The Hairpin

Chen HengqingNanhai Publication Company · ChinaJun 2024

3.2

Word count: 395 words
Chapters: 2

Summary

In common usage, a man who behaves like a woman is called “a man wearing a chignon,” because he goes back on his word afterward and is shameless, like a woman. According to the Yupian: “{髟贵} means hair with a glossy appearance, coiled with a hairpin.” The Book of Rites, “Nei Ze”: “A girl at fifteen puts up her hair with a pin.” It also says: “With hairpin and coiled hair, she brushes her bangs. When a girl grows up, she coils her hair into {髟贵}.” The custom in Wei is the same. In ancient times, when men coiled their hair, they used a comb, like the small comb of today. Zuo Taichong called his sister Zuo Fen “the uncombed jinshi”—that is the reference. I privately think that in ancient times neither men nor women shaved the hair on their heads; some used a comb, some a pin, and that was the distinction. Only when the Qing entered the pass did the order to shave hair come down. Under the Republic, there was again an order to cut hair. Neither order extended to women. For several hundred years men could not keep their hair, while women’s hair remained as before; and bound feet were released to natural feet—this too may be called fortunate. After the Republic, I cut my hair like a monk’s. One summer day I went to the Guandi Temple at the East City Gate to cool off, and the monk Shaolan said happily, “Today the master follows in my footsteps and has shaved his head too.” I said, “It is the monk who follows in my footsteps. How so? I have womenfolk at home, and the monk also secretly keeps womenfolk—is that not learning from me?” The monk blushed.

Editor's review

“The Hairpin” is a short note on hairstyles and gender norms. Chen Hengqing begins with the saying “a man wearing a chignon,” cites the Yupian and the Book of Rites, “Nei Ze,” to examine the ancient distinction between men’s and women’s coiled hair, combs, and pins, then moves to the customs of Wei and the historical shifts of the Qing shaving order and the Republican haircutting order. Its most telling point is that neither order extended to women: for centuries men could not keep their hair, while women’s hair remained as before, and bound feet were released to natural feet—the author closes with “this too may be called fortunate,” a restrained and thought-provoking phrase. The ending records a witty exchange with the monk Shaolan, turning the monk’s remark around with “the monk follows in my footsteps,” a light touch. Though brief, the piece links ritual, custom, political change, and gender difference, making it a light introduction to modern customs and the note genre.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in modern customs, hairstyles, and gender norms
Readers who enjoy short note-form pieces and restrained irony
Students of late Qing to Republican social change
Cultural writers needing material on customs

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting a systematic history of customs with full argumentation
Beginners who find classical Chinese difficult
Researchers seeking extensive historical detail

Reading tips

Read once for the general sense, then consult the Book of Rites, “Nei Ze,” for the capping and hairpin rites.
Note the author’s comment that both the shaving and haircutting orders “did not extend to women,” and savor the restrained tone.
After reading, look up material on the modern movement to release bound feet and compare it with “bound feet were released to natural feet.”

About the publisher

Nanhai Publication Company China · Founded in 1988

Nanhai Publication Company is a comprehensive publisher known for its literature and arts titles, covering fields such as classical poetry, martial arts fiction, and folk literature. Judging from the more than 1,600 books in the database, the company has released classical poetic works including the Nineteen Old Poems and the Nine Songs, as well as multiple volumes of Huanzhulouzhu's series The Swordsmen of Mount Shu, along with related writings by authors such as Guan Hanqing, Qu Yuan, Zuo Si, and Wang Zhihuan. Its publishing character lies in balancing the organization of classic texts with the dissemination of popular literature, placing poetry anthologies alongside long martial arts novels and presenting a relatively diverse literary profile. Public information is limited, and further details about its editorial practices and series planning remain to be supplemented.

版权信息
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FAQ

What does the title “The Hairpin” refer to in the text?

A ji is an ancient hairpin used to bind the hair. The text cites the Book of Rites, “Nei Ze,” on girls putting up their hair at fifteen, showing the pin’s connection to a woman’s coming-of-age rite, and also discusses the ancient distinction between combs and pins for men’s and women’s coiled hair. From the pin the author opens a discussion of hairstyle norms and their history.

What does the author mean by “the monk follows in my footsteps”?

After the author cut his hair, he met the monk Shaolan, who joked that the author was following in his footsteps. The author retorted that he had womenfolk at home and the monk also secretly kept womenfolk, so it was the monk who was imitating him. This is a witty retort that closes the piece with humor.

What is the significance of the author’s comments on the shaving and haircutting orders?

The author notes that neither the Qing shaving order nor the Republican haircutting order extended to women; for centuries men could not keep their hair, while women’s hair remained as before, and bound feet were released to natural feet—hence “this too may be called fortunate.” The tone is restrained, recording changes in custom while hinting at a sense of gender difference.

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About the author

Chen Hengqing Author · Chinese · 1844–1920

Chen Hengqing (1844–1920), courtesy name Zijiu, was a native of Weixian in Shandong (present-day Weicheng District, Weifang). A late Qing official and scholar, he passed the provincial examination in 1873 and the metropolitan examination in 1886. He served successively as a secretary in the Ministry of Works, rising through the Waterways, Construction, and Colonization Departments, and later held posts as Supervising Censor of the Ministry of War, Investigating Censor of the Henan Circuit, and Chief Supervising Censor. In 1908 he was appointed prefect of Jinzhou. He retired at sixty and wrote works including Jianshu Xian Notes (also known as Jili Qingtan) and Unofficial Gleanings of the Late Qing. His extant writings are considerable, with 154 titles held in our collection, many drawing on folk literature and Eastern philosophy. They touch on modern upheavals such as the militia conflicts, the Boxer movement, and the Nian rebels, as well as rural tales and social types like foxes and swindlers, and social issues such as Manchu-Han differences, bearing the documentary flavor of note-style historiography. Public information is limited, and his literary standing and influence await further study.