Why does the dragon robe, the emperor's exclusive clothing, have three main colors: black, yellow, and red? What's the history behind it?
The evolution of the dragon robe, as a symbol of supreme imperial power in ancient China, is closely related to the ups and downs of Chinese history. From Qin Shi Huang founding the imperial system, wearing a black dragon robe, to the Sui and Tang dynasties, the Han dynasty and the red, and then to the successive dynasties, what is the historical origin of the color change of the dragon robe?
In 221 BC, Ying Zheng wiped out the Six Kingdoms and established the Great Qin Empire in Xianyang, proclaiming himself "Emperor". At this time, he was full of ambition and convinced of his great deeds. So he created the title of "emperor", which clearly marked the supremacy of the monarch; At the same time, he also coined the word "I" as the emperor's self-title, which has been used for more than 2,000 years.
In order to highlight the uniqueness of the imperial power, Ying Zheng wore a black dragon robe to accept the worship of hundreds of officials. The black dragon robe has since become a symbol of imperial power in the Qin Dynasty. The reason why black was chosen was, on the one hand, the traditional color of the Qin State, and on the other hand, the black was solemn and concise, which was in line with the Qin people's character of advocating combat.
202 years ago, Liu Bang, the king of the Han Dynasty, entered Xianyang and took over the Qin Dynasty's Heshan Sheji. He was deeply shocked by the sight of Qin Shi Huang's procession, and vowed to follow the path of the God King. Now it's finally happening. In order to commemorate the founding exploits of Qin Shi Huang, he continued to wear a black dragon robe. However, the good times did not last long, and after Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty ascended the throne, considering the subtle changes in archery and the impact on national fortunes, he changed to a red dragon robe.
In the two thousand years since, no emperor has ever used a black dragon robe. One of the main reasons is to respect Qin Shi Huang, a groundbreaking success. As the first emperor, he laid the foundation of the basic system of China's 2,000-year-old feudal dynasty, and his achievements are recognized by the whole world, and no one else can match.
Therefore, the monarchs of all dynasties were in awe of him, including those who usurped the throne and seized power, and they had to express their admiration for the Qin system. It is precisely because of the glory of the Qin Dynasty that it is even more regrettable for its shortness. Therefore, no one dares to violate the taboo of black and fade out of history.
After the war between the North and the South, Yang Jian unified the North and the South and established the Sui Dynasty. At this time, he had been on the battlefield for a long time and had witnessed too many court intrigues. Therefore, great importance is attached to strengthening the centralization of power and stabilizing the routine. One of the most obvious moves was to make yellow the exclusive color of the Imperial Dragon Robe.
Yang Jian's approach is based on two main considerations: First, yellow is closely related to traditional Chinese culture. As early as the era of the Three Emperors and Five Emperors, the Yellow Emperor used yellow as the color of his surname. The Book of Songs also has the reputation of "Wei Huang". As a totem of the common blood inheritance of the Han people, yellow means sacrosanct. Second, from the perspective of the Five Elements Theory, yellow belongs to the earth and should inherit the fire virtue of the previous dynasty. This is in line with the idea of "endless life" emphasized in ancient Chinese classics.
Therefore, Yang Jian ordered 5 pairs of 9 dragons to be embroidered on the dragon robe, which were placed in key positions such as the chest, back, shoulders, and knees. 5 and 9 represent the two auspicious numbers of "the beginning of the five virtues" and "the respect of the ninety-five" respectively, to demonstrate the legitimacy of the king's domination in the world. This also became the standard configuration format of the dragon robe of later monarchs.
To ensure quality, the robe must be made of the finest Jili Lake silk material. This silk is soft, lightweight, and brightly colored, and has a warm color that goes well with yellow. At the same time, it was clearly stipulated that the yellow color was exclusively for the royal family, and the hundred officials and heads of the Qians were not allowed to use it without authorization, in order to show their high respect for the imperial power. Anyone who violates the order shall be punished for the crime.
Yang Jian is strategizing, and naturally has a lot of considerations. He hoped that through these measures, the imperial power of the Sui Dynasty would be sanctified and hereditary, so as to consolidate centralized rule. Facts have proved that the Qi Dynasty did maintain a short-lived vitality at the institutional level. Later generations of monarchs saw it in their eyes and used it in succession, which also became a major system for the replacement of Chinese dynasties.
After Yang Jian's nephew Yang Guang ascended the throne, he changed the name of the country to "Tang". He could have changed the color of the robe at will, but he didn't. Because the yellow dragon robe set by the uncle has become a symbol of the sacredness of imperial power, and the acceptance is extremely high, there is no doubt about it. So the Tang Dynasty still used the yellow dragon robe, which has been continued.
Relatively speaking, Emperor Wen of the Western Han Dynasty changed black to red, and he was more elaborate. At the beginning of his succession, he briefly used a black dragon robe to show respect for his ancestor Liu Bang. But it soon became clear that this was not in line with the luck of the Han Dynasty. So after reconsideration, he decisively ordered the dragon robe to be replaced with red.
This decision is actually rooted in the ancient Chinese classical culture. According to the "Qiangua" annotation of "Zhou Yi": "Ninety-five, the flying dragon is in the sky, and it is beneficial to see the adult." The Five Elements Theory interprets this "five" as an important support for the coexistence of the five elements, which must be passed down from generation to generation in order to achieve long-term peace and stability. And the Han Dynasty, as the first person of the Qin Dynasty, naturally inherited the water virtue of the previous dynasty and gave birth to fire virtue. Therefore, Emperor Wen's choice of red (Huode) to produce black (Shuide) is in line with this logical system.
It is worth noting that the attitudes of the Western Han Dynasty and the Eastern Han Dynasty on this matter were not the same. The royal family of the Eastern Han Dynasty tended to be simple and simple, and did not pay so much attention to the hierarchical etiquette system. The dragon robes they use are mainly purple-red, and they only add temporary decorations during festivals. This practice continued until the fall of the Western Jin Dynasty.
It was not until after the Southern Crossing of the Eastern Jin Dynasty that Sima Rui reorganized the Southern Dynasty system and restored the Han Dynasty's "Ninety-Five Honors" system. This also laid the foundation for Emperor Wen of Sui to set the yellow dragon robe. The so-called "ancient for the present", history is not a single line of regression, but a spiral cycle. This can also be seen in the evolution of the color of the dragon robe.
History is not simply repeated, it is wiser. This is just like the cultural heritage behind the color change of the dragon robe. Qin Shi Huang set the black dragon robe, which made the emperor symbol, but he was also respected by the past dynasties because of his short-sightedness. Yang Jian is smart to follow the trend, but he has his own persistence, so the yellow dragon robe has been used for thousands of years. And Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty is not limited to his predecessors and dares to be flexible, so the red dragon robe interprets the unique perspective of the Five Elements culture.
All indications show that the evolution of the dragon robe is a reflection of the non-linear cycle of Chinese history. They are intertextual and intertextual, making this glorious history of civilization extraordinarily three-dimensional, rich, and lively. Standing in the 21st century, we should take history as a mirror, absorb historical wisdom, and create a new situation of using the past for the present and innovating and adapting.