Explore the Manchu shoe culture

 

Explore the Manchu shoe culture

  

There is a Chinese saying that "without shoes, you are half poor". It can be seen that shoes are very important in a person's dress. The emergence of shoes is the inevitable development of human beings towards civilization. Through the unearthed shoes of all dynasties, shoes have accompanied human civilization for thousands of years. They are closely related to people's lives and closely related to the pace of human progress. Accompany. As the saying goes: A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. It can be imagined that the role of shoes in the development of society and history can be said to be very important and unique.

If you add up the different ways of writing shoes and various nicknames in Chinese characters, there are fifty or sixty kinds. There are also words related to shoes in idioms and sayings, such as "Zheng people buy shoes", "cut feet to fit shoes", " "You are not afraid of wearing shoes when you are barefoot", "You are not afraid of crooked shoes if your feet are straight", etc.

Burmese musician Duoji chatted with Agudenba, Azhuo, Chu Sanxing, Dawa, Xiang Qima, etc. about the folk customs and traditional culture of the Manchu people. Today, the theme of his lecture for the Mongolian Dance Team of the Naypyitaw Song and Dance Troupe is: Exploring the Manchu shoe culture.

Duo Jikai said:

Yesterday, I talked about Manchu people’s hair, but now I’m talking about Manchu people’s shoes.

In the historical process of Chinese civilization, China, like other ancient civilizations in the world, has had a long history of the emergence and use of shoes. Looking back at the history of the development and evolution of Chinese shoe culture, the shoes of the Manchu people are not only daily necessities, but also a symbol of class. From the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, there were very clear and very strict regulations. Officials wear what shoes, emperors wear what shoes, concubines wear what shoes, and poor people wear what shoes. It is a sign of rank. Secondly, it is also obvious. Code of etiquette.

Dorji asked his daughter Yadan to take out several pairs of different types of Manchu shoes from the performance team's costume box and display them on the podium.

Duoji picked up a pair of women's flag shoes and said:

These are Manchu women's flag shoes, called "inch shoes", also known as "horse-shoe shoes". You see, the middle of the sole, that is, the sole of the foot, is inlaid with more than 3 inches of wood, which is wrapped in fine white cloth. The area where the wood heel does not touch the ground is often decorated with embroidery or beads. Because the flat surface of the sole is horseshoe-shaped, it is named after it; There is a kind of shoe with a flowerpot-shaped bottom, which is called "flowerpot-soled shoes"; the flag shoes worn by elderly women and working women are made of flat wood and are called flat-soled embroidered shoes, also known as "net cloud shoes". Manchu women's shoes are embroidered on the surface, while socks are mostly made of cloth and have patterns on the soles.

These are Manchu women's high-soled shoes. Manchu women are all born with natural feet. In the old days, they liked to wear wooden high-soled shoes. The middle part of the sole is made of wood. It is flat in front and round in the back, thin at the top and wide at the bottom. Its shape and landing mark are like a horse's hoof, hence the name. The bottom is three or four inches high, and the flag women of the Hou Jingshi are seven or eight inches high. The wooden base is wrapped with white cloth around it. The uppers of the shoes are mostly made of satin for the rich and cloth for the poor, and are all embroidered with colorful flower patterns. Plain shoes without flowers are the most taboo, as they resemble fierce clothing. Noble women often decorated their shoes with jade jewelry or tassels on their toes. Girls should start using it when they are thirteen or fourteen years old. After the Republic of China, it has become rare.

Duoji picked up another pair of Ula boots and said:

Wula is one of the traditional cold-proof boots of the Manchu people. Made of pig, cow, deer and other animal skins. The shape is pointed at the front and rounded at the back, with six shoe lugs running through the upper. The shoe mouth is padded with lining near the foot, and a thin belt is used to connect the boot lugs. The shoes are relatively wide, and when worn, the shoes must be filled with Ula grass, one of the "Three Treasures of the Northeast". Because Ula is soft, light and can move freely, it can not only protect against cold, but also be beneficial to military campaigns and hunting life. Therefore, it is still used and can still be seen in some remote mountain villages in Hulunbuir City, Inner Mongolia.

Duoji picked up another pair of jade hats and said:

This is a leather shoe mostly worn by lower-class Manchu people in rural areas in winter. It is sewn with cowhide or pigskin and lined with velvet grass. It is light and warm, and is suitable for hunting and ice running in winter. It is one of the very distinctive Manchu costumes and is still worn today.

The Manchu tradition is that "women wear flag shoes and men wear boots." The boots are sandwiched with cotton and can be made of satin, velvet, cloth, or leather.

This is a pair of Yunzi shoes. The slippers often have two faces, and the beautiful ones may be made of silk and satin, which are called Yunzi shoes. The poor wear shoes, but Yi Qiao's ears are blue, so they are called green shoes.

Dorje continued:

In ancient Chinese shoe culture, shoes are called clogs. No matter what material the upper is made of, as long as the sole is made of wood or bamboo, it is called clogs. Its upper may be made of straw, leather, silk, or cloth, all of which are called clogs.

Many ancient shoes have an obvious bulge in the front. The bulging part is called a shoe cock. Why is there a shoe cock and what is its function?

One is that ancient Chinese people all wore skirts and robes. The biggest disadvantage of wearing skirts and robes is that they are easy to fall. Therefore, there is a shoe collar in front of the shoes, and the entire skirt and robe can be placed inside the shoe collar, which makes walking safer. This is a point where you won't step on your skirt and robe when walking.

The second point is to serve as a warning, that is, when walking in shoes, he is afraid of hitting something hard. Then with the shoe warping, he will not easily hurt his feet.

The third one is that the most easily broken part of the shoe is the toe, so a shoe collar is added in front of the toe. Moreover, this shoe collar is usually connected to the sole and is made with the thickness of the sole. A raised shoe on the toe increases its fastness.

But this is all about the function and style of shoes. In fact, what is often overlooked is that shoes are also divided into grades. Dorje continued:

According to Manchu official regulations at the time, officials wore square-toed boots and civilians wore pointed-toed boots. There were also thin-soled fast boots, commonly known as "creepers", mostly worn by soldiers and warriors.

When men travel far away, they often wear leather boots. Their shape is similar to Jintan, but the boots have a high waist. They are lined with felt socks in winter, which are lightweight and insulating. They are commonly known as "Tangtu Horses". There are several types of flag-style shoes, most of which are flat-soled. Or inch-high, slightly missing at the front and back, they are called inch-soled shoes. There are also shoes with soles that are several inches higher in the middle, medium to fine, and square at the bottom. They are called high-soled shoes, commonly known as "horseshoe soles" or "flowerpot soles." Men's shoes are made of cloth and have double leather strips on the upper surface. Pigskin or cowhide boots are worn in winter, and most elderly people wear high-waisted felt shoes.

Women wear high wooden-soled shoes that are narrow at the top and wide at the top, with the tip of the shoe face protruding from the upper wing, green flowers on both sides, and a shape like a boat. Specifically, there are horseshoe-soled shoes, flowerpot-soled shoes, flat-soled shoes, square-toed shoes, and pointed-toed shoes.

Manchu women's shoes are embroidered with beautiful floral decorations, and have a 10-centimeter-high wooden heel in the center of the sole. When Manchu women walk in such shoes, they can maintain a high-spirited posture and a swaying gait. Curly and graceful, light and elegant.

Jintan is a leather shoe mostly worn by lower-class Manchu people in rural areas in winter. It is sewn with cowhide or pigskin and lined with velvet grass. It is light and warm, and is suitable for hunting and ice running in winter. It is one of the very distinctive Manchu costumes and has been worn in the rural areas of Northeast China. The Han people are also fond of Jin Fan.

The ornaments worn by the Manchu people include bone ornaments, stone ornaments, bead ornaments, gold and silver ornaments, etc. Which kind of jewelry you choose to wear depends on your status. Generally speaking, the quality of jewelry can reflect your status and the wealth of your family. Similarly, Manchu people's shoes are also a symbol of wealth, poverty and rank.

When the Burmese musician Dorje said this, he cleared Agudengba to the podium. He said to the team members listening to the class: "I am very happy to tell everyone that this is the wise Mr. Agudengba. He is very knowledgeable. I Just now we just briefly introduced the characteristics and uses of some Manchu shoes. Next, we welcome Mr. Agudengba with applause to tell the history of shoe culture in China and the world."

During the lecture break, the students danced together and sang "Footprints of the Wula River":

 

Blue sky, white clouds, grassland

Listen to the singing of the Wula River together

Girls and handsome guys on the banks of the Ula River

Holding hands and singing Ula Ula Lala

Making a grunting sound

The story of Gada Merlin is spread all over the world

 

Horses, eagles, cattle and sheep

Here’s a glass of six-steamed and six-brewed mare’s milk

Let’s talk about resting Mongolian horses

We chatted from Haizi to the entrance of the alley

There are also memories of the iron cavalry sweeping across Europe

There are endless stories about the grassland peoples

 

sun, moon, stars

Witnessed the changes in the Northern Desert and Southern Desert

Men love to wear jingtao boots

Women all walk lightly and wear flag shoes

The scent of earth remains under your feet

Along the way with the pace of civilization