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Graduation tradition features Chinese-style cap and gown
By Xu Wenwen |
July 2, 2013, Tuesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
A Chinese version of traditional cap and gown - originating in Europe and worn worldwide for centuries - was donned at the recent graduation ceremony of the China Academy of Art.
Caps, tassels, gowns and hoods were designed by students and teachers of the Fashion and Textile Design Department of the academy.
The black cap has a triangular instead of a square shape, the high-collared gown is black but features linen hoods in different colors, and tassels hang on the front of the gown, not on the cap.
Chinese elements include a high Mandarin collar, Chinese knotted fasteners and wide sleeves.
"We used to rent Western-style academic garments without knowing their meaning," said Xu Jiang, principal of the China Academy of Art at the graduation ceremony last week.
"Chinese universities should have their own academic dress that conveys their own values."
Five kinds of gowns were designed; the main differences are the colors of the hood and tassel as well as the number of buttons.
For bachelor's degree graduates, the color of the hood and tassel is green, symbolizing growing trees; for postgraduates, it's blue symbolizing running water; for doctoral-degree graduates is red, signifying a burning flame, and for teachers it's brown symbolizing the nurturing earth.
The principal's hood is gold in color, gold symbolizing ceaseless effort in Chinese philosophy.
The number of button knots on the front of the gown represents the number of years of study. Those with bachelor's degrees get four knots, postgraduates get seven and doctoral degree graduates get 10. The teachers' gowns have 12 and the principal's gown has 16.
All tassels are attached to a small metal or wooden block carved with the academy's logo.
"We design the gowns to be Chinese so it conveys the country's spirit, and it should be international so it can be widely accepted," explains Wu Haiyan, the dean of School of Design of China Academy of Art.
Caps, tassels, gowns and hoods were designed by students and teachers of the Fashion and Textile Design Department of the academy.
The black cap has a triangular instead of a square shape, the high-collared gown is black but features linen hoods in different colors, and tassels hang on the front of the gown, not on the cap.
Chinese elements include a high Mandarin collar, Chinese knotted fasteners and wide sleeves.
"We used to rent Western-style academic garments without knowing their meaning," said Xu Jiang, principal of the China Academy of Art at the graduation ceremony last week.
"Chinese universities should have their own academic dress that conveys their own values."
Five kinds of gowns were designed; the main differences are the colors of the hood and tassel as well as the number of buttons.
For bachelor's degree graduates, the color of the hood and tassel is green, symbolizing growing trees; for postgraduates, it's blue symbolizing running water; for doctoral-degree graduates is red, signifying a burning flame, and for teachers it's brown symbolizing the nurturing earth.
The principal's hood is gold in color, gold symbolizing ceaseless effort in Chinese philosophy.
The number of button knots on the front of the gown represents the number of years of study. Those with bachelor's degrees get four knots, postgraduates get seven and doctoral degree graduates get 10. The teachers' gowns have 12 and the principal's gown has 16.
All tassels are attached to a small metal or wooden block carved with the academy's logo.
"We design the gowns to be Chinese so it conveys the country's spirit, and it should be international so it can be widely accepted," explains Wu Haiyan, the dean of School of Design of China Academy of Art.
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