What are the court ceremonies like in feudal China?

Dengji Ceremony

There is no more important ceremony in the palace than the Dengji Ceremony, which marks the end of the old rulers and the beginning of the new rulers taking over power.

After the entry of the Qing Dynasty, ten ceremonies were held, of which two were special cases, one in the first year of Shunzhi, Aisin Gioro Fulin's enthronement, and one in the fourth Jiaqing Emperor's enthronement. The former is because the year before his father Huang taiji died, Fulin in Shenyang Palace that is the emperor, into the Customs Yanjing and held a ceremony, the ceremony is relatively brief. The latter is because his father Qianlong personally pass the throne, called the ceremony, the ceremony is grand and full of festive atmosphere. The remaining eight times, are in the previous generation of the emperor's new death, the heir to the throne in the mourning period.

Yongzheng thirteen years (1735) in September, Emperor Qianlong in the Hall of Supreme Harmony to the throne, the situation is generally like this:

Yongzheng thirteen years on August 23, Yongzheng Emperor died in the Yuanmingyuan, the same day, the casket will be transported back to the Forbidden City, put in the Qianqing Palace. Heir to the Emperor Hongli to keep the spirit. September 3, the preparations for the Ceremony is ready, the Secretary of the Ministry of Rites to request the throne. The main gate of the Qianqing Palace was to be draped to indicate the suspension of the funeral. Hongli to the Baohe Temple to lower the carriage, first to the Zhonghe Temple to ascend the throne, officials at all levels salute. After the ceremony, the officials are in place, the Secretary of the Ministry of Rites and then asked to be the emperor. Yiyiwei people with Hongli Royal Hall of Supreme Harmony. Hongli ascending throne that is the emperor, this time according to the general provisions of the ceremony, played by the band and shao music, but due to the mourning period, the provisions of the music set up not to do, only the noon gate on the sound of the bells and drums.

The Qianlong emperor after the throne, the steps of the three whips, in the sound of praise under the command of the official, the group of ministers line three kneeling and nine kowtow. Ceremony, the hundred officials should play the ritual of dan sheng daluo, set up at this time and do not make, qunchen celebrated the table and not announced.

Finally, to promulgate the edict, to show that the emperor is the "true son of God", the ceremony is solemn and grand. First of all, the university scholar and then held out the imperial edict, the Ministry of Rites held the imperial edict to the bottom of the stairs, the Ministry of Rites official in the cloud tray (decorated with cloud pattern wooden tray), by the Allied Guards, the person who is in charge of the yellow cover *** with the Middle Road out of the door, and then sound the whip, the Qianlong Emperor returned to the Palace. The civil and military officials respectively by the door on both sides of the gate of Zhao De, Chingdu door with the imperial edict out of the noon gate, the imperial edict on the Dragon Pavilion, lifted to the Tiananmen gate tower promulgated. Qianlong emperor returned to the end of the Palace of condensation, and then change into mourning clothes. The University of the Emperor's treasure" will be handed back, stored in the interior.

This is a typical ceremony, the other seven are similar.

The court ceremony, the first dengji, the ceremony, there are pro-government, the late Qing dynasty curtain rule, on the emperor's honor, emblem, on the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager honor, emblem and so on.

Sacrifice Ceremony

Sacrifice, including sacrifices to heaven, sacrifices to the gods, ancestor worship, is an important ceremonial activities in the court, including: the big sacrifice, in the sacrifice, group sacrifice of the court's traditional sacrifices; the Manchu nation's unique rituals of the Tangzi and the Kuning Palace sacrifices to the gods; and similar to the Han Chinese ancestor worship activities, such as sacrifices of the Imperial Temple, sacrifices of the Temple of the First Emperor and the sacrifice of the mausoleum, and so on.

By the imperial court, the Ministry of Rites presided over by the big rituals, in the rituals, group rituals nearly eighty kinds, is the House presided over by the imperial rituals there are ten kinds of, the emperor is both the head of state, but also the master of the royal family, no matter which side of the rituals, where important, the emperor must personally participate in the ancestor activities are bound to be more in person in order to show filial piety.

While the rituals for the Qing dynasty important system. But there is no substance, relying on red tape to support. In accordance with the provisions of the different sacrifices to be enshrined in different gods, with different sacrificial vessels, jade and silk, livestock jail. The big sacrifice, in the sacrifice before the emperor to fast, fasting period, the court offices to hang fasting wooden plate; Palace Qianqingmen also want to hang fasting plate and put fasting bronze; the emperor to comply with the "six prohibited"; deacons are not permitted to Ru meat, alcohol and spit, the offender will be punished.

Sacrifice of the day set in the winter solstice each year, meaning "welcome the long day of the arrival", three days before the sacrifice of the day, the emperor first in the palace fasting, after a series of complicated preparations, and the sacrifice of the day before the day in the emperor's carriage to the altar of heaven to the Palace of fasting for a day. To the day of the sacrifice, the emperor at Huanqiu altar, in the dedication of music and dance to welcome the god, offering jade and silk, into the altar, read the blessing, three times the dedication of the jewels, blessed blessing, send the god and other red tape rituals. The emperor and to drop the group of ministers to perform three kneeling and nine kowtow many times, the ceremony to the end of the sky.

Nearly eighty kinds of sacrifices in the Qing dynasty, with Manchu characteristics, is the Hall to sacrifice and Kun Ning Gong God.

Tang Zi sacrifice is the Manchu people outside of Guanwai on the sacrifice of the name of the place, initially, the common people's homes are equipped with a hall, Chongde first year (1636) Huang taiji ordered the civil prohibited, the hall has become the Qing dynasty's proprietary place of worship. After the Qing Dynasty, the establishment of the hall outside the left gate of Chang'an, its establishment and the traditional temples through the ages are significantly different, the main thing is to worship the day of the Huan Hall for the north, the courtyard also has the emperor, the emperor and the eight banners of the princes, Baylor, Bei Zi, public 73 God rod stone seat, before the sacrifice inserted known as the God rod of pine poles. Sacrifice, the emperor, the emperor's son and so on each on each under the pole salute, in order to maintain the national custom of the sacrifice of the Hall, the Kangxi years the imperial decree to strike the Han officials and sacrifices.

Kuning Palace sacrifice to the gods is the Hall to the sacrifice of the supplement, Huang taiji to the Hall of the ceremony for the most respected, when not sacrificed to the Hall of the children, will be sacrificed to the gods of sacrifice in the bedchamber Kuning Palace, the early Qing dynasty according to the old system of the Qing Ning Palace, will be remodeled for the Kuning Palace within the three sides of the even kang and two pots and stoves, outside of the God God of the pole of the sacrifice of the gods place.

Kun Ning Palace of the God of the sects, such as the daily sacrifice of Sakyamuni, Goddess of Mercy, Goddess of Mercy, Guan Di Shengjun; Eve sacrifice Mulihan God, God of the picture, Mongolia and so on. Important ritual activities, the emperor and queen will be present, the daily morning and evening sacrifice is not to participate. Morning and evening sacrifice to kill two pigs in front of the Kuning Palace God, and cooked in the Kuning Palace. Sacrifice by the Division Zhu officer (commonly known as the shaman) drumming and singing, and three strings, lute, clapperboard accompaniment, after the ceremony, the sacrifice of the god's meat according to the regulations to be distributed to the loose order of ministers, guards, etc. to eat. There is no salt sprinkled in these meats, so it is a bitter experience for the ministers who eat the meat, and they usually secretly hide some salt in their sleeves and sprinkle it on the meat when others are not paying attention.

The temple was the main place for the Qing emperor to worship his ancestors, and Huang taiji had already established the temple when he was in Shengjing. At the beginning of the four seasons to enter the temple to worship ancestors. The late emperor's birthday, the anniversary of the death and Qingming, the end of the year, etc., but also to go to perform rituals. Monthly also to recommend new to the ancestors. After the Shunzhi Emperor entered the customs, following the Ming system, the former Ming temple as the Imperial Temple.

After the death of the Qing emperor, and the successive emperors, there is a huge mausoleum, so that the heir to the four times to sacrifice. So the mausoleum has also become another important place for ancestor worship. Qing emperor's mausoleum is mainly distributed in three places, namely, today's northeast Liaoning shengjing three mausoleums (Fuling, Zhaoling, Yongling), Hebei Zunhua east mausoleum and Yi County west mausoleum.

Jiudian brilliant celebration of the wedding

The emperor's wedding called "big wedding", before the throne has been adult married to the emperor, when the emperor, only held the ceremony of the enshrinement of the empress, do not make up for the wedding. At the same time as the wedding, with the gold book, gold treasure (certificate and seal), the establishment of the Empress; the establishment of the Empress at the same time, choose one to four consorts. Ming and Qing emperors wedding ceremony is basically the same.

"Li Ji? Fainting", "Tang Law" and "Ming Law", the "wedding" program for: Nacai, ask the name, Naji, Najing, tell the date and welcome, also known as the "six rites".

Nacai, that is, to send gifts, marriage, please matchmakers to explore the wind, the truth. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the meeting gifts were extremely generous and comparable to each other.

Ask for the name, is to hold a ceremony to ask each other's name, date of birth, to see whether the "fate" is appropriate.

Naji, to put it bluntly, is a fortune-telling, that is, the ancients for the marriage of the matter of divination; if it is a "good omen", and the eight characters of the birth of the child is appropriate, please matchmakers to carry gifts to the betrothal.

Nazheng, is to send engagement gifts. As the old saying goes, "Men and women can't make friends without a matchmaker, and they can't see each other without a coin." Therefore, Nagee is also known as "Nagee". Coins are jade or silk fabrics that were used as engagement gifts in ancient times.

To tell the date of marriage is to inform the other party of the date of marriage.

Personal welcome, that is a requirement for the common people. The emperor does not come in person, but sends a representative of his "son and daughter".

September 14, 11th year of the Tongzhi reign, the sixteen-year-old Jaichun's wedding. According to Li Ciming's "Yue Aman Hall diary" records, the day more than three o'clock in the morning, Dai Chun "Royal Hall of Baohe", take "Guizi Tongsun" auspicious, appointed the Ministry of Rites, Wu Gui, the right minister Xu Tong, as the main and deputy welcoming messengers. More than seven o'clock, "on the Royal Palace of Taihe, by the hundred officials to congratulate." "Full and human child" Prince Tun and Prince Gong's Fujin, ordered to lead eight women, carrying gifts, follow the welcome messenger, surrounded by honor guards, "riding out of the Qing dynasty", to the Empress's home to meet the marriage. Squire Chong Hou's Fujin, for the bride "open face", with silk thread stranded face hair; Dun, Prince Gong two Fujin, for the bride to set the makeup, wait for her on the sedan chair. Welcome team into the Qing Dynasty, to the Palace of Jiao Tai stop.

According to Manchu custom, the cave on the south kang set curtains, the bride worshiped heaven and earth, in the kang cross-legged "sitting tent for a day", called "sitting on the blessing". Before the wedding, the bride has to practice "sitting"; the day before the sedan chair, drink less water and eat less. In the evening, a table is set up on the south kang, and wine pots and glasses are placed on it. The bride and groom around the table three times, and then drink a cup of wine; outside, someone sings a song of joy, called "Lakongjia", uproar frame Yangzi, to the house, black beans, "disturbing the bridal chamber".

The wedding of the Qing Palace, retained some Manchu customs. Kunning Palace East Warming Pavilion, four walls painted red, happy candles burning high. Pavilion North, there are happy bed, throne; South window under a paved kang, kang on the table, put wine. The newlyweds worshiped heaven and earth, the god of longevity and the king of the kitchen, and drank a cup of wine on the south kang. Prince Li Fujin "cooks", cooks dumplings and dumplings for children and grandchildren (in a bowl of small dumplings, there is also a large dumpling with several small dumplings wrapped in it). The two Princes of Dun and Gong, the Fujin, brought the boiled dumplings to the newlyweds.

"Qing Palace Words" poem describes the Tongzhi Emperor Zaichun wedding ceremony: "Huge ceremony brilliant celebration of the wedding, Jingu can not help but put the door; suddenly passed the paper price of Goryeo expensive, a colorful flower dress sing thank you." Allegedly, at that time, to meet the marriage procession from the noon gate has been lined up to the door of the Queen, hundreds of pairs of palace lanterns, "horse" hundreds of horses, the eunuchs in front of the line; the Queen by the yellow satin gold embroidered phoenix on a large mikoshi, sixteen people carrying. The people of the capital, as long as it is wearing fresh flowers clothes, can enter the noon gate to observe the ceremony, the guards do not stop. Qing Tongzhi Emperor Zaichun married, decided to count down, the total **** spent more than two thousand million taels of silver; which, the Palace for the "colorful" silk and satin, up to eight hundred thousand bolts, worth one hundred thousand taels of silver. According to the market during the Qianlong period, one or two silver can be exchanged for eight or nine hundred big money; seven to ten silver can buy a mu of arable land, twenty-seven-eighty-eight to thirty-four-five money can buy a liter of rice. This shows the luxury of the emperor's wedding.

High-ranking, elaborate etiquette meal etiquette

In the strict etiquette system, the process of drinking and eating is very strict and orderly. Seated into the tea, the music, the exhibition of the banquet curtain, lifting the Lord into the wine, food and rewards, etc., are carried out in a fixed program. Distinctive feudal etiquette program, seems to be very cumbersome.

According to the literature, the palace banquet table, style, desktop furnishings, snacks, fruit box, group meals, cold meals, hot meals, etc., the number of tableware used in the shape of the name, there are strict rules and regulations and differences. The emperor with a golden dragon banquet table, the emperor's seat on both sides, divided into the head table, two tables, three tables, etc., the left honors the right inferiority, the empress, concubines or princes, Baylor, etc., according to the status and identity of the sequential seating. The emperor took his seat, out of the seat, into the soup, into the wine and food, are accompanied by music; the ceremony is very solemn, solemn; etiquette is quite cumbersome, reflecting everywhere that the king is inferior to the emperor, "the way", "the way of the king" and "the way of the Government "

These are the most important of all.

In the arrangement of the seat, the emperor's throne and banquet table perched on the banquet hall winding north center, Prince, brother, concubines, nobles, Mongolian princes, extra horse harnessed by the side of a team of the side of a team and so on, according to the rank of the banquet hall on the east and west sides. Qianlong dynasty, the east side of the hall is the Yu Xin Wang, all brothers and Mongolian General Lavang Duoer Ji, the west side of the Prince Zhuang and the brothers; Shu Fei, Wan concubines, Jin Nobleman is located in the East Banquet Table, Guest Fei, Cheng concubines, Lin Nobleman seated in the West Banquet Table.

The tableware and dishes on the banquet table also varies from person to person, Manchurian nobles before entering the customs and Mongolian nobles have a marriage relationship, Huang taiji's five consorts are Mongolian, and the same family name, are Mongolia's noble family's daughter. Thus, in the Qing dynasty palace banquet, Mongolia princes are all Mongolia first-class meal of the preferential treatment, extra horse harnessed by the side of a team of the side of a team, such as Taji by the second-class meal of the treatment. First-class meals made by the Imperial Catering House, each table has a bowl of sheep Sirzan (minced meat), a bowl of roasted lamb, a bowl of geese, a bowl of rice, a bowl of milk, plate of meat three plates, a plate of steamed food, a plate of food on the stove, snail box dishes, a bowl of shredded mutton soup. The second-class meals produced by the external catering room, dishes slightly less fancy than the first-class meals, varieties of changes are: a bowl of goose replaced by a bowl of milk rice, milk rice is replaced by roe deer meat.

People often say: "the flag people more than rituals", which can be seen in the Qing Palace Banquet, to the banquet crowd to the emperor kneeling down to thank the emperor, is the Qing Palace Banquet rituals of the red tape of the outstanding one example. Once the emperor was seated, endless kneeling that line to start. Such as the emperor to give tea, the crowd to kneel and knock; emcee awarded tea, the crowd to a knock; will be drinking tea, the crowd to kneel and knock; ministers to the imperial toast to three kneeling and nine kowtow; others, such as pouring wine, back to the seat, drink, music and dance on, etc., are to kneel and knock. Banquet is over, the crowd should kneel to thank the emperor to return to the palace. The entire banquet, the crowd to kneel thirty-three times, knocking ninety-nine times, can be described as stretching and practicing waist labor neck!

Tang:

Men's robes Tang Dynasty is China's feudal society in the political and economic development, cultural and artistic prosperity of the times, but also the development of traditional Chinese clothing in the process of a milestone. The Tang Dynasty men generally wear a round neck robe, round neck robe is generally a round neck, right overlooking, collar, sleeves and lapels are spliced edges. Civilian officer's robe shirts long to bare feet, military officer's robe shirts long slightly shorter to below the knee, sleeves have wide and narrow points. Robes are widely worn, from the emperor to the officials down to the common people, home and out of ceremonial banquets can be worn.

Women's mattress dresses before the Tang Dynasty Chinese society, women have been y bound by rituals, the Tang Dynasty women's clothing reform, mainly due to the reform of social customs at that time. The most fashionable dress of the Tang women was: wearing a 襦裙服, plus half-arm, foot Fengtou silk shoes, head in place of the flower bun. The 襦裙服 is a kind of garment in which an ultra-short blouse with a length up to the waist section is connected with a long skirt, so it is also called the short 襦裙. Short mattress skirt blouse collar change is the biggest reform and innovation of the Tang Dynasty women's clothing, in addition to the round neck, square neck, oblique collar, straight collar, chicken heart collar, there is a bare collar. Initially, it was mostly worn by court ladies and kabuki dancers, and after it appeared, the ladies of the civil service also followed the example of the women of the civil service. Than the top part of the short mattress skirt is slightly longer and separate as a top is called shirt, generally more soft texture of silk. On the shirt under the shirt with a long skirt, is also a very favorite dress of the Tang Dynasty women, clothing flash within may not wear underwear, only to the light veil to hide the body, the upper body skin is hidden, very popular in the late Tang Dynasty. Tang Dynasty women on the lower garment both skirt style modeling, fabric selection and production process is also very concerned. Tang Dynasty popular long skirt waist section raised very high, on raising the degree can cover the chest, and in the armpit ribbon tie, similar to the modern Western women's wedding dresses.