Rites and customs as social phenomena are closely related to the development of the politics, economy, and culture of a society and influence various aspects of people's lives. They are the mainstay of the history of a nation's cultural life. The rites and customs of the Qing Dynasty are characterized by its strong Manchu flavors. At the same time, the spread of Western learning to China also makes it possible for foreign culture to infiltrate into Chinese folk customs.
The first generations of Qing emperors (Shunzhi, Kangxi, and Yongzheng) paid special attention to the preservation of Manchu folk customs and culture for the purpose of enhancing the Manchu people's self-awareness. During this period of time, the Manchu people and the Han Chinese lived by their own customs and conventions. However, as time went by, the ethical codes of the Han Chinese culture were gradually accepted by the Manchu people as well. With the increasing economic and cultural exchange between the north and the south, there emerged a tendency of Manchu-Han integration in terms of festivals, daily utensils, clothing, food, and means of production.
The folk customs of the Qing Dynasty are rich and colorful. On the one hand, traditional customs, such as the Chinese New Year, the Lantern Festival, Qingming (Tomb-Sweeping Festival), and the Dragon Boat Race, were carried on. On the other, customs with Manchu and regional features, including
Temple fair, were also celebrated. In terms of costumes, there were long gowns and mandarin jackets and sinicized Manchu costumes. People wore braids and twisted hair knots. In terms of traveling, people either rode horses or used carriages or sedan chairs. In addition, post houses bloomed during the reign of Emperors Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong.
Marriage rites and customs also underwent great changes. The marriage customs of the Qing Dynasty values "three letters and six etiquettes," coming up with rigid stipulations concerning the various aspects of the whole process starting with match-making to engagement and all the way to wedding. These stipulations cover, for instance, the engagement request letter from the groom's family, the reply letter from the bride's family, the envelope of the wedding letter, the bridal dowry, the reply letter from the groom's family, the bride's family testing the groom, the three letters from the groom's family concerning the wedding, the bride's sedan, the maid of honor accompanying the bride out of the inner bedroom, the bride-welcoming procession, the musical band entertaining the wedding guests, the wedding ceremonies, bride and groom presenting wine to each other, and the bride visiting her parents on the third day after the wedding.
The drawings included in this section present some of the Qing Dynasty folk customs with striking historical features and portray a cultural landscape of that historical period.
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