In ancient China, scholars who achieved fame through the imperial examination had a very high social status and honor. In the Ming Dynasty, Xiucai, Juren, and Jinshi not only enjoyed various privileges, but also were extremely decent in terms of travel, and their treatment was even far beyond today's luxury cars.
First, let's talk about Xiucai. Xiucai is the fame obtained after passing the county examination, the government examination and the hospital examination. Although Xiucai only had a preliminary reputation in the Ming Dynasty, his social status was much higher than that of ordinary people. Xiucai can take a special sedan chair when traveling, called "Xiucai sedan chair". This type of palanquin is spacious, comfortable, ornately decorated, and is often carried by two palanquin drivers. In addition, Xiucai can also wear a badge to identify his identity in order to be respected by people.
Lifting people goes one step further and passes the township examination to gain fame. In the Ming Dynasty, Juren already had the qualifications to be officials, so their social status was more respectable. When traveling, people can take the "sedan chair", which is more luxurious than the Xiucai sedan chair and is usually carried by four people. The palanquins are also decorated with status-symbolizing badges to show their noble status.
Jinshi is the highest level of the imperial examination system in the Ming Dynasty, and the Jinshi merit is obtained through the examination and the palace examination. Jinshi not only has a high social status, but also enjoys a wealth of material benefits. In terms of travel, jinshi can take the "jinshi sedan chair", which is an extremely luxurious sedan chair that is usually carried by eight people. The interior of the sedan chair is beautifully decorated, and the exterior is decorated with a badge that symbolizes status, showing the noble status of the jinshi.
It is worth mentioning that these travel treatments of Xiucai, Juren, and Jinshi are not only a material enjoyment, but also a symbol of social status. In the Ming Dynasty, people generally respected meritorious scholars, and their palanquins became a status symbol, highlighting the status and honor of their masters.
In contrast, although today's luxury cars offer a high level of comfort and luxury, they cannot be compared with the palanquins of the Ming Dynasty scholars in terms of social status and honor. The dignity and treatment of the scholars of the Ming Dynasty not only reflected their respect for knowledge, but also showed the unique cultural style of that era.