Fengguan xiapei (Chinese: 凤冠霞帔) is a type of traditional Chinese wedding set of attire categorized under Hanfu, which was worn by Han Chinese women in Ming and Qing dynasties.[1] The fengguan xiapei attire was composed an upper and lower garment following the traditional Chinese yichang clothing system. It was typically composed of a red coloured mang ao (Chinese: 蟒袄; lit. 'python jacket'), a type of a Chinese qun-skirt known as mangchu (Chinese: 蟒裙; pinyin: mǎngqún; lit. 'Python skirt'), the xiapei (Chinese: 霞帔), and the fengguan.[2] The fengguan xiapei was sometimes adorned with the yunjian.[2] Following the wedding ceremony, married women were expected to wear the fengguan xiapei on formal occasions, however, Chinese trousers or leggings were worn beneath instead of the skirt.[2]
In the Qing dynasty, the fengguan xiapei was a set of attire which was composed of a red coloured ao, a type of Chinese upper garment, called mangao (Chinese: 蟒袄; lit. 'python jacket') and a qun, lower skirt, called mangchu (lit. 'python skirt').[2] The mangao was a in the style of the Ming dynasty yuanlingshan which was typically decorated with Chinese dragons and was used to be worn by the Han Chinese women as a court robe in the Ming dynasty. The mangchu (Chinese: 蟒裙; lit. 'Python skirt') was a qun, which could either be red or green in colour; it was typically embroidered with dragons and phoenixes on the front and back skirt panel.[2] The set was also completed by two important accessories from which the set of attire gained its name: the xiapei (Chinese: 霞帔) and the phoenix coronet, known as fengguan.[2] The appearance of the xiapei appearance and construction differed depending on the time period: in the Ming dynasty, the xiapei was similar to a long scarf or stole in appearance; however, it could either be found in the shape of a stole or a waistcoat in the Qing dynasty.[2] Sometimes, the fengguan xiapei can be further decorated with Chinese cloud collar known as yunjian.[3]
A mangao in the style of a yuanlingshan, Qing dynasty, 19th century.
A red mangchu, Qing dynasty
Ming dynasty fengguan xiapei.
Ming dynasty noblewomen wearing a blue embroidered xiapei over her red robe
Reconstruction of Ming dynasty fengguan xiapei.
Reconstruction of Ming dynasty fengguan xiapei.
Portrait of lady in fengguan xiapei in Qing dynasty,
