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Long-ruling Man influenced nation
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The Man ethnic minority (also called Manchu), with roots in the northeast, is one of the groups in China known for its military horsemanship. Arising from the Jurchen tribes and having establishing the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) and the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the Man people greatly influenced Chinese history.
Today, the Man ethnic group has a population of 10,410,585, based on the fifth national census of 2010. They live mainly in Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning provinces in north China although the Man minority can be found in most of China’s largest cities as well. It is the largest minority group in China without an autonomous region.
The Man ethnic group was known as a herding and hunting people. Horsemanship and archery were used to establish the nation by Nurhachi, the king of Jurchen in the 16th century, since they are important for the nomadic lifestyle as well as for war. Every spring and fall, everyone from ordinary Manchus to aristocrats had to take riding and archery tests. The results could affect their rank in the nobility.
The tradition also contributes to the Manchus’ well-known Ba Qi or Eight Banners system.
The system was set up as the military and social structure of the Man people since the reign of Nurhachi and remained intact through the Qing Dynasty.
It started with the tradition of the Jurchen people grouping larger family units for hunting, with a designated leader. Defeating other tribe leaders, Nurhachi gradually assembled many warriors who he organized into four fighting units marked by yellow, white, red and blue banners. With four more divisions created later, the system was complete.
As the Manchu people migrated from northern to central China during the Qing Dynasty, they learned and adopted much of the culture of the dominant Han group. Today, only elders in remote regions in the north still can use their ancestral language. They accept pluralistic beliefs, influenced by Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism popular in central China, though the ancient Man people believed in shamanism.
Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty is said to be one of the great emperors contributing to such cultural fusion. He went so far as to learn Western culture from European missionaries.
Traces of Man culture are still easy to see. The modern cheongsam, a body-hugging dress for women, came from the traditional Manchu robe called qipao, but slimmer in style.
The qipao features a round collar and an open front. Men usually tailored their qipao to allow easier movement in the field or on horseback, while the women’s dress often is very long with baggy sleeves.
Huapen di (flowerpot bottom) shoes, with delicate embroidery on the upper side and a platform heel in the middle of the sole, add elegance to the ladies. It is usually used on formal occasions.
Fan-shaped head gear with a frame of iron wire or bamboo and covered with velvet or satin also is an elegant traditional decoration for Manchu ladies. The head gear is about 30 centimeters long and 10 centimeters wide, decorated with artificial flowers, embroidery and tassels. It is more often used by ladies in higher social classes, while ordinary women might wear it only for a wedding or a big festival.
The head gear and high-heel shoes largely restrict movements of the neck and force the body upright while walking, which makes ladies move more elegantly.
The queue was the traditional hairstyle of Manchu males and also was forced on the Han when they defeated the Ming Dynasty in 1644. The front half and sides of the head were shaved, while the rest of the hair was gathered up and plaited into a long braid.
The traditional dances of the Man include movements from hunting and fighting. Longxing dance is one of the typical traditional dances. Some dancers dress in furs like animals while others dance like riding horses and shooting, accompanied by traditional Manchu songs and drum beats.
The bajiao gu (small octagonal drum) has been used by the Man people since ancient times. Lore has it that the drum’s frame should be made with eight pieces of wood given as tribute by the leaders of the Eight Banners. Small cymbals are inserted in the edges, and a braid decoration is a symbol of a good harvest. The instrument also lends its name to a Manchu opera named bajiao gu opera, featuring performances combined with storytelling, singing and dancing.
In addition to literary and artistic accomplishments, the Man developed agriculture, fisheries and animal husbandry.
Instant-boiled mutton with a copper furnace hot pot popular in China is also an invention of Man people. It is said that the pot was modeled on the hat of the Man. Other cuisines also include acid soup, blood sausage and bobo, a type of steamed cake. In Manchu culture, eating dog meat or dog products is shunned.
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