Costumes

Ethnic Hair Accessories

In the 20th century, the Manchu economy and culture underwent significant transformations, resulting in the scarcity of many traditional garments. Nevertheless, through movies, television, and museum exhibits, we can often admire the allure of traditional Manchu costumes. Among these, the wide and elongated headwear worn by Manchu women, resembling neither a fan nor a crown but known as "Qitou" in Chinese and "Dalachi" in Manchu, stands out as a distinctive and captivating feature of Manchu ethnic clothing.

The traditional hairstyle of Manchu men involved shaving off the hair from the front and temples, leaving only the hair at the back of the skull, which was woven into a long braid that hung down. As early as the 23rd year of the Wanli era (1595), a Korean envoy named Shen Zhong passed through Hetu Ala. In the book "Jianzhou Ji Cheng Tu Ji," it is described that "Jurchen customs involved shaving off all their hair, leaving only a small amount at the back of the head, with two braids hanging down. They plucked off all facial hair, leaving only a few roots on the upper lip." During the early Qing Dynasty, the prevailing hairstyle was the "money mouse tail" style. In the middle of the Qing Dynasty, more hair was left, but it still fell short of the hairstyle where half the head was left untouched, as seen in later Qing Dynasty and Qing-era costume dramas.

Historically, Manchu girls learned horseback riding and archery alongside boys and sported hair accessories similar to their male counterparts. They shaved off the hair around the top of their heads, leaving only a portion to weave into two braids, which hung down on their temples until they turned 16. After marriage, they adopted a hairstyle with a large bun on top of their heads, including a "basin head," a "shelf head," and two additional heads, with the latter being more common. Two bun-shaped masses of hair were tied at the top of the head, divided into two strands, each coiled into a bun, and the remaining hair formed a "swallow tail" long flat bun. Typically, a hairpin known as a "big flat square" was inserted horizontally on the bun, measuring 20 to 30 centimeters in length and 23 centimeters in width. On auspicious occasions or when receiving guests, they would wear a "Dalachi" headdress.

The "flag head," also referred to as "Dalachi" in Manchu, serves as the headdress worn by Manchu women during formal occasions and weddings. This headdress is constructed using iron wire or bamboo rattan as the frame, covered with green satin, green velvet, or green yarn, and fashioned into a fan-shaped headdress measuring about thirty centimeters in length and ten centimeters in width. It is securely affixed to the bun and is often embellished with intricate patterns, jewelry, various flowers, and long tassels. This headdress was primarily worn by upper-class Manchu women, while common people typically reserved it for weddings, festivals, and ancestral ceremonies. Wearing this expansive and lengthy decoration restricted neck movement but lent an air of grace and stability to their steps when combined with the long flag dress and high-soled flag shoes.

Horseshoe Shoes

In addition to "flag clothing" and "Dalachi," Manchu women's "flag shoes" also exhibit distinctive features. Unlike Han women, Manchu women traditionally celebrated strong and unbound feet, emphasizing mountain climbing and horseback riding. This preference for non-bound feet spurred the development of "flag shoes." These shoes are finely embroidered, featuring a wooden sole and a shoe root that starts from the center. They are commonly known as "flag shoes" or "high-soled shoes," with two main varieties: "flowerpot sole" shoes and "horseshoe sole" shoes. The wooden sole typically measures between 5 and 10 centimeters in height, with some reaching 14 to 16 centimeters and the tallest extending to about 25 centimeters.

"Horseshoe shoes" are typically wrapped in white fabric and embedded in the center of the sole. They are distinguished by the shape of the heel base, with one type open at the top and closed at the bottom, featuring an elliptical base resembling a flower pot from a distance, while the other type is thinner at the top and wider at the bottom, flat at the front, and rounded at the back, resembling inverted horseshoe prints. Both "flowerpot sole" and "horseshoe sole" shoes are aptly named after these characteristics. In addition to embroidered patterns or decorative elements like cicadas and butterflies on the shoe's upper, the wooden heel's parts that don't touch the ground are often adorned with embroidery, gold and silver embellishments, or beads. Some shoe tips are adorned with fuzzy balls or silk thread spikes, with the longest spike reaching the ground. The high-heeled wooden sole of these shoes is extremely durable, with the upper often wearing out before the sole, making reuse possible. Manchu youths and middle-aged women over the age of 16 in civil society commonly wear high-soled flag shoes for formal occasions, while elderly women opt for "flat shoes" with a flat wood sole for ease of walking. Among the bureaucratic aristocracy, young, middle-aged, and elderly women may all wear high-soled shoes. In modern society, these shoes are no longer commonly worn except for artistic performances.

The Manchu people have practiced the custom of "wooden sole shoes" since ancient times. Various theories surround the origin of these high-soled shoes. One theory suggests that Manchu women would venture into the mountains to collect wild fruits and mushrooms, attaching wooden blocks to their shoes' soles to ward off insect and snake bites. Over time, this practice evolved into the development of high-soled shoes. Another legend claims that the Manchu ethnic group's ancestors, in their quest to cross a muddy pond and recapture a city occupied by the enemy, mimicked the appearance of a white crane by tying high tree branches to their shoes. Their victory marked a turning point, and as a tribute to those challenging days and the enduring contributions of high-legged wooden shoes, women continued to wear them and passed the tradition down through generations. These shoes grew more exquisite and beautiful with each generation, eventually becoming the unique footwear we recognize today.

Clothing Characteristics

Historically, Manchu men had a preference for long, blue clothing, which was markedly different from the attire worn by Manchu women.

Manchu women, in contrast to Han women, did not practice foot binding. Their shoes were intricately embroidered with beautiful floral designs, featuring a central wooden heel that measured 10 centimeters in height. These shoes allowed Manchu women to maintain an upright posture and an elegant swaying gait when walking.

The hairstyles of Manchu women have seen significant transformations over time. During their teenage years, they simply coiled their hair behind their heads. As they approached marriage, their hair was braided and tied into a single bun. After marriage, various hairstyles were adopted, including the double bun and the single bun. The double bun hairstyle involved dividing the hair on top of the head into two sections: front and back. The front bun was combed into a flat, crown-like shape, while the back bun at the nape of the neck was arranged in a swallowtail style, extending gracefully down the back of the neck, creating an appearance of nobility and dignity as they walked.