Bianfu (
Chinese: 弁服;
pinyin: biànfú) is a historical set of attire in Hanfu consisting of a knee-length
Chinese upper garment known as jiangshapao (
Chinese: 绛纱袍) over a qun, a Chinese skirt, known as hongchang (
Chinese: 红裳;
lit. 'red
skirt') or pair of ku-
trousersalong with other accessories.[1][2] Coupled with the Chinese headwear known as pibian, the complete set of attire is also referred as pibianfu (
Chinese: 皮弁服).[2] This set of attire was considered to be a
ceremonial dress.[1] In the
Zhou dynasty, the bianfu was only ranked-second after the mianfu and it was worn by the emperors when he would work on official business or when he would meet with the court officials.[3]
Construction and design
The upper garment known as jiangshapao (
simplified Chinese: 绛纱袍;
traditional Chinese: 絳紗袍) which was red in colour[2] and extended all the way to the knees.[1] This was typically worn over a red skirt known as hongchang (
Chinese: 红裳;
lit. 'red
skirt') that reached the length of the ankles.[1] The wearing of a qun under an
upper garment was only worn during formal occasions.[1] Over the hongchang, the wearer wore a red coloured bixi.[2] Under the red outer garments, an inner garment known as zhongdan (
Chinese: 中单) was worn.[2] A yugui (
Chinese: 玉圭;
lit. '
jade tablet') would be held in its wearer's hands; it was further accessorized with yupei (
Chinese: 玉佩), daxiaoshou (
Chinese: 大小绶; a ribbon-like accessory), and the belt called dadai (
simplified Chinese: 大带;
traditional Chinese: 大帶).[2] The bian (
Chinese: 弁), also known as pibian (
Chinese: 皮弁), was a cylinder-shaped guan (headwear) that completed the outfit.[1]