Hexiaodao
01 · Lineage & Regional School
Hexiaodao, Male, Han, from Ninghai, Zhejiang, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Han Chuantong Wedding Customs (Ⅹ-98). The tradition is documented in Ninghai, Zhejiang. Within the regional tradition and school record of Han Chuantong Wedding Customs in Ninghai, Zhejiang: The refinements of the Ten Li of Red Dowry lie half in the rites and half in the objects. The rites follow the old path of the Six Rites - pledging affection, matchmaking, the meeting to inspect the prospective bride, preparing the dowry, receiving the dowry, fetching the bride in a decorated sedan chair, bowing to heaven and earth, the nuptial pranks in the bridal chamber, and the return visit to the bride's family - carried through step by step without skipping any; the objects, meanwhile, are handled entirely by the craftsmen of eastern Zhejiang, with beds, sedan chairs, cabinets, chests, stools, and dressing tables each having their own established designs - the bed known for a thousand workdays, the sedan chair for ten thousand workdays, with timber that must be well chosen, mortise-and-tenon joints that must be tight, and inlay lines that must run smoothly. The dowry procession stretches for several li, usually led at front and back by suona horns and gongs and drums; as soon as the people carrying the dowry cross into another village they are stopped and admired, and the procession rests several times along the way - these resting places become moments when the surrounding villages gather in one spot. The objects serve both as display and practical use: after the wedding they are moved directly into the bridal chamber as usable furniture, not mere ornaments for a single day. The traditional marriage customs of the Han Chinese are of long standing. The 'Meaning of Marriage' (Hunyi) chapter of the Book of Rites says: "Rites begin with the capping ceremony, are rooted in marriage, are weighted most heavily in funerals and sacrifices, are honored in court audiences and diplomatic visits, and are harmonized in archery and village drinking - these are the great essentials of rites." In Ninghai, whenever a marriage takes place, a spectacular procession of dowry items stretching for several li often appears; the people hyperbolically call it 'Ten Li of Red Dowry' (Shili Hongzhuang), and it gradually became, in the local area, a synonym for marriage and a symbol of a formal, publicly recognized wedding.
02 · Mastery & Signature Works
The bearer record for Hexiaodao is anchored in the documented technical standards of Han Chuantong Wedding Customs in Ninghai, Zhejiang. Within the documented technical tradition of Han Chuantong Wedding Customs in Ninghai, Zhejiang: For thousands of years, Han Chinese weddings have been regarded as an important component of the Confucian 'rites.' From the Zhou dynasty onward, the 'Six Rites' (nacai - presenting betrothal gifts; wenming - asking the name; naji - announcing the auspicious divination; nazheng - presenting the betrothal money; qingqi - setting the date; and qinying - fetching the bride in person) became a normative custom, continuing to play an important role throughout the marital life of feudal society. The Ten Li of Red Dowry marriage customs of Ninghai are a custom for welcoming the bride and marrying off the daughter peculiar to the folk culture of Zhejiang, long transmitted in Ninghai and the eastern part of the Zhedong (eastern Zhejiang) region. The Ten Li of Red Dowry marriage customs of Ninghai mainly include marriage rites such as pledging affection, matchmaking, the meeting to inspect the prospective bride, preparing the dowry, receiving the dowry, fetching the bride in a decorated sedan chair, bowing to heaven and earth, the nuptial pranks in the bridal chamber, and the return visit to the bride's family, together with the distinctive craftsmanship of the red-dowry objects. 'A bed of a thousand workdays, a sedan chair of ten thousand workdays, and ten li of red dowry' constitute a household-familiar marriage phenomenon in eastern Zhejiang, and also provide a platform for exchange among the folk cultural activities of the surrounding villages. The Ten Li of Red Dowry marriage customs of Ninghai are an important component of the marriage folklore of Jiangnan; they embody in concentrated form the characteristics of Jiangnan handicraft, express the fine wishes for joy and auspiciousness, and reflect the positive, optimistic attitude toward life of the people of Jiangnan. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "The dowry procession stretching for miles": Trunks, beds and the sedan travel in a red procession led by gongs, halting at each village to be stared at. "The thousand-work bed and ten-thousand-work sedan": The carved bed and sedan took years of work and were meant to be used for a lifetime, not just the wedding day. "The sedan arriving at the bride's door": Crossing fire and a saddle, then the singing of the weeping bride, whose tears settle the match. "The rules of the bridal-chamber teasing": A noisy but bounded teasing: sweets are demanded, props raided, but mirrors, scissors and knives stay safe.
The dowry procession stretching for miles
Trunks, beds and the sedan travel in a red procession led by gongs, halting at each village to be stared at.
The thousand-work bed and ten-thousand-work sedan
The carved bed and sedan took years of work and were meant to be used for a lifetime, not just the wedding day.
The sedan arriving at the bride's door
Crossing fire and a saddle, then the singing of the weeping bride, whose tears settle the match.
The rules of the bridal-chamber teasing
A noisy but bounded teasing: sweets are demanded, props raided, but mirrors, scissors and knives stay safe.
03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status
In 2025, Hexiaodao was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Han Chuantong Wedding Customs, with Ninghai, Zhejiang as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Han Chuantong Wedding Customs in Ninghai, Zhejiang: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2008 (batch 2), with Ninghai, Zhejiang as its declared area, and Ninghai County Shilihongzhuang Museum as its safeguarding unit. Since the project was inscribed in the national inventory, its declared area and safeguarding unit have carried out documentation, transmission and presentation within the national safeguarding framework. Together, the inventory record and the project archive form the public documentary basis for the bearer’s transmission practice.
04 · Associated Heritage Item Dossier
Historical origin
The traditional marriage customs of the Han Chinese are of long standing. The 'Meaning of Marriage' (Hunyi) chapter of the Book of Rites says: "Rites begin with the capping ceremony, are rooted in marriage, are weighted most heavily in funerals and sacrifices, are honored in court audiences and diplomatic visits, and are harmonized in archery and village drinking - these are the great essentials of rites." In Ninghai, whenever a marriage takes place, a spectacular procession of dowry items stretching for several li often appears; the people hyperbolically call it 'Ten Li of Red Dowry' (Shili Hongzhuang), and it gradually became, in the local area, a synonym for marriage and a symbol of a formal, publicly recognized wedding.
05 · Fellow National Bearers Lineage
National representative bearers recorded under the same item code, ordered from the first to the sixth batch. Batch order is not a teacher–student relationship.
| Bearer | Declared area | Roster code | Relation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guo Xingfu | Zhuhai, Guangdong | 05-3041 | Other regional school |
| Hexiaodao | Ninghai, Zhejiang | — | This page |
06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography
This static English edition is rendered at the edge for search engines, AI crawlers and readers without JavaScript. Compiled from official national representative bearer archival records and the associated project dossier, organized by topic and translated into English. 阅读中文版。