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The living are the passers-by of time, and there will inevitably be a day of parting in a short life. However, on the long road, the sons and daughters of China have paid tribute to the deceased in a unique way, weaving moving cultural chapters with silent mourning.
Since ancient times, people have accompanied their loved ones on their last journey in the finest clothes, depicting the sacred rites of death.
From the thick burials of the pre-Qin era to the modern environmental protection and simplicity, from the gold, silver and jade clothes of the royal nobles to the longevity clothes of the common people, clothing plays a unique and important role in the rich and colorful Chinese tomb culture.
Rituals and customs have a long history, and the funeral culture has been passed down from generation to generation
In the long river of civilization that has lasted for thousands of years, the Chinese have a unique and pious concept of death. In the pre-Qin period, the practice of martyrdom and heavy burials was prevalent, and people believed that they could continue to enjoy the wealth and glory of their lives after death.
Preparing a large number of funerary goods for the deceased seems to open the mysterious door to the afterlife. By the Han Dynasty, this funeral wave reached its peak. In the royal mausoleums and aristocratic tombs, countless gold, silver, jewelry, daily necessities, weapons and other burial items are common, reflecting the noble status and status of the deceased in the world.
"The beginning of life is not eternal", after the large-scale spread of Buddhism in China, people began to realize the transience and impermanence of life, and turned their attention to the afterlife. During the Tang and Song dynasties, as the Buddhist concept of "passing away" was deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, funeral rites incorporated more excessive rituals, hoping that the souls of the dead could be reincarnated in heaven under the guidance of the Buddha.
The Ming and Qing dynasties were the heyday of funeral etiquette, from the mortuary of the deceased's body to the funeral and burial, all the etiquette was meticulous, and the bereaved family must strictly abide by the procedures of red tape.
To this day, although most of the Chinese believe in modern science, they still retain some traditional customs. For example, in a simple way, the ancestors are sacrificed, and the last garment is prepared for the deceased with a shroud. Life and death are evident to the world, which is the eternal philosophy of the universe in Eastern culture.
Embroidered satin accompanies life for a long time
Since ancient times, the Chinese have sewn exquisite clothes vividly, hoping that their relatives can also dress appropriately in the next life and return home. This devotion to the deceased is reflected in the evolution of funerary costumes in different historical periods.
As early as the pre-Qin period, people buried a large number of daily necessities and clothes in the tombs for the enjoyment of the deceased. Those vivid paintings and faience show the love of the ancestors for the deceased. In the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the exquisite terracotta figurines unearthed in the tomb were elegantly dressed, which was a true portrayal of the clothing fashion of the upper class at that time.
Entering the Han Dynasty, funeral costumes ushered in a new glorious era. The famous royal aristocratic funeral dress "Jade Yi" came into being and became the highest palace of funeral culture in the Han Dynasty. The jade garment is carefully sewn with gold, silver and copper wire, and the stitch lines are clearly visible. The emperor's special gold silk jade clothes are like gorgeous clothes embroidered with gold paste, dazzling brilliance; The Queen's is dominated by bright blue, and is decorated with delicate patterns made of gold wire.
The rulers of the Han Dynasty paid attention to the craftsmanship of jade clothing, which can be seen. A complete jade garment unearthed in Lhasa County was found to have tens of thousands of pinholes after expert analysis, and the craftsmen at that time even picked up small gems on the jade garment, which shows the degree of their intentions. What's even more amazing is that the jade clothes of Liu Fei, the father of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, found in the tomb of Lali Han, actually used more than 100 kinds of weaving techniques, which are exquisite.
Although the jade clothes of the Han Dynasty condensed the most exquisite handicraft skills of the time, the expensive materials and huge manpower investment also doomed it to be monopolized by the most powerful class. Therefore, we rarely see the figure of jade clothes in the tombs of ordinary people. Their funerary goods may seem much more modest in comparison, but common materials such as silk linen still show people's mourning for the deceased.
During the Sui and Tang dynasties, with the prosperity of the Silk Road and the progress of textile technology, the clothes in the tombs also became more colorful. Expensive fabrics such as brocade silk and satin were common in the tombs of the nobles, while the common people were mostly linen. However, regardless of whether they are rich or poor, relatives will carefully select the best materials and hope that the deceased will also be dressed appropriately in the next life.
By the time of the Song and Yuan dynasties, the production of tomb clothing had been extremely meticulous. The styles, crafts and textures of clothing in the Ming and Qing dynasties are even more diverse, from dragon robes and phoenix crowns to civilian coarse linen clothes, all of which reflect the changes in society at that time.
The glory of gold and silver shining jade clothes
If there is a pinnacle of Chinese funeral culture, it must be the jade clothes of the royal nobles of the Han Dynasty. Like a bright pearl, it shines brightly, illuminating people's unique imagination of life and death at that time.
Jade clothes have a long history, and at first they only used gold and silver threads to decorate the deceased's nods and siblings. As the process continued to improve and the layout became more and more complete, it finally developed into a full-body suit from head to toe.
The thread used to sew jade clothes is determined by status: only the emperor and empress can use gold silk thread; The princes and kings were made of silver wire; The Marquis of Liege used copper wire. It was not until the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty that Cao Cao's "thin burial" edict gradually disappeared.
Although the splendid time of jade clothes is only vague for hundreds of years, this extreme imagination of the afterlife world has made it an immortal classic of Chinese civilization. In the 2,000-year-old Han tomb of Lali Mountain, archaeologists sleepwalked as if they had never imagined that they would find such exquisite jade treasures.
The ice blue jade silk robes and culottes, wearing a crown on the head and a jade belt around the waist, almost completely reproduce the luxurious temperament of the nobles of the Han Dynasty during their lifetimes. In the tomb of Liu He, the king of Tushan Chu in Handan, Hebei Province, a jade robe with intricate structure and exquisite embroidery was unearthed. The brilliance of jade clothes, just like the different aura of ancient Chinese funeral culture, has attracted the attention and admiration of future generations.
The world is desolate, and the world is looking for clothes as a companion
After thousands of years, today's Chinese still retain some funeral rite traditions. For example, wearing a shroud for the deceased is the last garment of the deceased in the next life.
In modern society, people choose shrouds to pay more attention to environmental protection and simplicity, but still do not forget to integrate traditional elements. Common shrouds are mainly plain and elegant, elegant and generous, made of natural materials such as cotton and linen, and avoid using too bright colors
The production process of the shroud is also meticulous, with respect for the deceased. First of all, clothing should be designed seamlessly and metal buttons should be avoided to ensure that the deceased is comfortable. Next, the craftsmen sew each stitch and thread by hand, condensing the mourning for the deceased in slow and serious movements.
A stitch and a thread convey the eternal thoughts of the living to their loved ones. Some family members will even embroider auspicious patterns such as auspicious clouds and bats representing "longevity" on their shrouds, hoping that the deceased will rest in peace and live forever in the heavenly spirit. The coffin is often painted with birthday patterns such as cranes rising to the sun and a hundred sons, revealing the world's tenacious pursuit of the dream of immortality.
It is worth mentioning that with the enhancement of environmental awareness in modern society, the traditional funeral culture is also constantly innovating, paying more attention to harmonious coexistence with nature. Many people began to choose natural and environmentally friendly materials to make shrouds, such as linen, cotton, etc., and avoided the use of chemical dyes that are harmful to the environment. At the same time, the economical use of resources has also become a growing concern.
As the wisdom of the ancients said, "Life is precious, and death is the same." We still use clothes to bid farewell to our loved ones, but we also demonstrate the civilization and rationality of modern society in inheritance and innovation. The profound wisdom of Chinese culture will always be passed on to future generations.
Simple rituals Heaven and man depend on each other forever
As a traditional ritual with a long history, although funeral culture has evolved in different periods, the cultural connotations and philosophical ideas contained in it have been flourishing for a long time, and have always influenced people's thinking about life and death.
In contemporary society, with the change of people's lifestyle and the enhancement of environmental awareness, funeral etiquette is becoming more and more simple and simple. People are more respectful of green environmental protection, graceful and solemn civilized memorials, and stay away from extravagance and waste. Today's cemetery is mostly surrounded by elegant flowers and trees, showing a sense of awe for nature.
However, some traditional links with deep cultural meanings are still preserved and passed down in modern society. For example, tomb sweeping, ancestor worship and other sacrificial activities convey people's thoughts about their relatives and also reflect their nostalgia for their ancestors.
In addition, the Chinese still insist that the offerings should be fresh and simple, and if the dishes are generally vegetarian. Fruits, fruits, etc. are also common ritual offerings, which are refreshing and natural, and symbolize auspiciousness and beauty. Whether it is the melons and fruits placed in the blue and white porcelain plates, or the white and jade-like vegetarian lanterns, they all embody the indelible memory of the deceased for future generations.
As the old saying goes: Heaven and earth are lonely and depressing, and there is love in the world. Life and death, heaven and man, nature and humanity are all intertwined in this traditional funeral ceremony, forming a touching note. Time flies like a white horse, and the philosophy of life and the essence of Chinese culture will always be stirred in the long river of years.
Summary:
To sum up, the unique clothing and ornament tradition in Chinese funeral culture fully demonstrates the Chinese civilization's pious reverence for life and awe and yearning for death. From the funeral supplies of the pre-Qin era, to the luxurious jade clothes of the nobles of the Han Dynasty, to the simple and environmentally friendly shrouds of today, clothing plays an extremely important role in funeral ceremonies.
Every stitch and thread embodies people's nostalgia and blessings for the deceased. The jade clothes made of gold and silver threads reveal a heroic yearning for life after death; The auspicious pattern of auspicious clouds and bats conveys the pious expectation of future generations for eternal life.
Time flies, life is like a song. The funeral costumes that travel through time and space are a swan song full of philosophy through the past and the present. They have written awe-inspiring cultural chapters and witnessed the unique wisdom of the Chinese people on life and death, which will forever be stirred in the torrent of history and civilization. What do you think differently about this?
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Resources:
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