Yuanlingshan
A yuanlingshan is a type of round-collared upper garment in the traditional Chinese style of clothing known as ; it is also referred to as a or a when used as a robe.
Quling refers to clothing with a round or arc-shaped neckline, which is one of the important forms of Hanfu. Yuanlingshan falls under this category.The origins of Yuanlingshan are currently unknown. However, current research suggests that Quling existed during the Shang Dynasty, so Yuanlingshan existed before the Western Han Dynasty.
The is an article of formal attire primarily worn by men, but women can also wear them. In the Tang dynasty, the could be transformed into the using buttons.
There are specific forms of and named for their decorations and construction; for example, the, also called for short, ,,, and.
Terminology
The term literally translates to "round collar shirt", consisting of the Chinese characters, which literally translates to "round collar" and, literally translated as "shirt".The term literally translates to "round collar robe ", consisting of the Chinese characters and. is an abbreviation for the term, which is literally translated as "robe" or "gown".
The term or simply refers to a specific variation of characterized by a bottom horizontal band attached at the knee level, while following the overall form of the, a long robe.
The term is a generic term referring to clothing adorned with a rank badge known as, which is often a mandarin square or roundels, to indicate its wearer's rank. Such garments were typically worn by government officials.
When a or is decorated with Chinese dragons called or decorated with decorations, including roundels or square rank badges, the generic term or mangfu is applied respectively depending on the number of dragon-claws used and the time period.
History
Before and during the Han Dynasty
The origin of is currently unknown. However, current research suggests that existed during the Shang Dynasty, at this time usually used as outerwear.By the Zhou Dynasty, was already commonly used as military uniform, and in daily life as outerwear and underwear, and subsequent dynasties inherited this practice.
It is known that was used as both outerwear and underwear during the Western Han Dynasty.
But more often, it is mainly used as underwear, but children and women often wear it as outerwear.
Starting from the Eastern Han Dynasty, although was also used as underwear, it has returned to being used as outerwear more and more frequently, until it became one of the common outerwear in the Wei and Jin Dynasties.
The collars of the Han dynasty were not turned on both sides and their edges were similar to the styles worn in the Sui and Tang dynasties. It was also during the early years of the Han dynasty that the shape of the worn in the later dynasties, such as in the Ming dynasties, started to develop.
Wei, Jin, Northern, and Southern dynasties / Six Dynasties
According to the History of the Southern Dynasties, the clothing of the Hu people was a long robe with Tight sleeves, while the Western Wei murals show a round collar, a double-breasted front, and a long robe with narrow sleeves.This type of clothing with a double-breasted collar and narrow sleeves appeared in the Western Zhou Dynasty and continued into the following dynasties.Therefore, current scholars believe that the round-necked clothing of the Hu people was influenced by the military uniforms of the Qin and Qin Dynasty. As time went by, a round-necked garment with the obvious characteristics of the narrow-sleeved long robe of the Qin and Qin Dynasty military uniform was formed, but with national characteristics and tailoring system.
Influence of the Xianbei
When the migrated to the Central Plains, their dressing culture influenced the clothing culture of the Han people in the region.These northern nomads, including the Xianbei, also introduced new clothing styles, including the, a type of crotch-length long jacket. The had either a round or snug collar, tight sleeves, and less overlap than the traditional, which allowed for greater freedom of movement, especially for horse riding, and strongly impacted Chinese fashion.The Northern Wei dynasty was marked by cultural integration between the Xianbei and the Han Chinese. The Xianbei ruling elites adopted Chinese clothing and Chinese customs, while the Han Chinese started to integrate some of the Xianbei's nomadic style clothing, including high boots and narrow-sleeved and into Han clothing. In this period, the worn by unearthed terracotta warriors were closed in the -style instead of -style, reflecting its characteristics. Since the Northern Wei dynasty, the shapes of the Han Chinese's also started to be influenced by the -style robe, which originated in Western Asia and was then spread to the East through the Sogdians of Central Asia.
In the Northern and Southern dynasties, the of the Xianbei was localized by the Han Chinese, resulting in a loss of its association with and developed into a new form of, called. This evolution was achieved through the addition of a new seam structure called, which aligned with the traditional style and followed the Han Chinese's robe.
Influence of the Sogdians
The Sogdians and their descendants, mostly from the merchant class, who lived in China during this period also wore a form of knee-length, -style kaftan that retained their own ethnic characteristics but also showed some influences from East Asia, including Chinese and early Turkic influences. Due to the influence and the demands of the Chinese population, most Sogdian attire in China had to be closed to the right in the -style. Their kaftan would often be buttoned up to the neck, forming a round collar. Occasionally, the collar or lower button would be undone to form lapel robes, a style sometimes referred to as. This dressing custom of wearing -style robes was later inherited and developed into the of the subsequent Tang and Sui dynasties.Sui and Tang dynasties, Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period
In the Tang dynasty, the descendants of the Xianbei and the other non-Chinese people who ruled northern China from 304 – 581 AD lost their ethnic identity and became Chinese; the term Han referred to all people of the Tang dynasty instead of describing the population ruled by the Xianbei elites during the Northern dynasties.The and, tied with a belt commonly made of leather at the waist, became a typical form of fashion for both men and women during the Tang dynasty, as it was fashionable for women to dress like men in this period. Both garments became the main form of clothing for men as well. Both the and of this period had a long, straight back and front with a border at the collar. The front and back of the garments each had a piece of fabric attached for tying the clothing around the waist. The sleeves could be tight or loose, with tight sleeves designed to facilitate ease of movements. Trousers were worn under the. Some women also wore under their.
One distinctive feature of men's clothing during the Tang dynasty was a horizontal band, which could also be attached to the lower region of the. Tang dynasty scholars and government officials wore long, red with long sleeves, accompanied by headwear called. In 630 during the 4th year of Zhen Guan, colour regulations for the of the officials were decreed: purple for the 3rd and 4th rank officials; bright red for the 5th rank officials; green for the 6th and 7th rank officials; and blue for the 8th and 9th officials.In the Kaiyuan era, slaves and the common soldiers also started to wear the scholar's.
Foreign influences
In the Tang dynasty, it was also popular for people to use fabrics, including brocade, to decorate the collars, sleeves and front of the ; this practice of clothing decoration is known as "partial decorations of gowns" and was influenced by the Sogdians of Central Asia, who had entered China since the Northern and Southern dynasties period. Influenced by foreign cultures, some could have a band of fabric decorated with Central Asian roundels which would run down at the center of the robe as a form of partial decoration.It was also popular to wear. Almost all figurines and mural paintings depicting female court attendants dressed in men's clothing are wearing. The which was popular in this period was the clothing worn by the Tartars and the people who lived in the Western regions, which was brought from the Silk Road. Robes with double overturned lapels and tight-fitting sleeves were known as, which originated from Central Asia. During this period, the could be turned into a under the influence of by unbuttoning the robes, while the could be also be turned back into a when buttoned. In some unearthed pottery figures wearing dating from the Tang dynasty, it was found that the had three buttons on the collar. After the High Tang dynasty period, the influences of progressively started to fade and the clothing started to become increasingly loose.