What are the customs and habits of Manchu

Clothing

history of manchu has a long history and developed culture. Its dress is elegant and gorgeous, which is unique in China's national dress culture and has had a great influence on the development of China's dress culture.

Due to the cold living environment and the need of hunting life, Manchu people, both men and women, used to wear "horseshoe sleeves" gowns. After Nurhachi established the Eight Banners system, the costume of the "flag bearer" became "cheongsam" (called "clothing interface" in Manchu).

in the early Qing dynasty, the style of cheongsam was generally collarless, broad-breasted, waist-tied, left-slit and four-sided slit. Wearing is not only fit, but also conducive to riding and shooting. When hunting, you can also put dry food into the front. This kind of cheongsam has two outstanding characteristics, one is collarless. Nurhachi, in order to unify the clothes, once decided on the clothes system, stipulating that "all the court clothes should use shawls and collars, and only robes should be used in the flat." That is, the uniform can't lead the child, and only the royal dress worn when entering the DPRK can be added with a large collar shaped like a shawl; Second, there is also a half-moon sleeve head with a long top and a short bottom at the narrow cuff, which looks like a horseshoe, commonly known as "horseshoe sleeve". It is also called "arrow sleeve" (called "wow-ha" in Manchu) because it is put down when hunting or fighting in winter to cover the back of the hand, which not only plays a warm role like gloves, but also does not affect archery. After the Manchu entered the Central Plains, "letting go of wow-ha" became a prescribed action in the etiquette of the Qing Dynasty. When officials entered the court to see the emperor or other princes and ministers, they had to bounce off their horseshoe sleeves first, and then bow down with their hands on their knees.

It is also customary to wear a short gown with a round neck, body length, umbilicus and elbow length on the outside of cheongsam. Because this short jacket was originally worn when riding and shooting, it is convenient for riding and can resist the cold, so it is named "jacket". At the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, mandarin jacket was the "military uniform" of the Eight Banners soldiers, and later it became popular among the people, with the nature of formal clothes and uniforms, and its styles and fabrics were more diverse. Manchu people also like to wear waistcoats outside cheongsam. The waistcoat is generally divided into cotton, clip and leather for warmth. There are many styles, such as double lapel, pipa lapel and twist lapel.

As the "fashion" of the Qing Dynasty, Manchu women's cheongsam has developed a lot. At the beginning, in Beijing and other places, the practice of "eighteen inlays" prevailed, that is, eighteen hems were set to look good, and the style became wide robes and big sleeves; After the Revolution of 1911, the style of cheongsam changed from fat to thin. In the early 1931s, influenced by western short skirts, the length was shortened, approaching the knee and the cuffs were narrowed. In the mid-1931s, it was lengthened, with high slits on both sides, and highlighted the beauty of curves; In the 1941 s, it was shortened, and short-sleeved or sleeveless cheongsam appeared, with a streamlined exterior. After that, the garment pieces were separated from each other, including shoulder seams and sleeved cheongsam skirts. Wide range of materials, cotton, wool, silk, hemp and various chemical fiber clothing materials can be used. In addition to long and short sleeves, cheongsam is also divided into leather, cotton, single and clip, which is convenient to wear in different seasons. After continuous improvement, the general style of cheongsam is as follows: straight collar, narrow sleeves, right-open big chest, buttoned and tripped, tight waist, length below the knee, split on both sides; Pay attention to workmanship and color matching, and most of them are embroidered with lace of various patterns on the neckline, cuffs and hem. This not only sets off the beauty of women's figure, but also looks elegant and generous. Cheongsam with oriental colors has now become a popular Chinese dress for women in China.

cheongsam, flag head, flag shoes, etc. together, constitute the typical traditional costume of Manchu women.

"flag head" refers to a hairstyle, also known as a crown. It is fan-shaped, with iron wire or bamboo rattan as the hat frame, and green satin, green velvet or green yarn as the surface, wrapped in a fan-shaped crown about 31 cm long and more than 11 cm wide. It can be fixed on the bun when it is worn. It is often embroidered with patterns, inlaid with jewels or decorated with various flowers and decorated with long tassels. The "flag head" is mostly used by Manchu upper-class women, and it is usually thought by ordinary women when they get married. Wearing this wide and long hair crown limits the twisting of the neck, makes the body straight, and looks particularly dignified and stable, suitable for grand occasions.

The "flag shoe" has a unique style and is a kind of embroidered shoes with high wooden soles, also known as "high-soled shoes", "flowerpot-soled shoes" and "horseshoe-soled shoes". Its wooden heel is generally about 5-11 cm high, some can reach 14-16 cm, and the highest can reach about 25 cm. Usually wrapped in white cloth, and then embedded in the middle of the sole of the foot. There are usually two shapes of heel bottom, one is open at the top and convergent at the bottom, which is in the shape of an inverted trapezoidal flowerpot. The other is thin at the top and wide at the bottom, flat at the front and round at the back, and its appearance and landing marks are like horseshoes. "flowerpot bottom" and "horseshoe bottom" shoes are named after this. In addition to the embroidered patterns or decorative pieces such as cicada butterflies on the upper, the parts where the wood can't follow the ground are often decorated with embroidery or beading. Some shoe tips are also decorated with ears woven with silk thread, which are as long as the ground. The high-heeled wooden sole of this kind of shoes is extremely strong, often the upper is broken, while the sole is still intact and can be reused. High-end flag shoes are mostly worn by aristocratic young and middle-aged women over the age of thirteen or fourteen. You walk gracefully in these high-soled shoes. The flag shoes of elderly women are mostly made of flat wood, which is called "flat shoes". The front end of the flag shoes is slightly cut to facilitate walking.

There are many kinds of Manchu hats, which are mainly divided into cool hats and warm hats. In the past, Manchu people often wore a small hat called "Guapi hat". Guapi hat, also known as "the head of the hat", has a sharp top and a wide bottom, and is formed by stitching six petals. The bottom edge is inlaid with a small eaves about 3 cm wide, and some even have no eaves, and only a piece of brocade satin is used for wrapping. Melanin satin is generally used as the surface in winter and spring, and black solid yarn is used as the surface in summer and autumn. The top of the hat is decorated with a velvet knot, which is different in black and red, commonly known as "abacus knot" There is a "sign" nailed in the middle below the brim, which is called "Hat Zheng". There are pearls, agates, small pieces of silver and glass. According to legend, this kind of hat first began in the early Ming Dynasty. Because it is a six-petal suture, it takes the meaning of "Liuhe", that is, the four sides of heaven and earth are "unified", so it is popular. After the Manchu people entered the customs, influenced by the culture of the Central Plains, they also took the meaning of "Liuhe unification" and began to wear this hat, which was quite popular. Now, we can still often see its shadow in TV and TV dramas about the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China.

Early Manchu men often wore a kind of loafers called "big silly shoes" with double ridges. The vamp is mostly made of green cloth and green satin. The front face of the shoe is inlaid with double or single black thongs. The toe of the shoe is convex and upturned, and the side view is like a boat. In addition to "flag shoes" and flat shoes (the upper of flat shoes is embroidered with flower patterns, and the front face of shoes is embroidered with "cloud head"), there is also a kind of "thousand-layer shoes". "Thousand-layer shoes" are named because they use multiple layers of shoes as soles. The vamp is mostly made of cloth, and generally does not embroider flowers and other patterns, and is mostly worn in labor.

There is also a kind of shoes with special features, called Ura shoes, which are mostly worn by Manchu people in winter. Sewing with cowhide or pigskin, and wadding with grass, it is light and warm, suitable for hunting and ice running in winter.

housing

in the early days, Manchu people lived by mountains and rivers to facilitate and adapt to their production and living habits. The main rooms of Manchu rural houses are generally three or five rooms, facing south to facilitate lighting, and all of them open at the east end and south, shaped like pockets, commonly known as "pocket rooms", which are convenient for gathering warmth. East and west have their own wing rooms, which are equipped with concierges, which constitute what is usually called a quadrangle. Most of the houses are ridged brick houses, commonly known as "Haiqing House". The columns are inserted into the ground, and the door faces south, which is tall and spacious. The room is opposite to a hall, also known as an outhouse, with a kitchen stove, a pot and a water tank, and the stove is connected to the fire kang in the west room, which is called "tile" in Manchu. Opening the door from the west wall of the hall is the back room, which forms a "Wan Zi Hang" or a "Manzhi Kang" on the south, north and west sides. Manchu is still right, and the western wall is for ancestral tablets. The west kang is a narrow kang, which can't live in people and passes through the flue. Kang opposite the north and south. Spread kang mat, or paste kang paper to brush oil. A wardrobe is placed at the top of the kang, which contains clothes, and bedding and toiletries are stacked on the cabinet. At night, the elders live in the south kang of Westinghouse, and the north kang is separated from their brothers, sons and daughters. When you go to bed, your head is facing outside the kang and your feet are against the wall, which is quite suitable for cold protection and breathing fresh air. There are many paper paintings on the walls. In order to keep out the cold in the north, some have built fire places. There is a circular chimney (called Hulan in Manchu) on the wall of Xishan outside the house, which is several feet higher than the eaves. There is a nest of wind at the bottom of the chimney to keep out the headwind. There are windows on the north and south walls, and enough paper is pasted outside the window lattice, mostly "Korean paper", and the paper is covered with oil or salt water to avoid getting wet and falling off because of rain and snow. The window lattice and the Liangzi window lattice on the door form various patterns, which are beautiful and firm. The window is divided into two upper and lower windows, and the upper window can be ventilated with sticks. There are always strollers hanging from the beams, and babies are put in the strollers. There is a rectangular kang table on the kang. It is warm and convenient to sit cross-legged around the table when eating. The left and right sides of the table are covered with felt mattresses for guests. There are many carved paintings in the rooms, rafters and buildings. The wing has a mill and a warehouse (called Hash in Manchu). The house is surrounded by a wall. In the southeast of the courtyard, there is a "Soren pole" with a tin bucket and three stones placed under it, which are called "sacred stones". Behind the pole is a brick wall, and the headwear of the wall has rain.

In the past, rich people in the city lived in quadrangles. Courtyard doors are mostly three-room buildings, with three to five main rooms and three to five east and west wing rooms, surrounded by brick walls, and stone piers on both sides of the concierge, which are called Shangmashi. Some quadrangles are divided into front and back houses. Most of these folk residence styles of Manchu are kept in Manchu inhabited areas in the northeast. However, since the 1981s, except for a few people who still keep the traditional building methods, most of them have been built into more spacious and bright modern houses.

in order to adapt to the living environment in mountainous areas and snowy forests, the traditional means of transportation in Manchu-inhabited areas mainly include horse-drawn carriages, sledges, canoes and birch boats. The sledge (called Farah in Manchu) is a means of transportation on snow. After roasting two tree trunks with fire, they are bent into an arch shape, with the upper ends tilted, and the ground-touching part is about 1.5 meters wide. It is covered with boards or made into a box, and horses and cows are driven, so it is extremely light to carry people and goods. At present, it is only used occasionally in the colder northern mountainous areas. The earliest means of water transportation of Manchu was canoe (called Wei Hu in Manchu), which was hollowed out from thick logs and could accommodate several people. There is also a birch bark boat, which is more troublesome to make. Make the keel first, and attach birch bark inside and outside, so that one person can carry it. Quite light. It is rare now and has been replaced by modern ships.

etiquette

Manchu is a nation that pays great attention to etiquette. Manchu people have all kinds of etiquette when meeting or visiting guests, including thousand-touch ceremony, touching the temples, holding hands, holding hands, squatting, kowtowing and so on. Among them, thousands of gifts, hugs and kowtows are mainly used by men, while others are used by women. It is used by the younger generation to treat the elders and subordinates to the officers. The form is to play the arrow sleeve, bend the left knee forward, bend the right leg slightly, put the left hand on the left knee, hang down the right hand, and greet. The hug ceremony is for peers, and the younger generation can also be used for elders, but the younger generation should hold the waist of the elder, and the elder should caress the back of the younger generation, and so on. Now, some complicated etiquette has been simplified.

< br> The Manchu tradition of respecting the elderly is more obvious. The younger generation should greet their fathers and ancestors every morning and evening, and make way for the elders on the way. When eating, the elders should sit first and eat first. Manchu attaches great importance to feelings and faithfulness, treats guests and friends sincerely, hosts a banquet for guests, and

does everything promised.

The traditional marriage ceremony of Manchu is quite complicated, which generally goes through the procedures of media, release, lottery, box-passing, wedding ceremony, ancestor worship, size-dividing, returning to the door and so on.

matchmaking means that the man's family asks the matchmaker to propose to the woman's family, and after both families agree, they will make a small decision, that is, the man's family will give ruyi or hairpin as a gift. Then there is the engagement, that is, an auspicious day is chosen. The husband's family and relatives ask the name of the woman's family, and the woman's family gives a banquet to entertain them. The husband's parents make a speech to propose marriage, and the woman's family repeatedly pushes thanks. The husband's family insists on proposing marriage, and the woman's family agrees before the marriage is settled. At this time, the man should worship the woman's family and her elders. It's also a good day to get married and give gifts such as clothes, silks and satins, sheep and geese. The man's family will also give money in silver. At this time, we should agree on the wedding date. Entering the wedding reception stage, the bride's family will accompany the dowry the day before the wedding, commonly known as "passing the box", and the groom will thank her family. During the wedding ceremony, the groom is accompanied by the wedding procession, and when the two cars are wrong on the way, the bride's brother carries the bride on the groom's float, commonly known as "jumping into the car" (due to the different Manchu customs in different regions, there are also bridegrooms and welcoming teams who go directly to the bride's house to celebrate the wedding. In other places, there is a saying that "flags and customs are not greeted by relatives". When the bride arrives at the groom's house, she changes cars and takes the sedan chair. When the sedan chair lands, the groom will shoot three arrows in vain. The bride got off the sedan chair with a red veil, stood with the groom in front of the heaven and earth table placed in the courtyard in advance, and bowed to the north three times, commonly known as worshipping Beidou, that is, worshiping heaven and earth. After the worship, the bride retreated to the table of heaven and earth, and entered the temporary tent, which was called sitting on the bill. When sitting on the bill, "open your face" and change your head. After sitting the bill, the bride stepped over the saddle and entered the bridal chamber. The bridegroom took off the hijab with a scale and threw it on the eaves. Husband and wife drink a toast, eat happy noodles and children's cakes, and everyone makes trouble in the bridal chamber. On the night of the wedding day, the bride and groom will worship their ancestors. On the first day after marriage, the bride offered cigarettes and tea to relatives in her husband's family, worshipped the clan, and identified the generations, which was called the size. Generally, after three days of marriage, the husband and wife go back to the woman's house together to meet their parents and worship their ancestors. A month after marriage, the bride goes back to her parents' home to live for a month, which is called living for the month. By this time, the wedding ceremony was over.

These complicated marriage procedures have been simplified in today's Manchu-inhabited areas, and they have merged with modern forms. For example, plugging in a car has evolved into young men and women riding bicycles or motorcycles, accompanied by free wedding teams, starting from their own homes and marching to meet halfway, the two exchange bicycles or motorcycles and then go to the groom's home together. There are also ancestors, and some places have evolved into newcomers to worship their parents. Although it has changed, it still has strong national characteristics. In addition, the marriage ceremony of Manchu changed slightly due to different living areas, but the main procedures were roughly the same.

Manchu parenting customs are quite special. Boys hang bows and arrows on the left side of the door, girls hang colored cloth strips on the right side of the door, and their parents send a leisure car. Three days after giving birth, relatives and friends send gifts, commonly known as "giving milk." And held a baptism, called "washing three." At the full moon, please invite guests to "make a full moon" and take down bows and arrows or cloth strips and hang them on the "descendants rope". In one hundred days, it is necessary to weave a lock with colored cloth strips from various families, which is called a padlock. At the age of one, a more grand ceremony should be held to let the children "catch the week". Generally, at the age of 16, boys shave their hair and girls put on a bun. Up to now, traditional customs such as "giving milk", "washing three dishes", "making a full moon" and "grasping the week" are still preserved in Manchu inhabited areas in Northeast China.

Burial custom

Burial and cremation are the main methods in Manchu, and they have a long history. Before Manchu entered the customs, cremation was the main reason, which was mainly due to their frequent migration. In addition, the soldiers of the Eight Banners died in the early Qing Dynasty, and it was inconvenient to send their bones back to their hometown, so cremation was used. After the Manchu entered the customs, it gradually changed, from cremation and burial to burial. The funeral ceremony is that the deceased wears shroud before he dies, mostly robes and mandarin jackets, which are singular. The spirit stops in the house, usually within 7 days. Make a spiritual bed with wooden boards, with the head west and the feet east. The coffin is made of red cloth about 3 feet long, decorated with black spikes, and hung on a high pole in the courtyard. The coffin used by Manchu people has a special shape, the upper part is raised, the upper part is wide and the lower part is narrow, which is called "flag material".

During the mourning period, the whole family mourned and held a memorial service. At the time of burial, gold and silver were placed in the coffin, and the poor people used gold and silver foil ingots instead, with copper coins or jade articles in their mouths, and the spirit tools were placed in the lingpeng in the hospital. There are 16 bars, 32 bars and 64 bars for raising spirits in a single day of the lunar calendar. After the funeral, thank those who helped and invite them to dinner. After burial, burn paper on the grave every 7 days, and burn it for 7 times in a row. Burn it for a hundred days, and burn it for the anniversary. Manchu burning paper is to fold paper into pockets, commonly known as burning pockets. Tomb-Sweeping Day wants to go to the grave, burn his pocket and insert the Buddha. In the past 31 years, the funeral of Manchu has been changed to cremation. However, many ancient traditions are still preserved in the ceremony of paying homage to relatives, such as Tomb-Sweeping Day burning pockets, inserting Buddha's support, burning seven times, burning for a hundred days, burning anniversary and so on, all of which remain the same.