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Medal of the Republic and Friendship Medal designs

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Peacebird X Harry Potter collection

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Why Marvel's Manchu queue on Sun Wukong  is not ok / a reminder of the history behind the Manchu queue

Hey Marvel, what’s up with Sun Wukong’s Manchu queue in a story set in modern/future China for a comic book published in 2019? 

Not only is it plain racist by reinforcing a stereotype of China from over a hundred years ago, ignorant by giving the character a hairstyle from a different ethnicity, but even more problematic because the Manchu queue is a symbol of systematic racism, oppression, and both cultural and actual genocide to many Chinese. Hundreds of thousands of people died to unsuccessfully oppose the Manchu queue when it was first ordered in the 17th century, and many more died so they never have to wear it again in the last century.

Here’s a panel from The New Agents of Atlas published in the year 2019 (this year!), where the dude with the queue is Sun Wukong, a modern character who takes on the power of Chinese legendary character Sun Wukong aka The Monkey King. 

Here’s the wiki entry of the Manchu queue for the history behind it:

 The controversial July 1645 edict (the "haircutting order") forced adult Han Chinese men to shave the front of their heads and comb the remaining hair into the queue hairstyle which was worn by Manchu men, on pain of death.[57] The popular description of the order was: "To keep the hair, you lose the head; To keep your head, you cut the hair."

For the Han Chinese, however, it was a humiliating reminder of Qing authority that challenged traditional Confucian values. The Classic of Filial Piety (Xiaojing) held that "a person's body and hair, being gifts from one's parents, are not to be damaged". 

The order triggered strong resistance to Qing rule in Jiangnan and massive killing of Han Chinese.  Li Chengdong, a Han Chinese general who had served the Ming but surrendered to the Qing,ordered his Han troops to carry out three separate massacres in the city of Jiading within a month, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths. At the end of the third massacre, there was hardly a living person left in this city. Jiangyin also held out against about 10,000 Han Chinese Qing troops for 83 days. When the city wall was finally breached on 9 October 1645, the Han Chinese Qing army led by the Han Chinese Ming defector Liu Liangzuo , who had been ordered to "fill the city with corpses before you sheathe your swords", massacred the entire population, killing between 74,000 and 100,000 people. 

Fastforward to the 19th and 20th century, the image of the yellow peril with the Manchu queue was the main image used to depict Chinese people during the height of racism against the Chinese. It’s an image that was continued throughout the 20th (and apparently 21st) century.

It’s why during the Cold War, when Fu Manchu was created as a revived symbolism of the Yellow Peril, he still had a queue even though Chinese people had long cut off their queue and embraced the modern world. 

Also, I’m personally offended that whoever drew this panel thinks Shang-Chi or any mortal or immortal or god or alien can take any version of Sun Wukong’s staff from him.

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Rihanna by Chen Man with lion dance elements

With Peking Opera elements back in 2015

Rihanna, fondly known in China as The Queen of Shandong after at least eight of her songs were translated into places in Shandong, has once more collaborated with photographer Chen Man in yet another gorgeous photoshoot that represents the best of Chen Man.

Last time, their photoshoot was wildly loved by most but criticized by some for cultural appropriation even though it was work by a Chinese photographer for a Chinese magazine that was only using Rihanna as a model (okay, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but it’s mostly true). Plus, using traditional Chinese elements to create new looks is both one of Harper Bazaar China and Chen Man’s favorite themes (ex: Chen Man’s Chinese steampunk  ). These people are essentially saying Chen Man should only be able to photograph “Asians” or lose her signature style.

But I digress.  Even worse, this article from Bustle complains the photoshoot isn’t just problematic for being Chinese, but also for not being Chinese enough. The claim is that it’s too pan-Asian. Here’s a quote:

Rihanna’s hairstyle in this shoot, with blunt, slicked-down bangs and a bun, is reminiscent of a geisha’s traditional up-do. Although she’s not wearing a kimono, the image of Rihanna standing on a wooden foot bridge holding a paper umbrella further invites the comparison. There are also some shots where she is holding a fan.

While Chen Man does often have Japanese influences in her work, all of the elements used here can also be traced to China. I feel like most readers here will recognize the obvious elements used in this photoshoot, but here’s an introduction to elements used in this photoshoot in case someone was searching about this photoshoot and was misled.

Rihanna by Chen Man with Peking Opera influences

First, Rihanna is wearing a wrap that could definitely be considered inspired by a kimono, so the author wrong even about her. But both this dress and others in the photoshoot can also be inspired by a Chinese hanfu, a predecessor to the kimono.

Peking Opera influences

As stated by the magazine itself, Rihanna’s hair in the photoshoot is mostly inspired by Peking Opera.  The use of a center bang in Peking Opera is a new innovation invented by Mei Lanfang inspired by historical hairstyles. Even back then it was hip to be more “historically accurate”.

The use of a center bang,   as shown here by Yin Zheng in upcoming series Winter Begonia, is  invented by Peking Opera artist Mei Lanfang.

Diancui

The blue hairpins are diancui, a traditional jewelry made from bird’s feather that decorates headdresses in Peking Opera. Because the process of getting the feathers is widely decried as cruel, they are no longer being made.

Imitate diancui pieces used in Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace

Buns

Wow, has this person even seen Disney’s Mulan? Everyone has a man-bun there. Buns are definitely not exclusive to geishas or Japan. Here’s a photo of live-action Mulan actress Liu YIfei in a man-bun to remind you. 

Silver jewelry 

The silver jewelry of ethnic groups in Guizhou and Yunnan are another element Chen Man uses often, such as in this photoshoot with Zhao Wei and this photoshoot with Fan Bingbing  photoshoot below.

Drawing inspirations from across China, this collections of covers Chen Man did for i-D was one of her early big hits. It’s easy to see how she incorporates the type of jewelryused in this collection  into Rihanna’s hairstyles.

Fans

The first Chinese fans were rigid fans made of first bamboos, palms, feathers, silk, cloth, and paper. ,  While the folding fan was first introduced to China via Japan when it was offered as a tribute back in 988 AD, it has  become a common part of Chinese culture in the millennia since.  There are records of Chinese folding fan makers since at least the Song Dynasty, and by the late Ming Dynasty folding fans had become the mainstream fan-style among both men and women. Paper folding fans are used to showcase calligraphy and art.  They’re very commonly used in other Chinese art forms such as dance, xiangsheng, and Chinese operas. They’re also commonly used in modern pop culture.  For example, the popular fan dance with SING girl group, this figure skating program by Sui Wenjing and Han Cong, and Beijing folk ballad by Zhang Yunlei.

Yan Xujia, Guo Zifan, and Zhao Lei’s Western Chamber borrows from elements of Chinese opera, including the use of fans.

  Wooden foot bridge

 Every civilization that has met timber has those. I have walked across make-shift wooden bridges  in America.

Wooden bridges depicted in The Forbidden Palace Museum’s  phone game inspired by  Song-dynasty painting The Thousand Li of Mountains and Rivers .

Oil-paper umbrella – wiki page

The spread of oil-paper umbrellas was started by the invention of Yun (雲氏), wife of Luban (魯班). “Chop bamboo sticks to thin strips, covered in animal fur, closed to become a cane, opened as a cone.” But early umbrella materials were mostly feathers or silks, later replaced by paper. When oil-paper umbrellas first appeared is unknown. Some estimate that they spread across to Korea and Japan during the Tang dynasty. It was commonly called the “green oil-paper umbrella” during the Song dynasty. The popularity grew and the oil-paper umbrella became commonplace during the Ming dynasty. They are often mentioned in popular Chinese literature, most notably as the way the leads of Madame Lady Snake met.

7Sense’s umbrella dance inspired by Madame Lady Snake,  

  Mechanical dragons  

Mechanical Chinese mythical creatures are one of Chen Man’s signature looks (see here). Here’s a photo for Zhang Ziyi with the same dragon model and even the same hat style.

additional sources:

Qian, G. (2004). Chinese Fans: Artistry and Aesthetics. United States of America: Long River Press.

Sinology Sunday: Chinese elements in Chen Man’s Rihanna photoshoot

Rihanna by Chen Man with lion dance elements With Peking Opera elements back in 2015 Rihanna, fondly known in China as The Queen of Shandong after at least eight of her songs were translated into places in Shandong, has once more collaborated with photographer Chen Man in yet another gorgeous photoshoot that represents the best of Chen Man.

Sinology Sunday: Chinese elements in Chen Man’s Rihanna photoshoot Rihanna by Chen Man with lion dance elements With Peking Opera elements back in 2015 Rihanna, fondly known in China as The Queen of Shandong after at least eight of her songs were translated into places in Shandong, has once more collaborated with photographer Chen Man in yet another gorgeous photoshoot that represents the best of Chen Man.

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Chen Man’s photo of Rihanna here is a tribute to this painting by Tang Dynasty artist Zhou Fang.

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Hanfu cosplay of Disney characters

photographer：老妖 makeup：@papaEX  老妖 producer:@一本企画- 

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Rihanna by Chen Man in a Tang Dynasty-inspired editorial.  I especially love the makeup in this. It’s so clearly Tang Dynasty inspired yet also perfectly combines modern aesthetics (cough, Mulan live-action, cough). Petition for Rihanna to appear in the next Tang Dynasty drama. 

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That dress is a pathetic excuse of a hanfu but Mulan is amazing

It is my duty to fight.

MULAN (2020) dir. Niki Caro

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Chinese Disney Princesses

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Reconstructed Tang Dynasty hanfu by 丹青荟传统服饰

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photographer:摄影师蝈蝈小姐

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This drama has one of the best Song Dynasty hanfu’s in a long time 

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Fenghuang, Hunan by 日本摄影师RK

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Chinese music group 自得琴社  in Song dynasty styled clothing

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Song dynasty styled band

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Recreated costumes based on Yuan Dynasty murals 永乐宫壁画

photographer：@摄影师贾云龙 （路人贾摄影） models： @姚璇_西子 @紫颜-小仙紫 @coser-AK @愛野超有味_ @馨润-琉璃 hair：@Niki-镜子 make-up：@纳兰掌柜的 jewelry：@静尘轩主-剪灯笑语  @花月砂艺术珠宝  陈思 @Vicky長静 @继花亭-小夜 costumes：风熏堂@风熏堂-则宁 assistants：阿宝 何易（路人贾摄影弟子班） project manager：贾云龙 徐向珍