Phoenix coronet and embroidered cape, a ten-mile bridal procession, the one she marries is the one she loves
Yesterday afternoon, I stood in a corner of the Zhejiang Provincial Museum, facing the Wan Gong bridal sedan chair. The red and gold shimmered, the carvings intricate, like a frozen firework or a slumbering grand celebration.
An elderly man with white hair appeared beside me without my noticing. His gaze rested on the flying eaves atop the sedan chair. He spoke slowly, drawing me into a story from the Southern Song dynasty.
That year, the Jin army invaded the south. King Zhao Gou fled east in haste, reaching Ninghai in eastern Zhejiang. A creek blocked his path, and the sound of horse hooves chased him from behind. At a critical moment, a village woman hid him under brushwood, deceiving the pursuers and saving the fallen king.
After escaping danger, Zhao Gou promised that if he ascended the throne, he would come back to marry her. Later, he established his capital in Lin’an, becoming Emperor Gaozong of Song, and sent envoys to find her. But the woman had only done a kind deed and never mentioned it to anyone. Every woman in the village wore a token, making it impossible to tell who the true benefactor was.
Unwilling to break his promise, Emperor Gaozong issued an imperial decree: all women in eastern Zhejiang were to be honored as princesses.
From then on, daughters here could wear phoenix coronets and embroidered capes, ride in eight-bearer floral sedan chairs, and travel with half a royal carriage. When encountering civil or military officials, they were to be given way. This was the only time in a common woman’s life she would be treated with the same respect as royalty.
So every household spared no expense to prepare this weighty confidence for their daughters. Red lacquered trunks piled high, gold and silver ornaments sparkling, daily necessities all included. The dowry stretched over ten miles like a vermilion river flowing through village lanes and fields. On the wedding day, the eight-bearer sedan chair led the procession, with dowry teams stretching endlessly before and after, a sea of red everywhere.
This is the origin of the saying “formal match, eight-bearer sedan chair, ten-mile bridal procession, phoenix coronet and embroidered cape.” It is not a display of luxury or extravagance but a family’s all-in support, giving their daughter a lifelong backbone; a dignified honor promised to the rightful wife; the most solemn tenderness in the everyday world.
When the story ended, I looked up, but the old man had already gone. I turned back to the Wan Gong sedan chair, seeing in its carved depths the promise of a dynasty.
“May all women wear phoenix coronets and embroidered capes with a ten-mile bridal procession, and may the one they marry be the love of their life.”
If you want to travel through time and see that never-fading red, visit the Zhejiang Provincial Museum. That profound heritage quietly waits in the display case, ready for your arrival.
Living at Qingtai Villa in Hangzhou, you can take in the gentle mountains and waters of Qiantang and enjoy the four seasons’ breeze of Jiangnan. We always recommend a slow cultural journey to guests—no need to chase crowded West Lake sights or rush through noisy city streets. Just a short drive brings you to the Zhejiang Provincial Museum Zhijiang Hall, a new cultural landmark on the banks of the Zhijiang River. It holds ten thousand years of Zhejiang’s natural and cultural heritage and is the best way to understand the elegance of this land.
As Zhejiang’s largest comprehensive modern museum, Zhijiang Hall covers 100,000 square meters and is rooted in the river-and-mountain culture of Zhijiang. The entire building’s design hides Eastern philosophy, shaped like a Liangzhu jade cong, with square bones and round rhythms. The square architectural outline paired with a transparent glass dome perfectly expresses the millennia-old Chinese aesthetic of “round sky and square earth.” On sunny days, light filters through the glass walls, blending with the building’s simple, grand lines. At dusk, the structure stands quietly by the river, harmonizing with distant mountains and flowing water, combining modern texture with ancient elegance, inspiring calm at first sight.
If the landscape is Hangzhou’s skin, then cultural heritage is Zhejiang’s soul. The most moving foundation of Zhijiang Hall is the “Zhejiang Ten Thousand Years” historical exhibition running through the entire museum. From the sparks of rice cultivation ten thousand years ago to the jade ritual civilization of Liangzhu five thousand years ago; from the resolute spirit of the Wu and Yue kingdoms to the literary prosperity of the Southern Song, and to the revolutionary beginnings of the modern era, fragments of civilization flow quietly here, telling their stories.
Entering the first-floor historical exhibition hall, you encounter countless breathtaking treasures. The crystal-clear Warring States crystal cup remains as translucent as ever after two thousand years, witnessing the exquisite craftsmanship of pre-Qin Zhejiang. The intricately patterned and solemnly shaped Liangzhu jade cong king embodies the faith and wisdom of ancient ancestors and is proof of China’s five-thousand-year civilization. The cold gleam of the Yue King Goujian sword holds the resilient spirit of the ancient Yue people who endured hardship and persevered. Low-reflective high-definition glass protects these relics from time’s erosion while allowing visitors to meet history face to face. Each artifact is no longer a cold display but a living mark of history.
Climbing the stairs, the museum’s elegant atmosphere deepens. The third-floor folk exhibition hall captures the lively spirit of Jiangnan. The Wan Gong sedan chair, known as the “world’s finest sedan chair,” amazes visitors with hundreds of finely carved wooden sculptures stacked layer upon layer. Every needle and wood piece shows craftsmanship, recreating the grand elegance of traditional Jiangnan weddings. The ancient ambiance is fully immersive, making it a favorite hidden gem for many travelers.
The fourth floor is a poetic retreat for scholars, a gentle conclusion to the visit. The national treasure Tang dynasty Cai Fengmingqi qin quietly stands, its thousand-year-old body holding the music of the flourishing Tang era. Scan the code to listen to the restored “Plum Blossom Melody,” its clear, lingering notes piercing through time. Most moving is the permanent exhibition of “Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains: Remaining Mountain Scroll.” Beside the original work is a 40-meter giant dynamic digital scroll. As the brushstrokes flow, Huang Gongwang’s Fuchun landscape comes alive—distant mountains shaded in blue-green, flowing streams murmuring. Every step reveals a Jiangnan ink painting scene, immersing visitors in the poetic charm of Zhejiang’s mountains and waters.
Unlike traditional museums’ dull rigidity, Zhijiang Hall combines depth and warmth. Its diverse smart services make the visit especially comfortable. The museum offers audio guides in Chinese, English, Japanese, Korean, and other languages, plus bone conduction devices to meet different visitors’ needs. Complete facilities and transparent viewing corridors allow quiet appreciation of cultural heritage and moments to pause and admire the Zhijiang landscape, blending history’s weight with nature’s gentleness perfectly.
Departing from Qingtai Villa, away from city noise, embark on a civilization encounter spanning ten thousand years. Here, touch the thousand-year warmth of Liangzhu jade cong, listen to the distant echoes of the Tang dynasty qin, immerse yourself in the brush and ink elegance of Fuchun Mountains, and understand Zhejiang’s endless vitality from ancient times to today.
The landscape holds poetry, the artifacts carry millennia. A journey through Zhijiang Hall is the best way to understand Hangzhou and Jiangnan. Qingtai Villa is the gentlest resting place for this cultural journey. Watch the mountains at dawn, rest at the villa at dusk, and visit cultural heritage in leisure—this is the most pleasant slow life in Hangzhou.