 | ||
Mianfu (Hanzi:冕服, pinyin: miǎnfú) is a kind of Hanfu worn by emperors, princes and kings during imperial China, from the Shang Dynasty until Ming Dynasty.
Contents
Mianfu is the highest level of formal dress worn by emperors and royal family in special ceremonial events such as coronation, morning audience, ancestral rites, worship, new year's audience and other ceremonial activities.
History
Mianfu was first developed in the Shang Dynasty, and later improved and standardized during the Zhou Dynasty. It was used by every dynasty from Zhou onward until the collapse of the Ming Dynasty. After the Manchu conquerors established the Qing Dynasty, the new government initiated a policy that forbade Han Chinese to wear Hanfu. Qing emperors did not use Mianfu as the emperor’s official garb, which eventually resulted in this style of clothing disappearing from use.
Influence
Due to the strong cultural influence China exerted on its neighbors, Mianfu was also worn by rulers in other East Asian countries that belonged to the so-called Sinosphere such as Korea, Japan and Vietnam during the imperial era.