“Hi Phi Phi used to wear flowers for this palace, it’s really beautiful.”
“It is natural to serve the princess, the concubine does not dare to forget this rule.”
This is a segment from the Chinese movie “Zhen Hoan Story”. The image of a concubine wearing flowers in her hair, looking at it as a kind of beauty, is not strange to those who are passionate about historical films.
Using flowers as “brooches” on the head has a long history in China. According to the records of the Tang-Song period, when the general went out or the person named on the gold board wore fresh flowers. Verse “Spring day out, almond flowers blow all over the head”. Flowers fall unintentionally, people’s hearts are full of ideas. The ancient Chinese believed that the almond flower accidentally falling on the head was a very beautiful image.
After that, wearing flowers in hair gradually appeared in daily life, becoming a kind of jewelry from nature, bringing a fresh feeling that is even more beautiful than metal jewelry or precious stones.
The painting “Flower brooch of female painters” of the Tang Dynasty by painter Chu Phuong
The concubines of the Qing Dynasty gave each other beautiful flower pots and precious vases, because they considered flowers a kind of aesthetic, the beauty in life.
However, few people know that wearing flowers in the hair was a very common phenomenon in ancient China. More interestingly, not only women, men also have the custom of putting flowers on their heads. However, different eras, social customs are also different. “Male with flowers” is a very different aesthetic in Chinese feudal society.
1. Install the cypress tree
In fact, in the pre-Qin period, the phenomenon of “men wearing flowers” existed but was not popular until the Han Dynasty.
The work “Tay Kinh Diary” of Tan poet – Cat Hong once recorded: “September 9 plant trees, drink chrysanthemum wine, help people live a long life”. Meaning: at that time, it was believed that putting a tree branch could ward off evil spirits. However, instead of wearing it on their heads, they wear it on their hips or tie it to their arms.
In the Tan Dynasty, people started planting enemies on their heads. According to the “feng shui record” of the famous Tan – Chu So dynasty recorded: “Break the branches of the elm tree and stick it on the head, except for evil spirits and against the winter cold”.
During the Wei Jin period of the Southern and Northern Dynasties, men wearing flowers on their heads gradually became an aesthetic.
Phan An in the Tan Dynasty and his brothers Luc Co and Luc Yun were famous handsome men in history, and their positions were also relatively high. They put beautiful fresh flowers on the court (headwear when entering the court), showing more regal aura.
2. From the Emperor who gives flowers to the commoners who put flowers in their hair
In fact, during the Tang Dynasty, the Emperor gave his courtiers flowers to wear on beauty or hair. According to “Canh Long Van Quan Ky” by Vo Binh Nhat of the Tang Dynasty, recorded: “January 8 establishes spring and bestows brilliant flowers to courtiers…”.
Trung Tong Ly Hien Street on the founding day of the spring summoned the scholar’s courtiers to eat, and the scholar officials attended were Thuong Quan Uyen Nhi, Ly Kieu Tong Chi Van, Luu Hien, Trieu Ngan Chieu, and Shen Cu Ky. Vo Binh Nhat was the youngest, but the poem was the most outstanding, so Duong Trung Tong immediately gave flowers on his head as a reward.
In addition to the Emperor giving flowers, the popularity of “men with flowers” during the Tang dynasty was also related to the examination system. After announcing the gold plate, the court will give a banquet, order the two youngest people in the new doctorate faculty, ride horses to pick fresh flowers blooming in the capital, and then distribute them to other doctors, these two people. known as “Teacher Hoa Porcelain”.
Later, “Thanh Hoa” became the third specialized word after Poinsettia, Table Label, its origin is related to this incident.
Later, the style of wearing flowers of writers was handed down to the folk, and many ordinary people also followed. Accordingly, men wearing flowers on their heads became commonplace and this phenomenon was mentioned a lot in Tang poetry.
The poem “Hanh Hanh” by Do Muc wrote: “The night came drizzling and drizzling… Don’t blame Hanh for being shabby, how many people put flowers in the city” (temporary translation).
“How many people wear flowers in the whole city”, from the verse we can know the flourishing level of “men wearing flowers” in the Tang Dynasty, so that the fresh flowers in the garden were all picked, and the almond tree looked bare. still alive. At that time, the flowers used to put on the head in addition to the yuzu, the almond flower, also the carnation, the gardenia, mainly red flowers and white flowers.
3. “Men wear flowers” becomes a kind of ceremony in the official place
The Tang Dynasty collapsed, the Trung Nguyen area was in constant turmoil, the people were miserable, except for a few big officials, very few people wore flowers. However, in places like Ngo Viet, Nam Duong and Thuc Quoc, the custom of putting flowers on the head is still popular because people’s lives are relatively stable.
The custom of placing flowers in the Song dynasty became more and more flourishing, even becoming a kind of official ceremony.
The literary system of the Song Dynasty developed, and many poets and writers appeared. Therefore, the custom of placing flowers became more and more popular. During the Song Dynasty, flower-laying was advocated by the court to become a ritual. On important occasions, the court held a party, not only the Emperor wore flowers on his head, the ministers also had to wear other flowers depending on the grade.
So what flowers did the Song Emperor wear on his head? According to “Thiet Van Son Tung Dam” recorded: One spring, Tong Than Tong traveled near Kim Minh Lake, saw peony flowers presented as tribute from Lac Duong, so he loved it very much, so he took flowers on I took it off my head, and put on a two-inch-large peony.
During the Song Dynasty, the emperor who loved to wear flowers the most was Tong Huy Tong. Tong Huy Tong ruled the country not very talented, but multi-talented, multi-talented, loved courtesy, whether in the palace or out on a trip, he had to arrange flowers on his head. The guards and the forbidden troops next to them also arranged large and small flowers with different colors on their hats.
Soft fragrant flowers are placed on the head of a beautiful young woman, naturally no one feels strange. But the flowers on men’s heads are more or less a laughing stock these days. However, in ancient China, men wore flowers on their heads as an aesthetic, full of fashion.
Source: QQ, 163