Since the launch of "Ancestor of Wumiao Temple, Grand Ceremony Welcome", Xiezhou Guandi Temple Scenic Area has continuously optimized the performance costumes through multi-party examination in accordance with the principle of high standards and sustainability, gradually formed a mature performance system, and strived to present more performance activities with historical value to the audience.
Recently, based on historical information and expert arguments, the scenic spot has formulated a set of model standards for the Ming Dynasty's royal canonization ceremony and the ceremony of lilly sacrifice for Emperor Guan - flying fish suit. Today, I will introduce to you the origin and use of "flying fish suit" for the welcome gift of Guandi Ancestral Temple.
Flying fish suit, historical records are recorded as follows: "Ming Shi Youfu Zhi": "In the sixteenth year of Jiajing, the Qunchen Dynasty was stationed at the station, and the Bingbu Shangshu Zhang Zhan served the python. Emperor Fury: "Shang Shu Erpin, He Zi Obeys the Python". Zhang Zhan said to him: "What you serve is the flying fish suit given by Chin, a distinct python, not a python'." Flying fish pythons, also have two horns. The so-called flying fish pattern is made of dragon shape and the tail of the fin is slightly different, not really flying fish shape.
The flying fish is a legendary creature that is said to be based on the Hindu Capricorn. "The Classic of Mountains and Seas and the Overseas Western Classic": "The Dragon Fish Tomb lives in its north and resembles a tanuki (or a dragon fish like a tanuki horn, as a carp)." ”
The flying fish pattern of the Ming Dynasty was a member of the Yalong pattern family, whose head was the same as that of the dragon, with two horns, round eyes and five-colored long hair; the body parts were also similar to dragons and pythons, with dorsal fins and scales; characterized by wings on the forelimbs, or wings on the forelimbs, and the tail was bifurcated. The flying fish pattern in the middle and late Ming Dynasty, due to the collapse of the grade pattern system, is more and more inclined to python patterns, only retaining only the tail of the fish; the parts of the head claws used to identify the grade are deliberately blurred and similar to the python patterns.
The shape of the flying fish suit is actually derived from the Mongolian robe, which is a kind of dragging. yì sǎn, pronounced in Mongolian as "shǎi", comes from the Mongolian word "jisum", one of the costumes of the Yuan Dynasty. Wang Shizhen of the Ming Dynasty said in the "Collection of Yao Bu Yao" that "Hu Fu Ye has short sleeves or no sleeves, and the clothes are interrupted, and there are horizontal folds under it, and the lower abdomen is vertically pleated." If the sleeve is long, it is a troll".
Flying fish suits were worn in two situations in the Ming Dynasty. Flying fish suits belong to the category of gifts and are classified as python clothes. The so-called gifted clothes refer to the clothing given by the emperor, which is the same as the python dress and the bullfighting suit, and cannot be worn unless it is specially given. The flying fish suit is a kind of noble clothing second only to the python dress, which is generally not available.
The flying fish suit is also a special uniform for high-grade Jinyi guards. Those who can wear flying fish suits basically belong to the Officers of the Kinshiki Guard. Regarding the color of the flying fish suit, according to historical records, the official uniform of the Jinyi Weitang is a big red python suit, a flying fish suit, wearing a black gauze hat, and a bunch of luan belts. It means that the flying fish suit of the Jinyi Guard is big red. In the Ming Dynasty painting "Out of the Police into the Foot Map", it has been clearly depicted that the flying fish suit is all big red.
Ming Dynasty "Out of the Police into the Foot Scroll" Taipei National Palace Collection
So, why is the welcome gift of the Guandi Temple using the costumes of the Ming Dynasty royal honor guards?
Originally, in the year of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Shenzong was asked by Xiezhou Guanmiao to give a plaque of "Heroic Martyr", and in the forty-second year of the Wanli Calendar, He named Guan Gong the "Emperor voldemort of the Three Realms, The Emperor of Shenweiyuan Town, the Heavenly Emperor of Guansheng", elevated the belief of Guan Gong from the Confucian point of view to the rank of emperor, and sent the eunuch Li Enqi to hold the Nine Crowns, Jade Belts, Dragon Robes, Gold Medals, and Tablet Books for three days, and issued them to the world. To make Emperor Guan's reputation greatly enhanced. Together with Lu Xiufu and Zhang Shijie, two loyal vassals of the late Song Dynasty, they were subordinates of Emperor Guan.
From the official level, the Guan Gong faith is promoted to a new height. Therefore, after referring to many documents of the Ming Dynasty, the Guandi Ancestral Temple believes that the flying fish costume of the Ming Dynasty Royal Honor Guard is used as the ceremonial costume for the welcome gift.
Source: Guangong Cultural Tourism