Manchu men's hairstyle

 

Manchu men's hairstyle

 

Even if a confident man is in deep darkness, the sky of his soul is dotted with bright stars. A confident man is like a bright light, illuminating his family, himself, and others. You can tell whether a man is confident by looking at his hair. In order to shape their own image, it is common sense for men to take care of their hair. From ancient times to the present, emperors and generals will not be unkempt, and Confucian scholars and Taoists will always be well-dressed. Even if there are different changes in different eras, people who like to appear in the camera have the same aesthetic. The standard is to arrange your hair so that you can stand out.

After the musician Dorje told the Mongolian dance team of the Naypyitaw Song and Dance Troupe about women's dressing knowledge at an extracurricular lecture on the bank of the Irrawaddy River in Myanmar, he then chatted with Agu Demba, A Zhuo and Chu Sanxing who were observing the lecture. Characteristics and traditional knowledge of Manchu men's hairstyles.

Dorje said:

The hairstyles on men's heads during the Manchu and Qing Dynasties had different states and symbolized different connotations.

The ancestors of the Manchu people in the Jin Dynasty all wore braids. In the seventh year of Tianhui (1129) of Emperor Taizong of Jin Dynasty, Jin Taizong once decreed that all Jurchens must have braided hair. Shave a circle of hair from the forehead to the back of the head, and braid the remaining long hair into a long braid hanging down the back of the head. When braiding, three strands of thread are added to the ends of the hair. In the braided hair, there are decorations on the ends of the braid, called "braid links", commonly known as "Lianzi". With the further needs of aesthetic needs, "cooked (silk) thread drills" with great decorative significance have emerged. If you have short hair, braid three more strands of wig at the end of the braid to increase the length of the braid. Tie the roots of the braid with thick cords. Braid three braided tassels in the middle of the braid, and use black braided tassels.

The Manchu people believe that the braid is where the true soul resides and is regarded as the foundation of life. If the bones of the Eight Banners soldiers who died on the battlefield are brought back unconditionally, the braid will be brought back to their hometown and buried in a grand ceremony, which is commonly known as "bringing the braid."

Dorje continued:

Manchu men's braids usually hang down on the back of their heads, and the roots and ends of the braids are tied with hair ropes. If people who work hard to earn a living feel that dragging their pigtails will get in the way while working, they can also place the pigtails on their heads.

After the Qing Dynasty entered the customs, life was stable and the economy developed. The aesthetics of hairstyles have shifted from practicality to decoration. The braids that were previously suitable for hunting, riding, and shooting were obviously out of fashion in the lives of the Qing emperors and relatives who had established their dominance. Therefore, under the premise of unifying the uniform system, the trend of grooming hair styles became popular. Men shave their heads regularly, shaving off the forehead and the surrounding hair to expose the indigo forehead, commonly known as "shaving circles".

At that time, the razor was not big, but it was extremely sharp. It was said that the fastest knife could cut hair by blowing it. Those with good hair are dark and thick, and their braids are shiny and can be traced behind their heads. They are quite proud. For those with thin hair or those who are older, bald and bald, their pigtails look like dried dough sticks hanging down their backs, which makes them look bad. As a result, a wig specifically for men was born: Lianzi, that is, braided wig. Work the drill into short, dry hair. Lianzi is made of real hair, ranging from two to three feet in length. The thicker, longer and darker the hair, the higher the price, otherwise, the price is lower. However, Lianzi can only cover up the ugliness. If you want to show off your beauty, you can only use cooked silk Lianzi. "Learning silk to braid" was very particular and fashionable at the time.

Mixian Lianzi is made of black silk thread, two or three feet long, with three black tassels hanging from the bottom. Lianzi is a last resort to cover up one's ugliness. However, Silk Lianzi takes the initiative to dress up and does it for the sake of beauty. They are not used when the hair is sparse, but used precisely when the hair is good and dark in youth. When using cooked silk, separate the strands and braid them together with the hair, and add five-color silk thread or black silk tassels to the long braid hanging down the back of the head to make the braid thicker and longer. For long braids, the braids can reach the waist or hips, or even reach the crook of the legs. The princes and nobles also decorated their braids with pearls, gems or gold and silver horns, which not only restricted the braid from swinging freely, but also showed wealth and nobility, and were a symbol of status, rank and social status.

Dorje smiled and said:

With such a long braid hanging down behind her back, although she looks very impressive, it is very inconvenient to move around and often adds a lot of unnecessary trouble to daily life. The elders once told a joke: A very elegant man wearing a flowered robe was watching a play in front of the stage. Suddenly, he felt something in his stomach. He hurriedly went to the toilet and forgot to put away his braided silk braids. When he reentered the venue after defecation, wherever he went, people would move back and look at him. He thought people were envious of his clothes, so he couldn't help but look around to show off. The cooked silk braid was thrown forward, and he realized that there was feces on the braid! People laughed, but he was so ashamed that he ran away in a hurry.

Azhuo asked: Why do men wear braids?

Duoji replied:

Braiding hair is a common hair style among ethnic minorities in Northeast China. For example, the Khitan, Jurchen, Mongolian, and Manchu people all have their hair braided, that is, they all wear braids. However, the Manchu people inherit the Jurchen people’s combing method and are the same as them. Khitan and Mongolia are different. "Dajin Kingdom Chronicles" records that the Jurchen tribe is "Jin custom, white clothes, braided hair hanging down the shoulders, which is different from the Khitan. (Ears) hang gold rings, leave the hair behind the head, tied with colored silk, The rich use pearls and gold as ornaments.” The "different" in the article refers to the Khitan people who also shave their heads as the Jurchen people, but the way of shaving is different. The Khitan people's hair accessories are either cut from the top of the head to the back of the head, leaving only the forehead and sideburns; or only the right side of the forehead is left. A strand of hair above the ears is combed loosely, and the rest is shaved. The hair ornaments of the Jurchen people are half-grown and half-shaved. A straight line is drawn from both ends of the forehead, that is, above the ears, and all the hair from the straight line to the forehead is shaved off, leaving only the hair at the back of the skull, which is braided and hung down on the back of the head, exposed. Outside.

As descendants of the Jurchens, the Manchus inherited the old customs of the Jurchens, and men's hair accessories are exactly the same as those of the Jurchens. Volume 3 of the "Three Dynasties Beimeng Huibian" contains: Jurchen "women braided their hair into a bun, men braided their hair down behind, wore gold rings on their earlobes, left their hair at the back, tied it with colored silk, and the rich decorated it with pearls and jade." The hairstyle custom of the Jurchens in the Jin Dynasty has gone through hundreds of years and was continued by their descendants, the Manchus. The Manchu men directly followed the unique custom of braiding the Jurchens' hair, half-shaving and half-leaving their hair, and shaving off the surrounding hair. , leaving only the hair on the back of the head, braided into a big braid, hanging down the back of the head. It is tied with colorful silk threads and decorated with gold, silver, pearls and jade.

When describing the tradition of men braiding their hair, Dorje sighed:

During the war between Sarhu and the Ming Dynasty, Li Minzhao, a Korean who was captured by Nurhachi, described it this way in his book "Jianzhou Hearing and Seeing Records": "All men with beards pulled out their beards and cut their hair, and kept their hair behind their heads, like little fingers. Xu, compile it to your left."

Nurhachi attached great importance to this custom. In any place he captured, men's hair styles must be uniform. Regardless of age, all men must have their hair shaved in surrender, as a symbol of sexual advantage. This was still the case after the Qing Dynasty established its capital in Beijing.

The forced shaving of hair caused shock throughout the country. Not only the elders and the young in the late Ming Dynasty opposed it, but ordinary Han people found it difficult to accept it, and many people died for it.

But after all, it was difficult to disobey the forced order, and the trend of shaving eventually spread throughout the country. Men in the Qing Dynasty were divided into ethnic groups and regions, and all men had their hair shaved and their hair braided. This uniform half-shaved and half-fresh hair accessory became a characteristic of men's hair styles in the Qing Dynasty.

Until the Revolution of 1911 and the fall of the Qing Dynasty. This hairstyle just ended. At this point, Chinese men began to cut their hair short, and finally entered the hair style trend that is common among men around the world.

Duoji sang a "Braid Song":

 

A long braid hanging down the back of the head.

It's ridiculous and sad for men to have braids.

The ridicule is too ridiculous, and the sorrow and hatred of the country's subjugation are too much.

When they surrendered, they had their hair cut off, and the Han people became slaves of the Qing Dynasty.

 

A manly man, with braided hair hanging down his head,

Kneel down with both legs, the Han thief's knees are weak.

 

The Manchu and Han Dynasties all had a banquet, and the masters and servants were divided into different levels.

The house is full of guests, and the Han people are washing dishes and chopsticks.

 

He grabbed his pigtails and angrily cursed the traitors to the Han people.

The great Han Dynasty was once popular, why does it not exist now?

 

Time is like running water, and time is not forgiving.

The Manchu Qing Dynasty has perished, leaving only the traitor race.