The Importance of Color in Chinese Robes

In China color was used to decorate garments and to indicate the status of the individual wearing the garment. For example, the emperor often wore yellow which symbolized his role as the center of the Chinese universe. A first or second degree prince in the Qing Dynasty wore a blue or brown robe. The assignment of colors to certain ranks changed often and at the whim of the emperor. There were five colors that were associated with the four elements of the earth and with activities that occurred while one was wearing the garment. The Chinese associated each direction with a color and season to help in the explanation of natural occurrences. For example red was worn by a bride on her wedding day and was also associated with fire. Most people wore common garments of dark blue, gray, and brown. Read about each of the colors to understand the symbols and meanings associated with them, below.

Yellow

Yellow was the color of the emperor. He wore this color to symbolize his role as the center of the Chinese universe. The earth was seen as the center and yellow symbolized the color of the earth. Yellow was also the color used by mourners while burying their dead.

  Red

Red was the color used for all festive occasions but most particularly for the bride on her wedding day. It is said that the God of Marriage decides upon the wedding of a couple and ties their ankles together with an invisible red silk thread. As a custom during the wedding ceremony, the bride and groom drink from two cups that are tied together with a red cord. Red also symbolized the element of fire and evoked the summer of life.

  Black

Black was a color that along with other dark hued colors was reserved for winter. Black symbolized the north and the element of water.

  White

White symbolized the autumn of life and is worn in times of mourning. The color was influenced by the west and the element it was associated with is metal.

Blue

The color blue was dominated by the element of wood and is from the east. Blue was associated with spring and also includes green hues.