The origin of business cards: business cards became the way of communication and etiquette of Qing people.

As a social tool, business cards have a history of more than 2,000 years in China, which is an inherent content of China traditional culture. Understanding the history of business cards is meaningful for us to study folk customs and social life history. Here we will talk about the business cards of the Qing Dynasty.

Business cards, which were called "Ye", "Ming La", "Ming Tie" and "Notes" in ancient times, existed as early as the Qin and Han Dynasties and were very popular before the Tang Dynasty. If carefully distinguished, some contents of early famous thorns and famous posts are more like "Cambodia" used by people today, and there are still some differences with later business cards. Therefore, the Qing people said that this small piece with a name on it, like the one used by later generations, became popular from the end of the Ming Dynasty. Before this, the ancient people's films were all written by themselves, and only after the Ming and Qing Dynasties did they begin to "carve fungus". According to the information we have seen now, the printing technology of Chinese people has been very mature in this period, and it is very convenient to engrave a small version for printing, even to put it on a specific paper like people today. As for the reason for the application of this small business card, it is said in the records that it began in the Chongzhen period. Because the government controls each other's "begging", going door to door and looking for relationships, people come and go with this small business card, which is more convenient to deliver. But as far as its general use is concerned, early famous cards can be regarded as the source of business cards, such as the Book of the Later Han Dynasty? Mi Fei Biography said that Mi Fei made a promise at the beginning of Jian 'an. When I first arrived in Yingchuan, my heart ached, but I was at a loss. As for the tattoo, it disappeared. "The thorn here is a business card in my arms. Because I haven't made friends with dignitaries for a long time, the words written on the tattoo have fallen out. Early business cards were made of wood or bamboo, and they were changed to paper after the Han Dynasty. Zhao Yi, a scholar in A Qing, once said, "The ancients used the same surname, which was originally used for chopping wood and writing. It was called a curse in the Han Dynasty and a thorn in the end of the Han Dynasty. After the Han dynasty, although paper was used, it was still stabbed. "In the story of meeting Liu Bang recorded in Hanshu, the" Yi "in Li's hand is actually a bamboo business card with the owner's name, native place and official position written on it. And even things to do. It should be said that it has the general function of a business card.

From what we have seen, the business cards of the Ming Dynasty were popular and hierarchical. By the Qing Dynasty, they had become a common way of communication and etiquette in the upper class, and were widely used in all aspects of social life. It has become a routine in daily communication. For example, Chen Qiyuan, a famous scholar who has been in Tongzhi for six years, was appointed as the director of Shanghai Lijin Bureau. Wu Changshou, an old friend from the same town, visited. Because I was in a hurry and didn't bring my business card, I quarreled with Chen's servant in front of the door. Chen asked the servant to inquire, and it was reported that there was a man who looked like a military attache and dressed in "shabby" clothes. He wanted to see him and asked for his business card, but he didn't. He just said. This old friend, dressed a little poorly, just can't get in because there is no business card or anything like that. After the meeting, Wu Xiangchen explained: "I wanted to get on the boat at once, but because I knew you were here, I came to visit and brought three servants to fold my luggage, so I forgot to stick to my post, which caused this embarrassment." Here, old friends come to visit, but the host doesn't let them in, and asks for famous brand goods and so on. After the old friend met, he also explained why he didn't bring an invitation. It can be seen that famous cards have become a necessary etiquette in the Qing Dynasty.

Business cards are also an important tool for official exchanges in the Qing Dynasty. Zhu's "two understandings of the temple": after the new Hanlin took office, he had his business card thrown all over the floor by his predecessors, which was called "big worship" Then I have to personally take three business cards to my predecessors' home, which is called "begging for face". Throwing thorns has become a part of bureaucracy. "Officials in Beijing are the most qualified. Among them, such as Hanlin and Ruo Shi Yu, as well as cabinet ministers, military aircraft Zhang Jing, official department and ritual department, all advanced colleagues, regardless of age, are called predecessors. When you visit for the first time, there must be three copies of red, white and cambodian. When you go to church, you should be respectful. "

The upper class in Beijing and China often celebrate the New Year with business cards, which originated in the Song Dynasty but prevailed in the Qing Dynasty. Traditionally, on New Year's Day, people in officialdom often send cars to call people to visit other people in officialdom and cast business cards to pay New Year's greetings. Fu Hezheng, a Beijing sergeant, refused to go in person, and sent his servants to cut the film into two or three inches with popular plum paper and stated himself. It's called a movie. "This is the Qing dynasty people use business cards as a memorial tool. So that some people joked about it: "Another day, the film flew and the car was empty. "In fact, time and space cars shuttle back and forth, and movies are flying all over the sky. Most of them refer to casual acquaintances, which has become a false gift. The closest relatives and friends are different. Huang: "The Story of the Temple of Flowers with People" says: "Making friends without hiring people to stab you is called flying film. "And close relatives and friends often use red business cards. For elders, they still pay New Year greetings face to face. And it is not limited to Beijing. "Generally, southern provinces are natural. "

The use of business cards in Qing Dynasty is not limited to the Spring Festival. For example, the visit of Chen Qiyuan's old friend mentioned above is more useful in daily communication. College student Xu Zeng apologized with a famous post. Qing? Gong Wei's Notes on the Nest Forest Volume III: Xu lived in his hometown after retirement and was very humble to his neighbors. Once, when he was traveling in a sedan chair, an old scholar passed by. Xu's eyes are not good. I didn't see them for a while. When he found out, he had his business card taken to apologize. Business cards were also commonly used at weddings and funerals in the Qing Dynasty. For example, in the funeral of bereaved people in the late Qing Dynasty, participants used business cards, which has become a part of the funeral: "When guests arrive, they must first vote in Cambodia". However, when business cards are used in funerals or bereavement activities, they are often set in a black frame, which is slightly different from what is usually used. It can be seen that business cards were widely used in social life in Qing Dynasty, such as visiting, apologizing, thanking, asking for help, weddings, funerals, congratulations and so on.

As a product of hierarchical society, business cards are bound to bear the brand of hierarchy. For example, the business card of the Prince of Ming Dynasty has no name, and the king of books has a title to show the dignity of the card holder. Although we didn't see such a clear record in the Qing Dynasty, the business card we saw today only printed three characters of Li Hongzhang, and nothing else was written, because he was so famous in the late Qing Dynasty that it seemed redundant to write anything. This is somewhat similar to the situation of the Ming dynasty prince's business card. In the Qing dynasty, business cards were still reflected in the hierarchy. For example, when students meet their teachers and subordinates meet their superiors, they often have to wait for an interview first, but the superiors generally don't give business cards. An example is that a military commander didn't know Shangguan because he had never received Shangguan's business card. Qing? Liang Zhangju recorded a story in the third volume of Wandering Tales. During the Jiaqing period, Fangji Zhuang, a native of Jingkou, went to Beijing to see the emperor. The emperor asked him, "Have you seen Jiangyou when you came from Jiangnan? Zhuang's official position is smaller than Jiang's and he never calls Jiang's name. I can't remember who this friend Jiang is at the moment and replied, "I haven't seen him." The emperor asked three times, and he replied that he had never seen it. The emperor couldn't help getting angry: "You are so confused. Didn't you say goodbye to the governor of Jiangnan when you came to Beijing as a military attache in Jiangnan? " Zhuang remembered that this river turned out to be his immediate boss, the governor of Jiangnan. Quickly replied, "Yes, yes, yes." The emperor's face softened slightly. Fangji Zhuang came out of the emperor's inner room, covered in sweat. Later, a friend asked him why, and Zhuang explained the reason: I usually only know that I only know the governor of Jiangnan, or Jiang. He never gave me a business card, and I didn't ask him to write a copy. What's his name? Sometimes, people with lower status have to pay huge bribes and give a business card to a government official. When Qianlong was in Fu Kangan, he returned to Beijing. A bookkeeper asked for him and handed him a famous brand, "Congratulations". Although the bookkeeper wanted to see him, it had ulterior motives, but this business card was handed up, and it cost one hundred and two thousand pieces of silver before and after. "Otherwise it will be difficult to see the blessing! "From this, we can also see the official atmosphere at that time.