Ancient Chinese etiquette: Another delight for court drama fans

According to literary quotation, the bride will cover her face with a feather fan during the wedding ceremony. [File photo]

"The first three practices are meant to show that the emperor and the empress are ready to love each other dearly, to share with each other on an equal stance and are inseparably bounded as one. Eating rice is the emperor's pray for a continuous golden harvest in the years to come."

As the disciple of Zhang Xiaolong, the etiquette consultant of another costume phenomenon (The Legend of Zhenhuan), Li is no less professional in being precise with the ABCs of ancient Chinese etiquette as his master has taught him at The Central Academy of Drama in Beijing.

"We didn't use the red silk cloth to veil the bride's face as what we believed to be a necessity in traditional Chinese wedding because it was not written in record until the Wei Dynasty (AD 220-280)," Li said.

"But we did try to make the etiquette more visually appealing - the books didn't write how women walk while making a bow with hands folded in front, so I borrowed the idea from the move in one of Zhang's choreographed dance. The supplement enriched the ceremony with more details."

The Legend of Miyue is based on a popular online novel which tells the story of Mi Yue and her life entwined with politics, war, and romance. Mi Yue, a real historical figure who lived during the Warring States Period (475-221 BC) was reportedly the first empress dowager in China.

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