Unveiling the Culture of Ancient Sedan Chairs: From 'Colorful Sedan' to 'Dragon and Phoenix Sedan'

⚡️Introduction:⚡️

Unveiling the Culture of Ancient Sedan Chairs: From 'Colorful Sedan' to 'Dragon and Phoenix Sedan', the Millennia-old Etiquette and Hierarchy Behind a Wedding

Did you know that behind the tradition of brides riding in sedan chairs lies a wealth of etiquette and hierarchical systems? From the "Dragon Shoulder Sedan" of the Song Dynasty to the "Dragon and Phoenix Sedan" of the Qing Dynasty, the sedan chair was not only a symbol of weddings but also a reflection of social status and family hierarchy in feudal society. Today, ✨Star8s takes you on a journey through time to uncover the mysteries of ancient sedan chair culture and experience the wedding customs and rituals buried in history.

The Origin and Evolution of Sedan Chairs

The sedan chair, originally called "Yu," was a small cart used for mountain travel in ancient times. Its use in weddings began in the Song Dynasty and gradually became a widespread practice with far-reaching influence. These sedan chairs were then referred to as flower sedans, wedding sedans, or bridal sedans. For example, Emperor Xiaozong of the Song Dynasty created a "Dragon Shoulder Sedan" for the empress, adorned with four walking dragons, crafted from vermilion lacquered rattan for the seat, footrest, and doors. Inside, it was lined with red silk cushions and soft screens, while the exterior featured curtains and doors, making it extremely grand. The earliest flower sedans were elegantly called "Colorful Sedans." The primary purpose of the flower sedan was to transport the bride to the groom's home for the wedding ceremony, with the groom typically riding a horse and the bride seated in the sedan. Since red symbolizes joy, the sedan's curtains were usually made of red silk fabrics.

Marriage and Sedan Chairs in Feudal Times

In feudal times, marriage was often imbued with moral and ethical significance. As the "beginning of human relationships," the union of a man and a woman was meant to establish the "principles of husband and wife," forming the foundation of a hierarchical order to consolidate feudal rule. For instance, the "Book of Rites: Hunyi" states, "The wedding ceremony is the root of all rituals," summarizing the purpose of marriage as "harmonizing the bonds of two families, serving the ancestors above, and continuing the lineage below." In feudal society, marriage emphasized matching social status, primarily through distinguishing between nobility and commoners, and valuing hierarchy. As stated in the "Tang Code: Household and Marriage," "Each person has a match, and their status must align. How can nobility and commoners be paired?" This demonstrates the strictness of the hierarchical system at the time. This hierarchy was even more evident in the use of sedan chairs, with the imperial court using "Dragon and Phoenix Sedans," Manchu people using "Full Red Sedans," wealthy individuals using "Star Crown Sedans," ordinary Han Chinese using "Peony Sedans," and poorer families using "Soft Sedans."

The Scale and Rituals of Sedan Chairs

Generally, northerners called them wedding sedans, while southerners referred to them as flower sedans. The scale of the sedan chair procession varied, with larger processions featuring the bride in an eight-carried red sedan, accompanied by female relatives in green sedans. The procession included attendants, gongs, horns, umbrellas, fans, mirrors, axes, and drums. The scene was lively with the sounds of gongs, drums, and firecrackers. Smaller processions might have a four-carried sedan, a pair of gongs, and two drums. For imperial weddings, the scale was even grander. During the Qing Dynasty, the emperor's wedding featured sixteen musical instruments, a dazzling phoenix sedan, and the emperor shooting three arrows above the bride's head before she alighted. When the empress descended from the sedan, concubines and female officials would kneel in welcome, symbolizing the hierarchy between the empress and concubines.

Etiquette and Customs Surrounding Sedan Chairs

In the past, weddings often involved sedan chairs, as it was believed that a bride who did not ride in one was not properly married. A bride who had never ridden in a sedan chair might even be ridiculed. The reasons behind this tradition remain a mystery, with many folk explanations but no definitive answer. Numerous rituals and ceremonies surrounded the sedan chair, such as inspecting the sedan, pressing the sedan, cushioning the sedan, lighting the sedan, preparing sedan meals, dressing the sedan, carrying the sedan, crying in the sedan, washing the sedan, sending off the sedan, encountering the sedan, shaking the sedan, receiving the sedan, questioning the sedan, and kicking the sedan. This shows how much importance was placed on wedding customs in the past. However, according to tradition, only first-time brides could ride in a flower sedan, while widows remarrying might only use a sedan decorated with colored cloth or paper, known as a "colorful sedan." Due to feudal chastity norms, those riding in "colorful sedans" were often looked down upon. As for concubines, some regions allowed them to ride in sedans, while others did not. Overall, a woman could only ride in a sedan chair once in her lifetime, as the saying goes, "A maiden riding a sedan chair—it's her first time."

The Evolution of Modern Sedan Chairs

The sedan chairs familiar to modern people are mostly the warm sedans used since the Ming and Qing dynasties, also known as curtained sedans. They have a wooden, rectangular frame fixed to two flexible poles, with a sealed wooden base and a backrest seat for one or two people. The top, left, right, and rear sides are enclosed with curtains, while the front has a movable curtain. Small windows are often left on the sides, with additional curtains. These sedans, once decorated, could be used for weddings. Today, traditional wedding processions are rare, though they occasionally appear in films and television.

Sedan Chair Customs in the Guanzhong Region

Finally, let's briefly discuss the use of sedan chairs in weddings in the Guanzhong region. The groom's family would send a sedan chair to fetch the bride, with a young boy sitting inside to "press the sedan." Typically, the sedan would be prepared at 4 a.m., and before departure, the groom's family would light a bundle of dry straw and circle it around the sedan, a ritual called "burning the sedan." They would then eat a bowl of noodle soup at the bride's home. The bride could only depart after sunrise, as it was believed that the rising sun would dispel evil spirits and ensure a safe journey. Before boarding the sedan, the bride would kneel before the kitchen god to bid farewell, symbolizing that she would no longer eat her family's food. She would then be carried to the sedan by her brother or uncle, signifying that she would not take any soil from her family. Additionally, the bride's family would also "burn the sedan," and the bride would cry loudly, known as "crying in the sedan." Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, a "Sedan Crying Song" was popular in Huaxian County: "Engagement two years ago was like cutting flesh, today's wedding burns my heart. Who forged this iron lock? It tightly binds me." When two sedans met on the road, it was called "clashing weddings," and the two parties would exchange handkerchiefs or garters to show mutual respect. If they encountered a funeral procession, they would cover the sedan with red felt, set off firecrackers, and take a different route. Upon entering the village, the sedan would be covered with red paper when passing by mills, wells, or other landmarks to ward off evil spirits. The bride would not step on the ground when alighting but would walk on felt or reed mats, a custom known as "the bride leaves her family without touching soil and walks on mats to her new home." The mats or felt would be quickly passed forward and laid on the ground, a practice called "passing the mats" or "passing the felt." This custom dates back to the Tang Dynasty, as described by Bai Juyi: "Where is spring most beautiful? In the homes of brides... Green-clad attendants pass the mats, a slanting line of brocade." After a series of elaborate rituals, the couple would finally bow to heaven and earth and enter the bridal chamber.

China: A Land of Etiquette

China has always been a land of etiquette, reflected in every aspect of life. Even the wedding sedan chair carries such rich cultural significance.

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Keywords:

🌸🌸🌸Sedan Chair Culture, Ancient Weddings, Chinese Etiquette, ✨Star8s, Chinese Elements, Traditional Culture, Wedding Customs, Dragon and Phoenix Sedan, Colorful Sedan, Feudal Hierarchy