Yuanlingshan

The yuanlingpao and yuanlingshan were both a common form of clothing for the Hu people.[4] During the Eastern Han dynasty, some forms of Hanfu started to be influenced by the Hufu of the Hu people, and garments with yuanling started to appear.[4] However, in this period, the yuanlingpao was typically used as an undergarment.[4][11] The collar of the Han dynasty yuanlingpao were not turned on both sides and the shape of its edges were similar to the styles worn in the Sui and Tang dynasties.[4] It was also during the early years of the Han dynasty that the shape of the yuanlingpao worn in the later dynasties, such as in the Ming dynasties, started to develop.[11]

It was only in the era of the Six dynasties that the yuanlingpao began to be worn as an outer garment[11] under the influence of the culture of ethnic minorities (Wuhu) which founded the minority nationalities regime in the Wei and Jin dynasties period.[4] It is also during the Six dynasties period that the yuanlingpao started to be worn as a form of formal clothing.[11] Thus, these ethnic minorities also played a significant role in laying the foundation for the popularity of the yuanlingpao used in the subsequent dynasties.[4]

When the Wuhu entered the Central plains, their dressing culture influenced the clothing culture of the Han people in the Central plains.[4] These northern nomads, including the Xianbei, also introduced new clothing styles, including a form of clothing referred as quekua (Chinese: 缺胯), a form of crotch-length long jacket with either round or snug (plunged) collar with tight sleeves and less overlap than the traditional Hanfu allowing for greater ease of freedom (especially when horse riding) and which strongly impacted Chinese fashion.[12]^: 317

Panling lanshan, Wei, Jin, or Southern-Northern Dynasties.

The Northern Wei period was marked by the cultural integration between the Xianbei and the Han Chinese. The Xianbei ruling elites adopted Chinese clothing and Chinese customs; in addition, the Han Chinese started to integrate some of the Xianbei's nomadic style clothing, which included high boots and the yuanlingpao and/or yuanlingshan with narrow sleeves, into Han clothing.[13]^{: 183, 185–186} In the Northern Wei, however, the yuanlingpao worn by unearthed terracotta warriors were closed in the zuoren-style instead of youren-style, which reflects its Hufu characteristics.[note 2][5] Since the Northern Wei dynasty, the shapes of the Han Chinese's paofu also started to be influenced by the yuanlingpao-style robe which originated in Western Asia and were then spread to the East through the Sogdians of Central Asia.[5]

In the Northern and Southern dynasties, the yuanlingpao of the Xianbei was localized by the Han Chinese losing the connotation of being Hufu and developed into a new form of Hanfu, called panling lanshan, through the addition of a new seam structure called lan (Chinese: 襕; pinyin: Lán) which conforms to the tradition of the Hanfu and by following the Han Chinese's shenyi system.[6][3]

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  Yuanlingpao worn by an acrobat figure, Northern Wei
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  Women wearing yuanlingshan with skirt, Northern Wei, Datong.
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  Xianbei men wearing quekua in the form yuanlingpao, Fresco from the Tomb of Lou Rui, Northern Qi (550-577 AD)
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  Xianbei men wearing quekua in the form of yualingpao and the lapel gown, Northern Qi.

Sogdian wearing their Sogdian-style yuanlingpao, 579 AD

The Sogdians and their descendants (mostly from the merchant class) who lived in China during this period also wore a form of knee-length, yuanling-style kaftan that retained their own ethnic characteristics but also showed some influences from East Asia (i.e., Chinese and early Turks).[14] Under the influence and the demands of the Chinese population, most Sogdian attire in China had to be closed to the right in the youren-style.[14] Their kaftan would often be buttoned up the neck forming the round collar but occasionally the collar (or lower button) would be undone to form lapel robes,[14][5] a style sometimes referred as fanlingpao (Chinese: 翻领袍; pinyin: fānlǐngpáo; lit. 'Lapel robe'). This dressing custom of wearing fanlingpao-style robes was later inherited and developed into the yuanlingpao of the subsequent Tang and Sui dynasties.[5]

In the Tang dynasty, the descendants of the Xianbei and the other non-Chinese people who ruled northern China from 304 – 581 AD lost their ethnic identity and became Chinese; the term Han was used to refer to all people of the Tang dynasty instead of describing the population ruled by the Xianbei elites during the Northern dynasties.[15]

The yuanlingpao and yuanlingshan, tied with a belt (typically a leather belt[16]) at the waist, became a typical form of fashion for both Tang dynasty men and women as it was fashionable for women to dress like men in this period.[1]^: 34–36[2] Both the yuanlingpao and the yuanlingshan also became the main form of clothing for men.[16] Both the yuanlingpao and yuanlingshan of this period had a long and straight back and front with a border at the collar; the front and back of the garments each have a piece of fabric attached in order to tied the clothing around the waist; the sleeves could be tight or loose; if the sleeves were tight, they were designed to facilitate its wearer's ease of movements.[16] Trousers were worn under the yuanlingpao.[2] Some women also wore banbi under their yuanlingpao.[17]

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  A male ride wearing a yuanlingshan, Tang dynasty
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  Eunuchs wearing yuanlingpao with loose sleeves, Tang dynasty tomb, 706 AD.
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  Women (middle and right) wearing yuanlingpao with tight and narrow long sleeves, Tang dynasty tomb, 706 AD.
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  Servant girl wearing a yuanlingpao with loose sleeves, Tang dynasty painting, mid 8th century AD.
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  Servant girl with loose sleeves yuanlingpao, Tang dynasty, mid 8th century AD.
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  Woman cross-dressing; she is wearing a banbi under her yuanlingpao; Tang dynasty.
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  Emperor Yizong of Tang, late Tang dynasty.
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  Tomb of Wang Chuzhi, Five dynasties and ten kingdoms period.
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  Polo players wearing yuanlingpao with tight sleeves on horseback, Tang dynasty

A horizontal band, one distinguishing feature of men's Tang dynasty clothing, could also be attached to the lower region of the yuanlingpao.[18]^: 81 In the Tang dynasty, a long, red panling lanshan with long sleeves was worn by the scholars and government officials; it was worn together with a headwear called futou.[19] In 630 during the 4th year of Zhen Guan, colours regulations for the panling lanshan of the officials were decreed: purple for the 3rd and 4th rank officials; bright red for the 5th rank officials; green for the 6th and 7th rank officials; and blue for the 8th and 9th officials.[18]^: 81In the Kaiyuan era (713 – 741 AD), slaves and the common soldiers also started to wear the scholar's panling lanshan.[20]

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  Panling lanshan, Tang dynasty.
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  Mourning attendant wearing panling lanshan, Tang Dynasty
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  A Tang dynasty man (middle) wearing a panling lanshan, notice the large horizontal band at the bottom of the robe.

Yuanlingpao decorated with borders (sleeves and front), a Central Asian influence, Tang dynasty.

In the Tang dynasty, it was also popular for people to use fabrics (such as brocade) to decorate the collars, sleeves and front of the yuanlingpao; this form of clothing decoration customs is known as 'partial decorations of gowns' and was influenced by the Sogdians of Central Asia who had entered China since the Northern and Southern dynasties period.[21] Influenced by foreign cultures,[21] some yuanlingpao could have a band of fabric decorated with Central Asian roundels which would run down at the centre of the robe as a form of partial decoration.[17]

It was also popular to wear Hufu.[20] Almost all figurines and mural paintings depicting female court attendants dressed in men's clothing are wearing Hufu.[17] The Hufu which was popular in this period was the clothing worn by the Tartars and the people who lived in the Western regions,[22] which was brought from the Silk Road.[23] The double overturned lapels with tight-fitting sleeves was known as kuapao, a robe which originated from Central Asia.[24] During this period, the yuanlingpao could be turned into a fanlingpao under the influence of Hufu by unbuttoning the robes; the fanlingpao could be also be turned back into a yuanlingpao when buttoned.[5] In some unearthed pottery figures wearing fanlingpao dating from the Tang dynasty, it was found that the yuanlingpao had three buttons on the collar.[5] After the High Tang dynasty period, the influences of Hufu progressively started to fade and the clothing started to become more and more loose.[22]

During the Song dynasty, the official dress worn by Song court officials were the yuanlingpao with long, loose and broad sleeves.[25]^: 275[26]^: 3 The colours of the yuanlingpao were also regulated based on the official's ranks.[25]^: 275[26]^: 3 The yuanlingpao had a large overlapping region being held down by a broad strip of fabric;[26]^: 3 it also had a long line which divided the front part of the gown.[25]^: 275 Kerchief (typically futou), leather belt, and yudai (Chinese: 魚袋; lit. 'fish-bag'), black hide boots or shoes, would be worn by the court officials as accessories.[25]^: 275[26]^: 3

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  Maids of Song dynasty empress wearing yuanlingpao.
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  Northern Song Male buddhist donor with a loose-sleeved dark yuanlingpao.
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  Emperor Taizong of Song wearing a very large sleeved yuanlingpao.
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  Song dynasty Emperor Duzong wearing a very large sleeved yuanlingpao.

Khitan men wore the Khitan-style yuanlingpao with a belt at their waist and trousers tucked into felt boots.[27]^: 46[28] The Khitan-style yuanlingpao differed from those worn by the Han Chinese.[29] In terms of design and construction, the yuanlingpao of the Khitan had both back and side slits; the side slits are found at the lower region of the robes.[30] The back slits facilitated horse-riding and protected their legs from the cold.[29] Some of them had no slits.[30] Their yuanlingpao had narrow sleeves,[28] closed on the left side,[30] was unadorned.[29]

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  Khitan men wearing tight sleeves yuanlingpao, Liao dynasty.
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  Khitan guard wearing tight sleeves yuanlingpao, Liao dynasty.
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  Khitan men wearing tight sleeves yuanlingpao

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  Men wearing yuanlingpao, Jurchen Jin dynasty,

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  Men wearing round collar robe, Western Xia mural.
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  Western xia men wearing tight sleeves yuanligpao.

Following the founding of the Ming dynasty, the emperor restored the old system of the Tang and Song dynasties.[11] The yuanlingpao and yuanlingshan are also the most common form of attire for both male and female, officials, and nobles during the Ming Dynasty. The yuanlingpao and/or yuanlingshan were not typically worn alone; underneath, a sleeveless vest called dahu and an inner robe (either the tieli or zhishen) could also be worn.

The difference between yuanlingpao or yuanlingshan of the civilians and the officials (and nobles) is the use of a buzi (either a mandarin square or roundels rank badge[10]^: 64) on it and the fabric materials used.[11][note 3] The clothing of the Ming dynasty were predominantly red in colour.[11] However, there was also strict colour regulations and specific colours were used on the yuanlingshan or yuanlingpao depending on the ranks of officials.[11][note 4] During an Imperial Funeral, Ming officers wore a grey blue yuanlingshan without a Mandarin square, wujiaodai (Chinese: 烏角帶; pinyin: wūjiǎodài; lit. 'black horn belt') and wushamao. This set was known as Qingsufu (Chinese: 青素服).

The Ming dynasty yuanlingpao and yuanlingshan were typically characterized by the "cross plane structure" with the back and front being bounded by the middle seam of the sleeves, symmetrical front and back and the left and right side are more or less symmetrical; there is a centre-line which is the axis of this symmetry.[11] It has a round collar without a high-standing collar which is secured with button; it overlaps on the front side and closes at the right side in the youren-style, which follows the traditional Hanfu system.[11] It also have side slits on the right and left side. The sleeves of the yuanlingshan are mostly in a style called pipaxiu (Chinese: 琵琶袖; pinyin: pípáxiù; lit. 'pipa sleeves'), which means the sleeves are large but curved to form a narrow sleeve cuff, to facilitate movements and be more practical in daily lives.[11] Men's yuanlingpao and yuanlingshan also have side panels called anbai (Chinese: 暗擺; pinyin: ànbǎi; lit. 'hidden pendulum') at the side slits to conceal the undergarments.[11] These side panels are also referred as 'side ears' which are unique structures in the Ming dynasty's yuanlingpao; this specific structure reflect the combination Hanfu and ethnic minority costumes (i.e. the Mongols).[11] The 'side ear' also allows for greater ease of movement and can increase the looseness of robe.[11]

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  A noblewomen yuanlingpao, Ming dynasty.
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  Unearthed Ming dynasty artifact.
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  Ming dynasty court official.
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  Ming Emperor wearing the round-collar robes decorated with dragon roundels. This form of dress is called the longpao (i.e., the dragon robes)
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  Round collared robe, from the Tomb of Emperor Wanli, Ming dynasty.
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  Yuanlingshan artifact.

During the Qing dynasty, the Manchu rulers enforced the tifayifu policy along with the 10 exemptions; among the exempted people were the Han Chinese women who were allowed to continue wearing the Ming-style Hanfu and the theatre performers on-stage.[31][32] While qizhuang was used in dominant sphere of society (ritual and official locations), Hanfu continued to be used in the subordinate societal sphere, such as in women's quarters and theatres.[31]

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  Yuanlingpao (court robe), Qing dynasty, 19th century.[33]
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  A woman's wedding yuanlingshan, also known as mangao, closes with buttons on the right side. It was typically worn together with a skirt known as mangchu
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  A child yuanlingpao, 19^th century
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  Hong Xiuquan's silk Dragon robe

Three dallyeong from the Museum of Traditional Korean Music, Korea

In Korea, the yuanlingpao was introduced during the Tang dynasty into what is known as the dallyeong (Korean: 단령; Hanja: 團領; RR: danryeong; Korean pronunciation: [daɭjʌoŋ]).[34] During the rule of Queen Jindeok of Silla, Kim Chunchu personally travelled to the Tang dynasty to request for clothing and belts and voluntarily accepted the official uniform system of the Tang dynasty; this included the dallyeong among many other clothing items.[35] Since then, the dallyeong continued to be worn until the end of Joseon.[34] Under the reign of King U in late Goryeo, the dallyeong was adopted as an official gwanbok when the official uniform system of the Ming dynasty was imported.[36]

The initial shape of the wonsam worn by women from the 15th to 16th century was similar to the dallyeong and included the use of collar which was similar to the dallyeong-style collar.[37]

In Japan, the formal court attire for men and women was established by the start of the 8th century and was based on the court attire of the Tang dynasty.[38] The round collared robe called ho in the Sokutai (束帯), which was worn by the Japanese Emperors, and the noblemen,[39] was adopted from the yuanlingpao.[40]

According to the Ming dynasty's Government letter against Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the Ming Government bestowed on him a set of changfu (Chinese: 常服羅) containing a red yuanlingpao with qilin mandarin square (Chinese: 大紅織金胷背麒麟圓領), a dark blue dahu (Chinese: 青褡護), and a green tieli (Chinese: 綠貼裏).

According to the book Weaving a realm by the Vietnam Center, the áo viên lĩnh (Hán tự: 襖圓領), a 4-long flap robe with round neck,[41] was imported to Vietnam from China.[42] However, this fashion gradually faded away from their daily lives due to the clothing reforms decreed by the Nguyen lords.[42]

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  Men wearing áo viên lĩnh, painting from The Mahasattva Trúc Lâm Coming Out of the Mountains, 1363.
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  Áo viên lĩnh of Vietnamese people in Đàng Trong, 1675.
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  Áo viên lĩnh in the Lê dynasty