A Roundup of Ancient Chinese Hats You’ve Never Heard Of

Unveil the charm of ancient Chinese hats and their classical headgear styles! From ceremonial crowns to quirky turbans, these unique crowns reflect rank, ritual, and cultural splendor. Dive into this roundup of lesser-known traditional hats, inspired by historical records like the Book of Han.

In ancient China, “crowns” (guan) were more than just headgear—they showed off rank, status, and ritual importance. Over time, these headpieces evolved into various forms like ceremonial crowns, turbans, wrapped cloths, hats, helmets, and conical caps. They also split into categories based on who wore them: emperors and officials, scholars, warriors, empresses and ladies, commoners, or monks. Let’s dive into the wild world of these lesser-known ancient hats!

The origins of crowns, based on historical records, likely came from mimicking the head shapes of birds and beasts, tweaked for style and ceremony. Ancient folks crafted crowns inspired by animal heads, turning whiskers into tassels (ying) and cords (liu). A pin secured the crown to the hair, tassels added flair, and cords kept it steady while looking good. Before Emperor Huangdi, crowns were made of leather or feathers; later, they switched to cloth or silk, decked out with fancy tassels and cords (Qunshu Kaosuo notes: “Pre-Huangdi, feathers and hides; post-Huangdi, cloth and silk, adorned with tassels and cords”).

After the Qin and Han unified China, strict rules shaped crown designs to reflect rank and role, especially after Han Gaozu’s 8th year decree to “standardize crown and clothing” (Han Book). This tidied up the chaotic styles of earlier eras. Later dynasties mostly stuck to Han rules, tweaking them slightly. By Tang and Song, formal rituals still used Han-style crowns, but daily court affairs swapped them for turbans, wrapped cloths, or hats. The Yuan Dynasty, per Yuan History, mixed Han, Tang, Song, Liao, and Jin styles, leaning heavily on Song designs. In Ming, big ceremonies kept old traditions, but everyday court gear shifted to folded turbans and black gauze hats.

Here’s a rundown of those quirky, hard-to-name hats:

1. Xiaoguan (Small Crown)

A compact crown, often leather, shaped like a hand gripping the hair bun. Pinned to the bun and tied with a cord at the neck, warriors often added a tassel on top, called a “dangling crown.” Originally for casual home wear, it later became a go-to for court visits, worn by scholars and officials.

2. Xiezhi Guan (Law Crown)

Worn by law enforcers, named after the mythical Xiezhi (a godly sheep said to judge right from wrong). This crown was a staple in Qin, Han, and earlier eras for those upholding justice.

3. Jinxian Guan (Scholar Crown)

Court scholars wore this, also called a “beam crown” for its horizontal beams marking rank. More beams meant higher status. Sometimes paired with a turban, without beams it was for Confucian scholars.

4. He Guan (Warrior Crown)

Martial officials and generals sported this, topped with he bird feathers (a fierce, owl-like bird that fights to the death). Worn in Qin, Han, and earlier, it screamed bravery (Han Palace Rituals notes: “Tiger Guard Crown with two he tails”; Book of Birds: “He crown mimics its courage”).

5. Gaoshan Guan (High Mountain Crown)

Worn by yiezhe (officials who relayed imperial orders or greeted guests) and mid-level officials like puye (Sui-Tang department heads). Shaped square with a “mountain” (raised center), it stood tall and straight (Han Records: “Top upright, not slanted, with a mountain and front panel”).

6. Weimao Guan (Grace Crown)

A ceremonial crown for vassal lords, symbolizing courtesy and composure (wei for stability, mao for proper demeanor). Round, tilted, higher at the back, it looked like an upside-down cup (Book of Han: “7 inches long, 4 inches high, wide front, sharp back”).

7. Yuanyou Guan (Far Travel Crown)

Worn by high-ranking nobles and court ministers, featuring a front panel (zhantong) and often three beams. Decorated with black turbans or green cords, it was square, tilted back, with a rim (Jin Book: “No mountain, but a front panel”).

8. Liang Guan (Beam Crown)

Ming court’s version of the Jinxian crown, worn by scholars. Beams marked rank: one beam for ranks 8-9, up to seven for rank 1. Square, low front, high back, with a rim, as shown in Sancai Tuhui.

9. Futou (Folded Turban)

Also called “folded cloth” or “soft wrap,” this was a soft gauze turban, often black, earning the nickname “black gauze hat” (wusha mao). A Sui-Tang staple for men, it had ties at the back called “feet.” Early versions had short, soft ties; later, long ties were knotted for style, called “long-foot gauze turban.”

10. Fengguan (Phoenix Crown)

Worn by Ming empresses, adorned with phoenix motifs, gold, pearls, gems, and kingfisher feathers. Some featured nine dragons, four phoenixes, and twelve floral clusters—pure royal bling.

11. Mianliu (Jeweled Tassel Crown)

The fanciest ritual crown, traced to Emperor Huangdi, perfected by Zhou. Worn by emperors, lords, and nobles for major sacrifices. It had twelve colorful silk cords (liu), each strung with twelve jade beads in red, white, green, yellow, and black. Bead count varied by rank and ritual: emperors used twelve cords for grand ceremonies, down to three for minor ones (Book of Later Han). Only emperors rocked twelve cords; dukes got nine, barons seven, and so on. Over time, Mianliu became a synonym for “emperor.”

12. Diaochan Guan (Cicada Crown)

Worn by top nobles and rank-1 officials, this square crown had vine-woven “wings” coated in gold or silver, topped with a cicada (symbolizing purity) and a marten tail for prestige. Some versions added beams and gold ornaments (Wanwei Yubian: “Gold for strength, cicada for purity, marten for gentle ferocity”).

13. Pibian (Leather Cap)

A key “head garment” in Chinese culture, made of leather with gaps sewn with jade or gems. Worn for military hunts or archery rituals, like the emperor’s grand archery at Biyong. White deer leather versions, paired with plain white robes, were iconic for “leather cap and plain robe” (Pibian Suzhi) military ceremonies (Poetry: “Jeweled earplugs glow, leather cap sparkles like stars”).

14. Lianhua Guan (Lotus Crown)

Also called “Upper Purity Crown” or “Hibiscus Crown,” this Taoist high priest’s cap, shaped like a blooming lotus, was worn during rituals. Popular in Tang, continued in Song, made of gold, jade, and gems—the top-tier Taoist headgear.

15. Sifang Pingding Jin (Square Stability Turban)

Also called “square turban,” a Ming-era soft, square hat for officials and scholars. Made of black gauze, its four flat corners gave it the name “four-corner turban.”

16. Zhongjing Guan (Loyalty Crown)

A Ming Jiajing-era official hat with an iron frame, black gauze or velvet exterior, and a slightly raised, square top. Decorated with gold thread for high ranks, lighter silk for ranks 4 and below, with rank-specific front ornaments.

Tips to Appreciate Ancient Chinese Hats

To embrace ancient Chinese hats, study their history via China Daily. Pair unique crowns with Hanfu for a vibrant classical headgear look!

✨ Dive into traditional hats for timeless classical headgear charm!