Wandering among the red walls and yellow tiles of the Forbidden City, gazing at the display of Qing Dynasty official robes, the mandarin jacket adorned with exquisite square rank badges can instantly transport you to a feudal dynasty with strict hierarchies yet brilliant craftsmanship. As a core component of the official attire for civil and military officials in the Qing Dynasty, this jacket (known as Bugua in Chinese) uses rank badges as identifiers, carrying the official hierarchy system and traditional embroidery techniques. It is the most concrete carrier of Beijing’s official costume culture and an excellent entry point for foreign travelers to explore the ritual culture of the ancient capital.
The Mandarin Jacket with Rank Badge is not an ordinary mandarin jacket, but a core part of the “rank robe” in the Qing Dynasty, belonging to formal attire. Its core feature lies in the square rank badges on the chest and back, which are the key identifiers to distinguish official ranks. In terms of design, it is a front-opening short jacket that reaches the waist, with sleeves extending to the elbows. It is mainly made of dark blue satin, with plain edges and gilded copper or silver buttons, presenting a solemn and neat overall style. The rank badges are mostly square: civil officials’ badges are embroidered with birds, symbolizing literary talent; military officials’ badges are embroidered with beasts, representing bravery. Each rank corresponds to a specific pattern, which cannot be violated.
The hierarchy system of the rank badges is extremely strict, embodying the etiquette system of the Qing Dynasty. Civil officials of the first rank wear cranes, second rank golden pheasants, third rank peacocks, fourth rank wild geese, fifth rank silver pheasants, sixth rank herons, seventh rank mandarin ducks, eighth rank quails, and ninth rank larks. For military officials, first rank unicorns, second rank lions, third rank leopards, fourth rank tigers, fifth rank bears, sixth rank panthers, seventh and eighth rank rhinoceroses, and ninth rank sea horses. The first-rank civil official jacket collected by the Palace Museum has a crane embroidered with gold thread on the badge, decorated with cloud patterns, and the fabric is high-quality dark patterned satin, showing the noble status of a first-rank official. In addition, the jackets of royal clans are embroidered with dragon patterns on the badges, which are distinctly different from those of other officials, highlighting the supremacy of imperial power.
Tracing its history, the design of this jacket originated from the rank robes of the Ming Dynasty and was improved by the Qing Dynasty to form a unique style. The rank badges of the Ming Dynasty were larger, covering the shoulders and back, while those of the Qing Dynasty were reduced to squares, precisely attached to the chest and back of the jacket, making it more convenient for activities and etiquette walking. During the Shunzhi period, the imperial court officially established the hierarchy system for this jacket, incorporating it into the official robe system of all officials. On formal occasions such as court meetings, sacrifices, and celebrations, officials must wear this jacket with court robes and official hats with peacock feathers to form a complete official costume set. This system continued until the end of the Qing Dynasty, and the jacket became a symbolic symbol of Qing Dynasty official costume culture.
To experience this jacket today, one must rely on time-honored brands that inherit official costume craftsmanship to restore its specifications and techniques. Rui Fuxiang, a century-old silk shop, has fully inherited the production techniques of Qing Dynasty official costumes. Its replica jackets strictly follow ancient systems: the rank badges are hand-embroidered using traditional Su embroidery and Beijing embroidery techniques, interwoven with gold and silver threads, making the patterns vivid and lifelike. The fabric is custom-made dark blue satin, with a texture highly consistent with ancient robes. Its Qianmen Store (No. 5 Dashilan Street, Xicheng District, Tel: 010-63035313) provides customization and rental services. Customization requires selecting rank patterns according to needs, with a construction period of 20-35 days. The daily rental price ranges from 300 to 800 RMB (including simple official hat accessories), suitable for travelers pursuing high reduction.
Longqingxiang (No. 93 Qianmen Street, Dongcheng District, Tel: 010-63135472) focuses on high-end customization, which can slightly adjust the version according to travelers’ needs, integrate low-key modern elements into the badge patterns, and provide supporting court robes, belts and other accessories to create a complete official costume set. In addition, Rong Bao Zhai, located in Liulichang, is famous for stationery, but its cooperative embroidery workshops can accurately replicate rank badge patterns, suitable for travelers with special requirements for badge craftsmanship. It should be noted that replica jackets are only for cultural experience, and royal dragon-patterned badges should not be used without authorization to avoid violating cultural etiquette.
Wearing this jacket requires strict etiquette to show respect for traditional culture. First, choose the corresponding rank jacket according to the experience scenario. For daily check-ins, it is recommended to choose patterns of fifth rank or below, and avoid using badges of first and second rank senior officials to avoid being disrespectful. For matching, it is necessary to wear a dark court robe inside, fasten an official belt, men can wear black cloth shoes, women can match plain jackets and skirts, and can also wear simple official hats (without peacock feathers) to restore the overall style of the official costume.
For occasions, royal gardens and government sites such as the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Prince Gong’s Mansion, and Summer Palace are the most suitable, which can echo the historical attribute of the jacket and take photos with a strong sense of atmosphere. It can also be worn in traditional cultural performances and intangible cultural heritage experience activities to enhance participation. To deepen your understanding of the jacket culture, you can visit the Treasure Gallery of the Palace Museum to view real objects of jackets of different ranks in the Qing Dynasty, and observe the embroidery craftsmanship and fabric texture of the rank badges up close.
The Wenchang Courtyard in the Summer Palace also houses late Qing Dynasty official jackets, allowing you to intuitively feel the style changes of the jacket in different periods. Some time-honored brands also offer rank badge embroidery experience courses, where travelers can draw badge patterns by hand and experience the exquisite techniques of Beijing embroidery and Su embroidery. When taking photos in the jacket, in addition to royal scenic spots, ancient cultural blocks such as Liulichang and Qianmen Street are also very suitable, which complement the classical temperament of the jacket and freeze-frame unique cultural memories.
A Mandarin Jacket with Rank Badge is not only a piece of clothing, but also a crystallization of the etiquette culture and craftsmanship aesthetics of the Qing Dynasty. With rank badges as the language, it tells the hierarchical order of the ancient officialdom and carries the inheritance of ingenuity in traditional embroidery. When you walk in ancient Beijing wearing this jacket, you can not only feel the solemnity and elegance of Qing Dynasty official costumes, but also immerse yourself in the profound heritage of traditional culture, making your trip to Beijing more historically rich and culturally textured.
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