The sedan chair is known to have existed as early as the Han dynasty (206 B.C.-22l AD.). The great Han historian Pan Ku mentioned it in his writings. Yen Li-pen, a Tang artist, pictured Emperor Tang Tai Tsung seated on a square board carried by two maids of the court. During the period of the Northern and Southern dynasties (420-589), nobles and members of the imperial household used this form of transportation in battle, hunting and travel. The Yeh Chung Chi (Records of Central Honan) said Shih Hu of the later Chou (329-352) sat on a sedan chair carried by 20 men when he went hunting. A top was attached to provide shade and a lazy Suan contraption enabled the hunter to turn in any direction. These "walking vehicles" were forerunners of the sedan chair.
The sedan chair took on its present form during the Five Dynasties (907-960). Excavations of Sung (960-1280) relics and paintings show the sedan chair was in wide use at that time. Sedan chairs carried by two persons appear abundantly in the famous Sung painting "Ch'ing Ming Shang Ho Tu" (City of Cathay). At that time, they were called tan tzu and were similar to the sedan chairs of the Ming (1368-1644) and Ch'ing (1644-1912) dynasties and the first years of the Republic.
In ancient times, only high-ranking government officials and the rich could ride in the sedan chair. Decorations differed according to social status. At the beginning of the Ch'ing dynasty, the sedan chairs of the emperor and the empress were the most elegant. The princes' vehicles had a silver top and a yellow body with reddish curtains. Government officials of the third degree or higher had sedan chairs with silver tops but curtains were yellowish white.
Only four carriers were allowed in the capital. In the countryside, eight carriers were permissible. Officials below the fourth degree rode in tin topped chairs with two carriers. Landlords and the rich rode in chairs painted black and without decoration of the top. Curtains were yellowish white.
Sedan chairs of the Ch'ing dynasty were the most elegant and best equipped. The pa t'ai chiao was for officials and had eight carriers. These were often seen during the Ming dynasty but by Ch'ing times pa t'ai chiao were almost never seen outside the imperial capital. Manchu provincial governors and magistrates rode in chairs with four earriers.
The Ch'ing dynasty had two chairs with four carriers. One was the ta chiao or grand sedan chair. It had two carriers in the front and two in the back. Two parallel poles were fastened to the body of the chair. There were crossbars at the ends of the poles. The carriers placed themselves at the ends of the crossbars and held on to a rope fastened to a half ring in the middle of the crossbar. Chairs of court officials were decorated with green felt on the top and sides. The bottom was decorated with red felt. In summer, the felt was replaced with yarn. Manchu officials did not take off their hats when riding. The space behind the seat accommodated the meter-long feathers worn by such officials. The whole chair was covered with a net made of black thread and a copper cap of gourd shape stood out from the middle of the top.
Silver top sedan chairs had a crossbar for the rider to hold on to. It is said that the chair of Manchu emperor Ch'ien Lung (1722-1795 A.D.) had a table-like crossbar so he could enjoy calligraphy and paintings while traveling. On each side of most sedan chairs was one miniature vase. Behind the seat was a platform for keeping a chest of clothes. Officials often had to change into special clothing for different occasions of the day.
The pien chiao was for lower echlon officials. It was lined with green felt and carried by four men. The two poles of the chair were not parallel but narrowed toward the froont, where one carrier supported both poles on his shoulders. A second carrier ran between the poles just in front of the seat and a third just behind. The third carrier was called the "black man" because he could not see where he was going. The rear carrier supported the chair by means of a crossbar. These chairs had movable windows. In summer, the two sides were removed for ventilation.
Generals rode in the lan ni ta chiao (blue fell grand sedan chairs) with three carriers. Two carriers ran in front and one behind. Hsien (county) officials rode in two-carrier chairs. Higher hsien officials might ride in three-carrier sedans, but only a single carrier could be placed in front. These vehicles were all black with a meter-wide red felt fringe below the chair.
Chairs of commoners had two carriers. There were taxi services with fleets of 30 or more chairs. Service was offered 24 hours a day. The fare for city rides was fixed and included tips for tea or wine. Journeys outside the city limits were paid for according to distance.
Private chairs all had their own parking places or storage places. They were kept on parallel bars raised 3 to 4 feet above the ground. The wealthy had as many as six or seven chairs. During the Ming dynasty, pleasure houses were allowed to own and use only the tu lung kang. This type had one pole running through the middle of the chair and was carried by two carriers. Chairs were made of bamboo or wicker and reflected the low social status of their users. Ironically, this type became a favorite of 18th century Japanese of high social rank.
Carriers of Canton during the Ch'ing dynasty enjoyed unique privileges. They were the featherbedding laborers of their time. Those employed by the rich and high officials carried only their master. Wife and sons had to take street taxis. These carriers ate only the best. Attire was a uniform of black silk shirt and trousers, always clean and neat. A yard long white silk scarf was worn around the neck. A bowl of water on the crossbar would not slop over when the sedan was in motion.
In Szechwan province, the sedan chair was found to be well suited to mountain paths. These wicker chairs had one carrier in front and two in the back. The two in the back could not see the path ahead but were told about road conditions by the lead man. The front carrier might chant: "The sky above is bright." The two in back answered in unison: "Water on the ground makes waves." The verses meant that there was a puddle of water ahead. -Li Yen-pei
Newsdom - Son-in-law troubles,
Tseng Kuo-fan the famous Manchu scholar-official (1811-1872), once said young ladies should marry into families of higher social status and young men should marry girls from families of lower social status. The reverse has caused much unhappiness in the traditional marriages of China. This is typified in marriages between princess and commoner.
The fu ma is the emperor's son-in-law. He may be the husband of the emperor's sister or daughter. During the Ch'ing dynasty, he was called the ke fu, equivalent to a brigade commander of the imperial cavalry. Before that, he was called the fu ma tu wei.
During the Eastern Han dynasty (25 B.C.-221 A.D.), the fu ma tu wei was the commander of the palace guard. He was not related to the imperial family in any way. The princess' husband was called the shang chu. Shang means a rise in position. The husband was chosen from among many candidates of the rich and the nobles not related to the imperial family. The emperor or any high-ranking member of the imperial family could choose a husband-candidate for the princess. The one finally chosen by the imperial family was summoned. Preparations were made and the etiquette of the imperial house learned before the chosen one was sent into the imperial palace. He had to break ties with his own family.
The fu ma tu wei or commander of the imperial palace guard became the special service guard of the Shang chu, the emperor's son-in-law or brother-in-law, during the Period of the Three Kingdoms (221-280). The malicious warlord Ts'ao Ts'ao's son, Ts'ao P'ei, became emperor and bestowed the title of fu ma tu wei upon all sons-in-law of the imperial house. This initiated the use of fu ma as the title for the emperor's son-in-law and placed the responsibility of guarding the emperor in the hands of the son-in-law and indirectly under the control of his daughter. However, the military power of the son-in-law was revoked during the Tsin dynasty (265-420) for fear it would be used against the imperial house. The son-in-law became a puppet of the princess with nothing to do.
Beginning with the Sui (589-618) and the Tang (618-907), the fu ma was chosen by the imperial family from among young scholars who had passed the examination for the civil service. Many able young men had to give up a promising future to become puppets of the imperial house. Essentially the husband was the loyal servant of the princess. His life was confined by routine and the strict discipline of the imperial household.
During the Southern Sung (1127-1280) one fu ma became governor. However, this was an exceptional case. The only fu ma who was not henpecked was Kuo Ei, who married the daughter of Emperor Te Chung of the Tang. He was the son of Kuo Tzu-i, who served as premier under several Tang emperors. Kuo Ei was able to maintain his authority in the imperial family mainly because of his father's power and prestige.
During the Ch'ing dynasty, the fu ma became the ke fu. The imperial family assigned a "nanny" to take care of the princess's needs. She controlled not only the daily activities of the princess but also those of the husband.
Present-day social customs do not create any more henpecked husbands However, women still do. -Hu Han-chuen