#Han Dynasty

[blondebrainpower]

A Jade Burial Suit Of The Han Dynasty (202 BCE–220 CE)

[xiranjayzhao]

Part 3 of my 2000 Years of Chinese Clothing series, the Western Han dynasty! Featuring one of my favorite styles, the quju shenyi 曲裾深衣 (curved hem long robe), replicated from an artifact from the famous Western Han tomb Mawangdui. The preservation conditions of the tomb were so good even the owner's body is intact after 2000 years, complete with her original hair, all her organs, and veins that still had blood in them. You can Google to see; beware that her face is a little busted though 🤐

[zegalba]

Comb made from carved jade and gold decorated with granulation. China, Eastern Han dynasty. 25–220 AD. [3784x3122]

[chinesehanfu]

↑Chinese Traditional Clothing Hanfu in 【Han Dynasty】

↑ Chinese Traditional Clothing Hanfu in 【Wei & Jin Dynasties】

↑ Chinese Traditional Clothing Hanfu in 【Tang Dynasty】

↑ Chinese Traditional Clothing Hanfu in 【Song Dynasty】

↑ Chinese Traditional Clothing Hanfu in 【Ming Dynasty】

↑ Chinese Traditional Clothing Hanfu in 【Ming Dynasty-Late Ming Period】

[Hanfu · 漢服]Chinese Traditional Costumes Hanfu From Han Dynasty to Ming Dynasty BY Artist: @DT-杜田

※There are still many forms of Hanfu in each dynasty that have not yet been included.

※ Above is a display of some part of Hanfu from each dynasty.

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Artist @DT-杜田  Weibo & Twitter ：

Weibo: https://weibo.com/1994459140/LEwHVpX5w

Twitter ( @Ddt81879274) :https://twitter.com/Ddt81879274

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[newhanfu]

Hanfu Zhiju for Winter

From Hanfu Model- Jin Ji Xiao Ajiu

[redbeanbunsworld]

Introduction - Tears of Tianchao

Interactive fiction - Tears of Tianchao

DEMO

(click on the above)

Chapter 2 Release Date: December 22; 23:00 (UTC +2)

Description

After ten years away from your home nation of Tianchao, you become the cunning commander in the army involved in the intranational civil war called "DaiZai-Yige." You are sent by the Emperor of Zhongguog to a fellow emperor to restore an ancient power from the late god Heibao. Your mission: kill the Holder of the Mark of Heibao.

My bare skin hisses against the icy waters splashed onto me. The curses and spit flare my cheeks with humiliation.

After being caught in the attempted assassination of the prince, you are thrown into a fight for life and death, traversing through the treacheries of civil war, betrayal, and honor. You must learn to navigate using wits and manipulating to escape suspicion and satisfy both sides of the war.

As you uncover the secrets of those involved in the fight and waiting for your past to find you again, will you be able to survive the wrath of the holder of the Mark of Heibao till you earn his trust, or will you fall into the pits of death?

Features

Choose to be a female or male commander.

Have any sexuality: gay, lesbian, straight, ace, or bi

Choose to romance the elites of the ones involved in the war, or share an unforgettable friendship.

Navigate between two sides of a civil war and use wits to satisfy both sides in favor of the one you choose: Empire and Rebel

Lead the rebel forces to glory or protect the honor of the current emperor.

Learn about the past of the Heibao prince and the Lotus Princess, and the flint that caused the rages of war.

Subdue the suspicion of the prince or face the consequences.

Master martial arts, keen perception, and the skills of speech to influence major decisions.

Face your past or leave it to the passing of time.

Explore a new world filled with rich culture and traditions.

Gather information and learn about the nation of eternal spring, Tianchao.

CHARACTER LIST

(Click the link above)

Romances

Ji Qiangxin (he/him)

[only romanceable with an mmc + special route available if fmc (not romance)]

character profile

Known as: Heibao prince; exiled low-born; The Jian of XueHua

"This was not spoken by this prince as of yet, but before you leave, know this: betray me once, and not even Ji Yang-Guang can save your throat."

As the current holder of the Mark of Heibao, Ji Qiangxin was the prince of Tianchao before his uncle took the throne. Fueled by his thirst for vengeance and the prosperity of his nation, the cold and intimidating prince believes that the imperial family of Tianchao must fall, and nothing will get in his way. He will use all means, even killing, if that is what it takes to restore peace, and that includes you—a commander sent as an assassin of Zhongguog. No one can temper the burning iron heart, and he never believes any can.

Ji Shenglian (she/her)

character profile

[only romanceable with an fmc]

Known as: Lotus Princess; Grand Keeper of the South

"As the only princess of Tianchao, I have a duty, but sometimes, I do wonder if my birth was a mistake, just as Zhongguog and the current imperial family believe."

Benevolent and strikingly beautiful, Ji Shenglian is the only living princess with the blood of the imperial family in both Zhongguog and Tianchao. As the head magician of the rebel forces, she plays an integral role in war in secrecy, and foes tremble under her powerful manipulation of soul energy. Under the guise of the lychee eyes and delicate smile, she holds a fervent spirit and utmost loyalty to her brother, but even behind the shadows of him, a most humane and sincere desire burns brights.

Wu Shen (he/him)

character profile

Known as: Green snake; Peddler

"Yeah, I don't give a shit as long as I'm payed. If that prince can pay, that's all. Hmm? Don't I feel guilty for ditching others? Hahaha! You sure are funny. So, you gonna pay for wasting my time?"

Snarky and charming with skills of disguise, Wu Shen uses his looks and slippery tricks to get what he wants. Being the main spy of the rebel forces, he knows all the right places and people, and every dirty secret never escapes his ears. With a great lust for money and luxuries, he will willingly betray others if the price is right, but when he truly opens his heart, not even the world is enough for him to sacrifice those that he loves.

Fu Xiuying (she/her)

character profile

Known as: Pinnacle lady; woman with the golden tongue

"Do I really look that sly? Hehe, you haven't see the worst. Or...do you want to see it? I may be intelligent and elegant, but don't let it fool you, little fox."

Bold like a cat with a spiked tongue, Fu Xiuying is a woman of little words but many schemes. Born into a famed clan of scholars and poets, her skills in politics are unrivalled more so after serving as the handmaiden of the current empress. She keeps her friends close, and her enemies at her fingertips. As the main intelligence gatherer of the rebellion, she is fiercely loyal to her nation and wishes to see a better world. Outside, she appears to be as lovely as a flower, but under her elegant nature, a beast lies dormant.

Mo Ge (he/him)

character profile

Known as: Scholar of a thousand years; Favored of Highest

"It's been too long, old friend. You've grown, just as I did, and we're no longer kids. I hope to form a diplomatic relationship, no matter what our past was."

Upright and soft-hearted, Mo Ge is the tutor of the imperial prince of the current family. Well-spoken and skilled in all areas of philosophy, science, and arts, he is one of the most skilled man in the history of Tianchao, and the youngest to be an imperial tutor. People around him comment about the dried mandarin peels he carries in a small box. He is diplomatic and kind, and he is willing to sacrifice himself for the one he loves most.

(Demo: 19th October 2022)

[sticky943]

Hello everyone! As a Chinese person interested in hanfu, I have a question. Does anybody know what crown is the Chinese philosopher Confucius wearing in these portraits? Thank you!

[hunnibee26]

References and Allusions to Male Same-Sex Relations in Chinese Literature

I am tired at this point of reading and watching Danmei/Dangai and be exposed to the same “cut sleeve” reference to allude to male same-sex attraction and relationships.

Don’t get me wrong, I thank the creative team and the writers for finding such a unique (?) way of bypassing censorship but there are so many more literary and historical references that they could use to allude to same-sex attraction. I’m kinda over the same old “Cut Sleeve” reference. 😖

Here are some of the most popular allusions used by writers in Chinese literature to reference male same-sex desire.

The Four Male Love Icons of Chinese Literature

I’m pretty sure that, if you are into Chinese history, folk, literature, etc, you have heard of the four beauties of ancient and imperial China. You have the four most beautiful Chinese women and the four most handsome Chinese men.

The same thing is true for the tradition of male same-sex love. Those are:

Mizi Xia (彌子瑕) and Duke Ling of Wey (衛靈公)

Lord Longyang (龍陽君) and King Anxi of Wei (魏安僖王）

Prince Zixi, Lord of È (鄂君子皙), and the Yue man (越人)

Emperor Ai of Han (漢哀帝) and Dong Xian (董賢)

Other literary allusions include:

Pan Zhang (潘章) and Wang Zhongxian (王仲先)

Lord Chan of Anling (安陵君) and King Xuan of Chu (楚宣王）

Hu Tian Bao (胡天保) as Tu’er Shen (兔兒神)

The four revered bottoms of Chinese literature and history are:

Mizi Xia (彌子瑕)

Longyang (龍陽君)

Dong Xian (董賢)

Chan (纏), Lord of Anling (安陵君)

If you ever come across a poem or prose that mentions any of those names to refer to a male beauty, just know that it’s an allusion to their stories. They were considered the peak of bottom literary reference.

The Passion of the Half-Eaten Peach (餘桃癖) 🍑

Art above credit: Felix d’Eon (@FelixdEon on Twitter)

The story of Mizi Xia and Duke Ling of Wey (534-493 BCE) takes place in the Zhou dynasty in the state of Wey (not to be confused with the other Wei). It was recorded by Han Fei (韓非) in the legalist classic Han Fei Zi (韓非子). The story goes as follows:

Squire Mi gained favor with Duke Ling of Wey due to his beauty. There is a law in the land that states only the duke himself can ride in the duke’s carriage and that, if someone else dares to do the same, they will have their feet cut off. When squire Mi learned that his mother was sick, he took the ruler’s carriage and rushed to visit her. The duke, far from reprimanding him, praised Mi’s filial piety and his willingness to risk his feet be cut off to visit his sick mother. On another occasion, Mi and the ruler were strolling through an orchard. He got a hold of a peach, started eating it, and, upon noticing how sweet and delicious it was, he stopped eating and gave the other half to duke Ling. He praised Mi’s attention and lack of regard for his own appetite in order to please his ruler. When Mi’s looks started to wane, the duke’s love did the same. Then, the squire was accused of a crime and the duke stated it was not surprising since he had broken the law before to ride in the ruler’s carriage and disrespected him by giving him a half-eaten peach to eat.

Han Fei recorded this story as a cautionary tale of what happens when one depends on the fickle nature of their lord for favor rather than one’s own merits. One day, you are praised and, the other, you are labeled a criminal and beheaded. From this story, we get “the passion of the shared peach (分桃癖)” and “the passion of the half-eaten peach (餘桃癖)” allusions to male homosexuality.

The Passion of Longyang (龍陽癖) 🐠

The next story comes from the Annals of the Warring States, Zhan Guo Ce (戰國策), in the section of the “Strategies of Wei”, Wei Ce (魏策). There is not one author signaled out as the sole writer and it’s theorized that the annals were written by multiple people. This Zhou dynasty story goes as follows:

Lord Longyang and the King Anxi of Wei went fishing on the ruler’s boat. The favorite, at first, was delighted at catching so many fish in a row. However, after he caught a big one, he started to sob and lament. The king asked his favorite why he was crying to which Longyang expressed sadness at the realization that, upon catching the latest fish, due to its incredible size and desirability, he wanted to throw away the previous ones he had caught. Longyang further confessed that he was afraid that the ruler would one day grow tired of him upon learning of other beauties and would discard him away in the same manner he had planned to do with the previous fish he caught before. With an air of resolution, the king Anxi declared that anyone who mentioned other beauties in his presence would be executed along with his entire family/clan.

This dramatic story serves as a way to illustrate how male favorites in ancient China that obtained favor at court and, with it, enormous privilege, would try to hold on to those positions as much as possible. From this story, is where we get the “Passion of Longyang (龍陽癖)” and “a better catch” allusions that are included in poems regarding male love. The former, most notably, in one of the Emperor Jianwen of Liang’s (梁簡文帝) love poems to his favorite.

Song of the Yue Botman (越人歌) 🎶

The following is an extremely interesting story. The earliest text translated into Chinese from a foreign language that we know of comes from “Song of the Yue Boatman” (越人歌). It is a poem of unknown authorship and origin that details the pleasure the singer feels at having met the prince (Lord of È) for the first time. What makes it special is that it’s the only written account we have of the Yue language spoken by the Yue people who are an ethnic group who lived to the South of the Yangtze River. The song isn’t written using the Yue language itself, instead, compiler Liu Xiang (劉向) in his book, Garden of Stories (說苑), used Chinese characters to write down the sound of the words. In Garden of Stories, in the section, “Virtuous Speech” (善說), Liu Xiang details the story of official Zhuang Xin (莊辛) and Lord Xiang Cheng of Chu (楚襄成君). The story goes as follows:

Soon after being enfeoffed (being given land), Lord Xiang Cheng visited his lands decked out in precious garments and sporting a jade sword. Upon arriving at a river, his attendant asked whether there was someone who could help Lord Xiang Cheng cross the river. Official Zhuang Xin, who grew enamored with the sight of his lord in finery, stepped forward and said he was willing to help in exchange for the lord to let him hold his hand. Xiang Cheng was speechless and disgruntled due to the lack of propriety the lower official showed by asking to touch the hand of a man much higher in rank. However, Zhuang Xin asked his lord whether he had heard of the story of the Lord of È and his boatman.

Here is when the author introduces a story within a story.

Lord of È was traveling in his barge when he heard one of his boatmen sing in a foreign language. Intrigued by this, he asked one of his servants to fetch an interpreter. After hearing the translation of the song, the lord grew endeared towards the boatman, hugged him, and covered him in his embroidered quilt (had sex). Once the tale was over, the official Zhuang Xin asked his lord how could it be possible that he thinks he sits higher than the Lord of È enough to refuse a humble official his hand when the Lord of È, who is a prince, had “embraced” (had sex) a low boatman.

Although the English word used is boatman, due to the Chinese language not being gendered, the gender of the boatman is not explicitly mentioned. Although the character 人 can be used to refer to a man, its principal meaning is person or people. Therefore, 越人 is more closely translated as Yue person/people. As such, there have been scholars who believe that the song is most likely sung by a woman and not a man. I don’t agree with this interpretation, however, for multiple reasons.

The first is the context. Liu Xiang added the song, which was written centuries before he was born, to his chapter on eloquent speeches as a tool the official Zhuang Xin used to convince his lord to let him hold his hand. Zhuang Xin found Xiang Cheng attractive and wished to physically express that attraction. Thus, he used the song and the story of Lord of È as a precedent to convince his lord that a low ranking man could take the initiative to begin physical contact with another of much higher rank. If Liu Xiang didn’t perceive the boatman to be male and his relationship to the Lord of È to closely mirror that of Zhuang Xin and Xiang Cheng, then he wouldn’t have included it in the first place.

The second reason why I don’t think that the Yue boatman was a woman is because Chinese scholars who read the tale back in its original form and with the same historical and lexical sensibilities, considered the boatman to be a man. Multiple Chinese writers included references to the “Song of the Yue Boatman” story with Lord È in their own writings to explicitly symbolize male love such as Ming dynasty scholar Feng Menglong (馮夢龍) in his History of Love (情史) anthology, Emperor Jianwen of Liang’s poem to his favorite catamite (孌童), Liang dynasty poet Liu Zun (劉遵), and influential Qing dynasty poet Yuan Mei (袁枚). They have all used fragments of the story such as the expression “embroidered quilt” in conjunction to Lord of È’s name as well as other male-love allusions in their poems. This indicates that Chinese scholars themselves, even those who lived closer in time with Liu Xiang, interpreted the tale and the boatman to be symbols of male love. From this story we get the “embroidered quilt” expression, Lord of È, and his boat as male love allusions.

The Passion of the Cut Sleeve (斷袖之癖)✂️

The next story was featured in History of the Former Han (漢書), also knows as The Book of Han, by Ban Gu (班固) in Volume XI, “Annals of Emperor Ai” (哀帝紀). Dong Xian’s autobiography and the story are written on the section dedicated to favored courtiers.

Emperor Ai of Han favored greatly a minor official by the name of Dong Xian and they often slept together. One afternoon, after waking up from a nap, the emperor noticed that one of his sleeves was caught under the head of Dong Xian who kept sleeping beside him. Rather than disturbing his lover’s sleep, the emperor decided to cut off his sleeve. From this story we get the terms, “cut-sleeve (斷袖)” and “the passion of the cut-sleeve (斷袖之癖)”

That’s it, that’s the story. Compared to the others, I don’t understand why it’s so iconic and well-known, probably because Dong Xian’s biography as a male favorite was much more detailed than others contained in the book.

Mount Luofu Joint Burial (羅浮山合葬) ⛰

This tale originates from the Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties period in Chinese history and was recorded in a compilation titled Anthology of Tales From Records of the Taiping Era (太平廣記) by Song dynasty scholar Li Fang (李昉). The tale goes as follows:

A beautiful and poised scholar by the name of Pan Zhang drew the attention and admiration of others, not only due to his bearing but also due to his talent as a teacher and writer. Wang Zhongxian of the state of Chu came to know of the scholar’s reputation and requested to become his student and learn together. Upon meeting for the first time, they fell in love at first sight. Afterwards, they decided to live together in the same home where they shared the same sheets and pillow while being intimate with each other. They grew so close to one another that people would say they loved each other as much as husband and wife. After they died, the townsfolk buried them together at Mount Luofu (羅浮山). On the peak, there grew a tree soon after with green leaves and long branches that embraced each other. Considering this a miracle, the townsfolk started to call the tale the “Shared Pillow Tree”.

Such a wonderful and happy story between teacher and student! One of the few ones with a happy ending and overall positive feelings in Chinese literature. It reminds me of an alternate reality 2ha where Meatbun doesn’t rip out our hearts. Also, many of these stories of male love either take place in Wei or Chu; interesting…From this tale, we get the “shared pillow tree” reference.

The Yellow Springs (黃泉) 🔥

Another story that comes from the Annals of the Warring States and takes place in the state of Chu (again) is the one of Prince Chan or Tan (壇), Lord of Anling, and King Xuan of Chu. This specific account is mentioned in the section of “Strategies of Chu”, Chu Ce (楚策), and goes as follows:

Prince Chan or Tan, was favored by King Xuan of Chu. However, as he grew older, he became increasingly worried that he may lose favor once the physical signs of aging started to show. In an attempt to establish a deeper connection with his king, he consulted with the ruler’s advisor, Jiang Yi (江乙). The older man told him that his position in Chu was precarious because he had no family members in the state, nor had arisen at court due to talent. Instead, he received a high salary and others were made to bow before him when he walked past simply because he received the king’s favor. However, the position of a favorite, just as that of a concubine, was never assured. Jiang Yi proceeded to advise Prince Chan that what he needed to do was to say that he would follow the king to the afterlife. Essentially, to claim that he would sacrifice himself for the ruler. Three years passed and Chan had yet to do what Jiang Yi told him because the opportunity to say something like that had not yet arrived. One day, the king went hunting. Upon shooting an arrow at a great distance that landed in an ox’s head, the king, pleased with his accomplishment, asked who could possibly share his joy 10,000 years and 1,000 autumns from then. Seizing the opportunity Chan answered that he was willing to go to the afterlife (黃泉) and sacrifice himself for his king. As a result he was promoted and given the lands of Anling. From that day on, the people of Chu held him in great esteem.

The story features, both a cautionary tale and a lesson on the importance of listening to advice and waiting for the right opportunity to seize the moment. From this story we get “Anling” as term used to allude to same sex love but also to symbolize devotion, self-sacrifice and loyalty.

Rabbit God (兔兒神)🐇

Another story that originates on the south of China is that of Hu Tianbao, also known as the Rabbit God (or deity). The tale where he’s featured and that gave rise to his legend was compiled by influential Qing dynasty writer and scholar Yuan Mei in his collection of supernatural stories titled What the Master Would Not Discuss (子不語). Despite it being compiled and published in 1788, the tale has its origins as part of Fujian Province (福建省)‘s oral tradition. It goes as follows:

During the Qing dynasty, there lived a handsome provincial official in Fujian. A lowly soldier, by the name of Hu Tianbao, became instantly attracted to him. He followed the official wherever he went, even to other districts. After a while of being stalked, the official grew increasingly worried but dismissed it. While the official went to the toilet, Tianbao hid nearby behind some bushes in order to get a glance at the official’s buttocks. However, Tianbao was caught and interrogated. He confessed his love, attraction, and admiration for the official but the latter was disgusted by Tianbao’s affection and wanted none of it. He condemned the soldier to death. A month later, Tianbao appeared as a rabbit at night in the dream of one of the villagers of his hometown. Although resigned to his fate and agreeing that the punishment of death was just, Tianbao declared that his actions were born from a pure feeling and that love between men should not be condemned. He asked the man to build a temple in his honor from which he would help men find a male significant other. The temple was erected and became so popular in Fujian that the Qing authorities targeted it for regulation.

From this story, we get the terms “Cult to Hu Tianbao”and “the Rabbit God”. Rabbits were used before this story was even compiled in late imperial China to refer to homosexuals in general. If you are ever wondering, “what is up with all of the rabbits in Danmei/Dangai media?” There you go, now you know.

Other literary allusions to male love and sex include:

Mandarin Ducks (鴛鴦) 🦆

Although these animals have been used throughout Chinese literature and history as symbols of love in general, both same-sex and heterosexual, it was first used to symbolize “fraternal love”. The ancient Chinese considered mandarin ducks to be symbols of love and loyalty because they believed the animals mated for life.

The Rear Courtyard (后庭) 🍌🍑

One popular phrase writers used, mostly towards the end of Chinese imperial history, to allude to anal sex and buttocks was “the rear courtyard” (后庭). Variations include “the pleasures of the rear courtyard” and “playing in the inner courtyard”. You will find those expressions in multiple works by Ming and Qing dynasty poets and writers.

Male Mode & Southern Mode (男風) & (南風)💨

Literally translated to “male wind” and “southern wind” they are both references to male-homosexuality. For some reason, the south of China has been more historically and culturally inclined to same-sex love than other places. We find this from the many mentions of the state of Chu in early works of literary reference to male love, in the lesbian Golden Orchid Society (金兰会) in Guangdong Province (广东省), and in the male-male marriages of Fujian province. In fact, homosexual practices were such a staple of southern Chinese provincial life that multiple writers satirized it in their works such as Qing dynasty playwright Li Yu (李漁).

And that concludes this veeeeeeeery long post. If you read all of that then, damn, you really are bored lol. But I thank you, nonetheless. I apologize if I mixed traditional and simplified Chinese characters. I tried to use traditional characters for the names to preserve their aesthetic appearance and authenticity. I will leave some of the resources I used for this post. I welcome you to take a look at them whenever you want.

With that being said, I only scratched the surface of literary references with this post. There are many, many more, however, I touched on the general ones. With how rich the male same-sex love Chinese literary field is, I cannot help but grow frustrated and tired at the lack of usage by modern Danmei/Dangai creative teams. Let’s leave the cut-sleeve to the side for a while and focus on the other awesome male-love references in Chinese literary history. Ok?

Anyways, 拜拜 👋

hunnibee26

Resources:

Birrell, A. (1982). New songs from a Jade Terrace: An anthology of early Chinese love poetry. Routledge. [Translation of Birrell of Xu Liang’s classic anthology of the same name]

Hinsch, B. (1990). The passion of the cut sleeve. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Owen, S., & Swartz, W. (Trans.). (2017). The poetry of Ruan Ji and Xi Kang. (S. M. Allen., P. W. Kroll, C. M. B. Nuget, S. Owen, A. M. Shields, X. Tian, D. X. Warner, Eds.) De Gruyter.

Stevenson, M., & Wu, C. (Eds.). (2013). Homoeroticism in imperial China: A sourcebook. Taylor & Francis.

[hanchaozhilang]

The Oath of the Peach-Garden, one of the most iconic and important scenes in Chinese cultural history, as depicted on Romance of the Three Kingdoms 1994.

[safije]

Chinese women's traditional dress also known as hanfu.

[blondebrainpower]

Chinese wine vessel in the shape of a rhinoceros.

Han dynasty, 202 BCE – 9 CE.

[xiranjayzhao]

Did you know 10 out of 12 emperors in the Western Han dynasty were confirmed bisexual by historical records?

Well, it's true! And here’s a video I made about all the tea I could find on their male favorites 👀

[chinesehanfu]

[Hanfu · 漢服]Chinese Tang Dynasty(618-906 A.D)Traditional Clothing Photoshoot

【About Hairstyle “堕马髻 [duò mǎ jì]”】

During the Tang Dynasty, Li Shan(李善) quoted "record of the Customs/《风俗通》" recorded : “‘堕马髻者，侧在一边’，......始自梁冀所为，京师翁然皆效之”。

 ( “堕马髻 [duò mǎ jì]” is a hairstyle with a side hair bun. It was created by Liang Ji's family and later imitated by the people in the capital.)

The characteristic of this hairstyle is that the hair hangs sideways to the shoulders, and a lock of hair is separated from the bun to scatter freely. If  combine with “啼妆(Makeup that make people look like they are crying)” and “愁眉(sad looking brows)“, it will look like a woman who has just fallen from a horse, which can increase a woman's sense of charm.

The“堕马髻 [duò mǎ jì]”appeared again during the Tianbao era(742–756) of the Tang Dynasty, and became popular during the Zhenyuan period(785–805) of the Tang Dynasty. In the Tang Dynasty, some people described the shape of roses hanging down and petals gently touch the ground, like the hairstyle “堕马髻 [duò mǎ jì]”. “堕马髻 [duò mǎ jì]”has slightly changed from generation to generation, but its basic characteristics, the sideways and inverted shapes, have not changed. “堕马髻 [duò mǎ jì]” is mainly favored by married middle-aged women.

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“堕马髻 [duò mǎ jì]” hairstyle originated in the Han Dynasty, during the Han Dynasty, "《后汉书∙卷六十四∙列传第二十四∙梁冀》" recorded:

 “寿色美而善为妖态，作愁眉，啼妆，堕马髻，折腰步，齲齿笑，以为媚惑。冀亦改易舆服之制，作平上軿车，埤帻，狭冠，折上巾，拥身扇，狐尾单衣。寿性钳忌，能制御冀，冀甚宠惮之。”

Translation：

Liang Ji(梁冀)'s wife Sun Shou(孙寿) is very beautiful and good at being "bewitching”. She make “愁眉(sad looking brows)“,“啼妆(Makeup that make people look like they are crying)”,as shown below:

“堕马髻(comb your hair bun on one side)” ,”折腰步(refers to swinging the waist when walking)”, as shown below:

“龋齿笑(Refers to a woman's intentionally contrived smile that looks like a toothache, although is very happy inside, woman don’t laugh out loud)”, she thinking these makeup & action that will make her very cute and to attract men.

Sun Shou is jealousy because she can subdue his husband Liang Ji. Liang Ji dotes on her very much, but is also afraid of her.Sun Shou's actions and the makeup she created were deeply loved by women in the imperial city of the Han Dynasty at that time, and they imitated her. And this trend gradually spread to other cities.

which has record in  《搜神记∙卷六∙梁冀妻》：

“汉桓帝元嘉中，京都妇女作“愁眉”“啼妆”“堕马髻”“折腰步”“龋齿笑。”“愁眉”者，细而曲折。“啼七”者，薄拭目下若啼处。“堕马髻”者，作一边。“折腰步”者，足不在下体。“龋齿笑”者，若齿痛，乐不欣欣。始自大将军梁冀妻孙寿所为，京都翕然，诸夏效之。天戒若曰：“兵马将往收捕：妇女忧愁，踧眉啼哭；吏卒掣顿，折其腰脊，令髻邪倾；虽强语笑，无复气味也。”

But these trend is actually portending a tragic end.

天戒若曰：“兵马将往收捕：妇女忧愁，踧眉啼哭；吏卒掣顿，折其腰脊，令髻邪倾；虽强语笑，无复气味也。”

Translation：

Heaven warned: "The army will come to arrest, the women are sad, frowning and crying; the officials and jailers push and kick, break their waists and spines, and make their hair buns tilt; even if they are forced to talk and laugh, they will no longer have that mood." 

In the second year of Yanxi(159 AD), the whole clan and family of Liang Ji's was exterminated.

In Chinese history, it is not difficult to found that when a kind of makeup or fashion that tends to show"sad”，“crying" etc,and becomes popular among women. In many cases,It heralds the imminent demise of a dynasty.

Just like the "Blood Halo Makeup/血晕妆" in the late Tang era and popular in the Han, Tang and Southern Song Dynasty brows makeup “愁眉(sad looking brows)“.When these makeups appeared, the empire also getting weakened.

Therefore, Chinese literati and scholars of in history criticized these fashion/trend, and believed that it was a sign of the collapse of the country.

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[newhanfu]

Eastern Han Dynasty Hanfu Styling, Ruqun

From Chinese Costume Restoration Group (装束复原)

[dailyhistoryposts]

On This Day In History

February 28th, 202 BCE: The Han Dynasty, which will continue for 4 centuries, begins in China.

[ancientorigins]

Archaeologists have unearthed the first and only ancient flush toilet found in China - the excavation reveals the level of technological advancement of ancient Chinese society.