headbands while high ranking officials or emperors would wear exquisite caps like that of the mian guan. Here are some examples of unique Chinese headwear and their significance during their respective periods:
Xiao Guan: This headwear makes use of a hairpin to keep one’s hair in a knot tied at the top of the head, which is also known as a topknot. It can come in various shapes as long as it fits the topknot. The Xiao Guan was supposed to be worn for informal occasions and was used later by civil servants and bachelors.
He Guan: The main aspect that stands out for this headgear is the adornment of feathers on the top. This was worn mainly by military men, and the feather served to symbolize their bravery.
Xiezhi Guan: This headwear with a large distinct pin protruding out of its sides was mainly worn by law enforcement officials and judges. The term “Xie Zhi” refers to a mythological creature that was a good judge of right and wrong, which is quite befitting for the jobs of judges.
Mian Guan: The Mian Guan can be identified by a large rectangular board on the top of the headgear with several strands embellished with jade beads placed at each end of the board. This headwear was worn during major rituals, in which sacrifices would be made to the gods, which was considered extremely important to the Chinese people who believed that their well being and prosperity rested in the hands of higher beings. As such, the mian guan was reserved for high ranking officials and the emperor.
Feng Guan: The Feng Guan, also known as the Phoenix Crown, was worn by women of high status, specifically the empress. It was often decorated with jewels and intricate depictions of dragons, phoenixes, and flowers.
Futou: The futou is characterized with a head cloth fully covering one’s head that is fastened with a cloth sash that can be stiffened. There are many variations of this headgear, but perhaps the most well known variation is the zhanjiao futou. “Zhan Jiao” means “spreading feet” or “spreading wings”, which is quite appropriate considering the long wing-like protrusions on each side of the headwear. Futou were mainly worn by officials, and it is speculated by some that the “wings” were designed to keep a distance between officials to prevent them from whispering to each other during court assemblies with the emperor, which, funnily enough, is similar to our current situation in which people are encouraged to socially distance themselves during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sources:
https://www.newhanfu.com/brief-of-emperor-hat-in-ancient-china.html
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/chinese-futou-hats-social-distancing
https://www.newhanfu.com/chinese-headdress-hanfu-traditional-hats.html
This article is really informative. I learned about the assortment of headwear worn in China, and how each of them have a unique meaning. I have seen these in artwork and movies/TV, but I never knew the meaning behind each design.
This article has a lot of information. I learned about the headwear worn in China as well as its meanings.
This article was very interesting. I liked the topic because I have never seen these before.
Thank you for sharing this article with us! It was so interesting to learn about the meanings behind headwear. I never would have thought there were reasons as to why you are wearing something.
I learnt a lot from this article about the different headwear and its meaning. This was really cool.
Wow! I never knew there were various headwear with different meanings. I learned a lot from this article. Thank you for sharing!
I have seen this headwear in artwork but I never really thought twice about it. Now I know how much meaning they hold!
The article has a lot of information and I learned that are various headwear with different meanings.
Thanks for sharing! I’ve always seen this headwear in paintings and textbooks and I had no idea it was so meaningful. I find it so interesting how headwear can mean so much.
This article was really enjoyable to read. I’ve never known anything about these various types of headwear and this article has really opened my eyes!
I never knew how complicated headwear could be! This seems so interesting, this really changed my perspective on life.
It’s very interesting to learn about the designs of Chinese headwear, as well as their purpose in Chinese society. I’ve never seen this topic before, since it’s somewhat obscure, but as it turns out, it’s quite a fascinating subject!
I thought this was an interesting article. It was very informative.
很好的文章！我对文学，艺术品和电视中的中国人插图有很多了解。但是，我不知道穿不同衣服的原因。我了解到，凤凰冠是高贵女性特别是女皇的象征。另外，我了解到执法人员和法官也戴了自己的头套。谢谢！
香港专业教育学院见过这个头饰但是香港专业教育学院从未想过他们的历史。这篇文章有很多信息，我了解到这是各种具有不同含义的头饰。我在艺术品和电影和电视中看到过这些，但我不知道每种设计背后的含义。干得漂亮！
你写的内容很有意思。我有看过一点的中国古时候的电视剧所以我有看过这些不同的帽子。但是我从来没有去研究这些不同帽子的意思。对现在人开来这些帽子有可能看起来有点怪，但是他们当时肯定很时髦。
这些帽子很有意思！我的父母常常会看中国电视秀，所以我有看过一些古代帽子。我觉的冕冠很漂亮！我也想要知道真么做一个丫髻。
这是一篇很棒的文章！读者文以前我不知道中国服装的意思。我了解到，唯一应该戴凤凰冠的人是女性。一些贵的衣服只有富裕的美国人才穿。
不同的头饰有不同的蕴意，古人会在不同的时间带不同的帽子和头饰。非常有意思。
这是很棒的文章！我以前有在中文电视剧里看过穿汉服的人。但是今天我学到了一个人带的帽子可以代表那个人有没有钱。在照片里，这种帽子看起来很漂亮。
你写的文章非常好！我从来没有见过或者听过这种帽子。我知道他们以前在头上戴着东西，但是我不知道有钱的人跟没有钱的人会穿不同的。以前的帽子跟现在戴的帽子很不一样。
我从你的文章中学到很多. 我从来不知道头饰的重要性. 我以前见过他们，但不知道他们的目的. 谢谢!
我从我妈妈看历史剧的时看到这些帽。以前从画画儿，我也看到你说的凤凰冠。你的文章然我学到好的新的东西。谢谢你跟我们分享！
看了很多中国戏剧之后，我一直认为戴头饰是因为它们看起来不错。现在我知道他们穿的是一个人的社会地位的信号。我也从来不知道军人戴着羽毛的头饰来象征他们的英勇。我发现皇帝戴的头饰是最漂亮的。
汉服作为中国的文化瑰宝很多关于它的知识已经失传，其中包括制作汉服的古法技艺。二十世纪的种种事件导致了中国文化出现了明显的断层。所幸近几年汉服的美逐渐被人们发觉。而头饰就是汉服里特别重要的部分，它的设计和制造都特别精美。