Minority Ethnic Clothing

Manchu

Population: 10.6 million

Distribution: The Manchu Chinese originated in the area previously known as Manchuria. This area is now known as the Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning Provinces in Northeast China with many autonomous counties. These areas have seasonal monsoons and temperatures that range from hot and humid (88 F in the south) to cold and dry (-22 F in the north).²⁸

Economy: The northeastern part of China benefits from agriculture as well as industry.²⁹ Due to the warm weather, the rural region toward the south has provided abundant farmland that yields crops such as barley, flax, maize, millet, soybeans, and wheat and sustains sheep and pigs. The urban region toward the north was one of the first regions of China to develop industry. Some of the successful industries are the manufacturing of steel, automobiles, ships, aircrafts, petroleum refining, and coal mining.

Language: As the Manchu language is almost extinct (less than 60 native speakers exist), almost all Manchu speak Mandarin Chinese.³⁰

Traditions: The ancestors of the Manchu were pastoral tribes (people who moved around according to seasons) that practiced hunting, gathering, fishing, and limited agriculture.³¹ Nurhaci, a chieftain of one of these tribes, united a number of tribes and began the conquest of China that was not completed until after his death. This united group, the Manchurians, established the Qing Dynasty (the last dynasty of China) which ruled China for over 200 years from 1644AD – 1912AD. During this time, the traditional dress of the largest minority in China, the Han, was outlawed.

The new style of clothing that emerged under the Manchu rule introduced different clothing for nobility, men, and women.⁶ The tángzhuāng, translates as “Chinese suit,” was reserved for nobility and government officials. These people donned a lavish silk embroidered jacket closed by a row of vertical buttons. The chángshān, translates as “long shirt,” was worn by men. This consisted of a long, loose fitting shirt with long sleeves that covered the whole body. The cheongsam or qípáo in Mandarin, translates as “long dress,” was worn by women. This was originally a loose fitting garment, similar to the chángshān, which covered all of the body except the head, hands, and toes and concealed the figure of women. Overtime, women sought out a more modern and flattering look. Women took the traditional style and made it form fitting and slim. Men were required under the Qing Dynasty to wear their hair in a queue. This style called for the shaving of the hair above the temples and forehead with the remaining hair tied back into a tight braid. Manchu women did not have a required style. They grew their hair long, wound it into a bun, and adorned it with hair pins and other jewelry. Married Manchu women would tie their hair into a high ponytail, braid it, and secure a fan shaped hat decorated with flowers, tassels, and embroidery on top.

As the Manchu originated in the mountainous areas of China, they are naturally good at shooting and riding. Young boys are taught to hunt simple game with bows around six years old. Both men and women are taught to ride horses. A popular recreational activity for both sexes is to jump onto a galloping horse.³² Willing to take on this risky activity, the Manchu people have been described as brave and athletic.

This work by China Learning Library @ George Mason University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.