Imperial yellow jacket
Encyclopedia
The imperial yellow jacket ' onMouseout='HidePop("75643")' href="/topics/Pinyin">Pinyin
: Huang ma gua) was a symbol of high honour during China
's Qing Dynasty
. As yellow was a forbidden color, representing the Emperor, the jacket was given only to high-ranking officials and to the Emperor's body guards.
origin, designed for ease to put on and take off by wearers on horseback.
Although persons not of imperial blood were generally prohibited from wearing yellow-coloured clothing, during the Qing Dynasty the yellow riding jackets would be worn by the Imperial body guards, albeit as a livery
coat, and then only while escorting the Emperor.
The yellow jacket could also be granted by the Emperor (or later Empress Dowager Cixi
) to individuals for civil or military merit, especially after 1842 when China was more or less in a constant state of war. Since yellow clothing were normally reserved for the Imperial family, the yellow jacket came to be regarded as the highest honour
of the Qing Dynasty.
Towards the end of the Qing Dynasty the prestige of the yellow jacket had declined somewhat; in one infamous case, a yellow jacket was granted to a train
driver for his service to Empress Dowager Cixi.
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
: Huang ma gua) was a symbol of high honour during China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
's Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
. As yellow was a forbidden color, representing the Emperor, the jacket was given only to high-ranking officials and to the Emperor's body guards.
Wearing the jacket
A ma gua (馬褂, literally "riding jacket") is a short-sleeved, loose outer garment of ManchuManchu
The Manchu people or Man are an ethnic minority of China who originated in Manchuria . During their rise in the 17th century, with the help of the Ming dynasty rebels , they came to power in China and founded the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China until the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which...
origin, designed for ease to put on and take off by wearers on horseback.
Although persons not of imperial blood were generally prohibited from wearing yellow-coloured clothing, during the Qing Dynasty the yellow riding jackets would be worn by the Imperial body guards, albeit as a livery
Livery
A livery is a uniform, insignia or symbol adorning, in a non-military context, a person, an object or a vehicle that denotes a relationship between the wearer of the livery and an individual or corporate body. Often, elements of the heraldry relating to the individual or corporate body feature in...
coat, and then only while escorting the Emperor.
The yellow jacket could also be granted by the Emperor (or later Empress Dowager Cixi
Empress Dowager Cixi
Empress Dowager Cixi1 , of the Manchu Yehenara clan, was a powerful and charismatic figure who became the de facto ruler of the Manchu Qing Dynasty in China for 47 years from 1861 to her death in 1908....
) to individuals for civil or military merit, especially after 1842 when China was more or less in a constant state of war. Since yellow clothing were normally reserved for the Imperial family, the yellow jacket came to be regarded as the highest honour
Order (decoration)
An order or order of merit is a visible honour, awarded by a government, dynastic house or international organization to an individual, usually in recognition of distinguished service to a nation or to humanity. The distinction between orders and decorations is somewhat vague, except that most...
of the Qing Dynasty.
Towards the end of the Qing Dynasty the prestige of the yellow jacket had declined somewhat; in one infamous case, a yellow jacket was granted to a train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
driver for his service to Empress Dowager Cixi.
Ceremonies
Recipients of the imperial yellow jackets would be joined by provincial governors and senior military officials for annual celebrations. Moreover, many recipients would wear their imperial yellow jackets as their funeral attire, which is roughly equivalent to having the national flag draped on the coffin in modern times.People who were awarded the jacket
- Giuseppe Castiglione (Jesuit)
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