Han Chuantong Wedding Customs
01 · Historical Records
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 · Core Techniques & Process
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.
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 return visit that closes the sequence
The return visit closes the rite and opens the long exchange of favours between the two households.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
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.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Han Chuantong Wedding Customs · Han Chuantong Wedding Customs.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
After the transition into the modern era, with social change, the traditional 'Six Rites' essentially fell into abeyance; but in some regions survivals of the Six Rites customs and other traditional marriage customs still remain, providing extremely valuable material for research in folklore studies and sociology. With changes in modern lifestyles and the impact of foreign cultures, the Ten Li of Red Dowry marriage customs, though still transmitted in the villages of Ninghai, have on the whole already generally faded; this marriage custom, with its important value for folklore studies, is facing the danger of extinction and urgently needs strengthened protection.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Guo Xingfu 05-3041
- Hexiaodao
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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