Guan Li

The Guan Li (simplified Chinese: 冠礼; traditional Chinese: 冠禮) is the Confucian coming of age ceremony. According to the Book of Rites (also known as Li Ji), it is only after the coming of age ceremonies that young people could call themselves adults and could share social responsibilities.^[1] The name Guan Li refers to the ritual ceremony for men, while the Ji Li (simplified Chinese: 笄礼; traditional Chinese: 笄禮) refers to the one for women. The Guan Li and Ji Li has important symbolic meaning for the Han Chinese.^[2] Both of these ceremonies are important, key Confucian rites, and are part of the "four rites" which also includes marriage, mourning rites, and sacrificial rituals.^[1]

The Guan Li and the Ji Li ceremony can be performed by people of any social class; however, rich people were more likely to hold the ceremony than poor people.^[3][2] In the 20th century, these ceremonies slowly phased out, but there has been a recent resurgence, especially who those are interested in Confucian traditions and Hanfu.^[3] Since 2010, large Guan Li ceremony has taken place each year in local Wenmiao, in Taiyuan, Shanxi.^[4][5]

History[]

The Guan Li and the Ji Li ceremony appeared in China in the ancient times, prior to the Qin era.^[6] Some philosophical texts dating from the Zhou dynasty and Warring States period provide some evidence for the Guanli ceremony, for example in the Analects of Confucius and by texts written by Mencius.^[2] The Guanli ceremony can also be found in the Han Shu.^[2]

Guan Li Ceremony[]

The Guanli is also known as the "capping" ceremony.^[6] Guan (冠) is sometimes translated as crown or cap.^[7][8] As a coming of age ceremony, the Guan Li ceremony marks the passage of man from childhood to adulthood.^[3][2] It is only after the Guan Li ceremony that a man is considered an adult and can be given adult responsibilities and rights; for example, a man could become the heir of his family, get married, inherit a business, and participate in other aspects of society.^[3][9]

Age[]

The Guanli ceremony typically occurs when a man reaches 20 years old.^[3][1][10]

Location and organization of ceremony[]

The ceremony takes place in the young man's ancestral temple on a carefully chosen date, which was considered auspicious, and it was organized by a respectable senior relative of the young man.^[1][3] It could also be done by the eastern stairs (which is appropriate to the use of the master) if the boy was a son by the proper wife to symbolize that he was in the succession line.^[11]

On the day of the ceremony, many guests were invited, including the parents of the young man, the master of the ceremony, and an assistant.^[1]

Procedures of Guan Li ceremony[]

The procedures of ceremony occur through the following steps:^[1][3][11]

1. Before the ceremony, the boy takes a bath; his hair is done and he then wait in a room.
2. At the beginning of the ceremony, the father of the boy gives a brief speech
3. The boy comes out from the room and meet with the guests
4. The father of the boy would hand him a cup in the guest's place without receiving one in the return.
5. The senior relative, or the master of the ceremony, washes his hands
6. The senior relative place three caps on head of the young man, and
   1. The ceremony master washes his hand and places a putou hat of the boy's head; the boy then goes to another room to wear clothing with the same colour as the cap. After that he comes out and returned to the ceremony master.
   2. The ceremony master then gives him another cap; the boy goes back to the room and comes back wearing a dark coloured clothing which is worn by adult men to match the cap.
7. The young man gives a salute to all the guests and officially becomes a "man".
8. The young man would obtain a courtesy name.

Derivatives and influences[]

• Korea: Following the confucian tradition, Korean also performed the "capping" ceremony, known as Gwallye (관례 /冠禮) as a symbol of coming-of-age for men.^[12][13] On the day of the coming-of-age ceremony, Korean men would have their hair put up in a top knot and cover it with a hat (e.g. a gat) and were official given responsibilities as an adult men.^{[12][13][14][15]}

Ji Li Ceremony[]

The Ji Li is the equivalent of Guanli; it is also known as the "hairpin ceremony".^[3][6][16] It marks the transition from childhood to adulthood of a woman.^[3][10] It is only after the Ji Li ceremony that a woman is considered an adult and is therefore eligible to be married.^{[3][10][16][17]}

Age[]

The Ji Li ceremony occurs when a girl is engaged or if she is getting married.^[10] However, it typically takes place when a young girl reaches the age of 15 even if the girl is not engaged or married.^{[1][3][10][16]} If the young girl was still not betrothed at the age of 20, the Ji li ceremony had to be performed again.^[17]

Procedures of Ji Li ceremony[]

The procedure of the Ji Li ceremony occur through the following steps:^{[1][3][10][17]}

1. A married woman, typically one of the girl's relatives, combs the hair of the young woman,
2. The hair of the young woman is gathered up into a bun before being fastened with a ji (hairpin) which is typically inscribed with auspicious patterns.
3. She is then given an adult name.
4. The hairpin is later removed after the ceremony

After the Ji Li ceremony, women had to learn how to be proper wives; these learning including the proper manner of speech and dress.^[1] They also had to learn needlework.^[1]

Derivatives and influences[]

• Korea: Korean women perform a coming-of-age ceremony which follows the Confucian tradition known as Gyerye (계례/筓禮) where they would braid their hair and roll it up into a chignon before putting it in place with a binyeo (i.e. a hairpin) on their 15th birthday.^[14][18][15]

• Vietnam: The tuổi cập kê (also known as the age of wearing hairpin) occurs when a girl reached the age of 15.^[19] At the age of 15, the girl starts to wear hairpin, the hairpin becomes an inseparable aspect of a woman; as such, giving a hairpin to a man symbolizes that the woman trusts the man completely.^[19] It is based on a Chinese custom.^[19]

See also[]

• Hanfu
• Genpuku, the Japanese coming-of-age ceremony
• Cug Huê Hng, the Teochew coming-of-age ceremony

References[]