In the post-Wei period, umbrellas were used in official ceremonies, and people called them "Luo umbrellas". The size and color of umbrellas vary with the rank. When the emperor traveled, he used pholiota adiposa to show "protecting the people". In fact, his main purpose was to shade the sun, wind and rain. After the birth of Umbrella in China, with the increasing opening and communication, it gradually spread abroad. During the Tang Dynasty, the Japanese sent 19 batches of "envoys to the Tang Dynasty" to China, with a total of more than 500 people, including doctors, painters, musicians and scholars from all walks of life. They went to China to observe and study China culture, which not only brought China's calendar, astronomy, music, art and other cultures to Japan, but also brought a variety of production technologies and manufacturing processes including umbrella-making technology to Japan. 1747, a British businessman named Zunas traveled to China and found China people walking in the rain with oil-paper umbrellas. After the rain stopped, they put away their umbrellas and carried them with them, which was very convenient. When they got home, they bought one. Shortly after he came back, it happened to be a rainy day. He opened his umbrella and walked in the streets of London. According to the religious tradition of Britain at that time, it was an act of God to rain in the sky, and it was against God to use an umbrella to shelter from the rain, which was a great illegal act. Hanuwei was ridiculed and cursed for this, and some even threw eggs at him. But the benefits of umbrellas can be seen by everyone, and finally they gradually became popular among the opposition. By the middle of the19th century, umbrellas have become a necessity for the British people, and using umbrellas has also become an honor for the British people.
Legend of the origin of umbrella
It is the widely circulated and documented "Master Lu Ban". It is said that Lu Ban works for ordinary people in the countryside, and his daughter-in-law Yun Shi delivers meals back and forth every day. In the rainy season, she is often caught in the rain. Luban designed and built some pavilions along the way. When it rains, he can hide in the pavilion for a while. Although the pavilion is good, it is always inconvenient to set up more pavilions. Moreover, children's faces change three times a day in spring, and thunderstorms come quickly in summer, even as fast as lightning. Cloud suddenly thought, "if only there were a small pavilion around." After listening to his daughter-in-law, Lu Ban suddenly realized. The powerful and all-powerful inventor of China cut out a piece of cloth, put on a movable skeleton and put on a handle according to the pavilion. Yu is the first "umbrella" in the world, so he came out. According to Jade Chip, the umbrella was invented by Lu Ban's daughter-in-law to take care of her husband who works outside all day. It seems that if you want to apply for a patent, it is more reasonable for the Luban couple to enjoy it. The invention of this umbrella is the product of their love and common concern. In a fashionable phrase, it is the crystallization of love.
The meaning of umbrella
The traditional umbrella character contains five people getting together.
(1) The orthographic word for "umbrella" is "umbrella", which contains five "people" gathered together, representing many children and many blessings. This is the great wisdom of the ancients in creating characters, which are symbols (the earliest Chinese characters were written by Fuxi as "Eight Diagrams"). Oil-paper umbrella has a meaning since ancient times, that is, the nobles are sheltered, the children are born early, the people are prosperous, and the five sons are admitted to the exam.
(2) Oil-paper umbrellas can eliminate disasters and ward off evil spirits, which is safe and auspicious. In China, it is said that red and tung oil can eliminate disasters, ward off evil spirits, drive away ghosts and house towns. A paper umbrella with tung oil at home is of course safe and auspicious. When the new house is completed, Hakka Han people in Chaoshan area and Singapore often hang oil-paper umbrellas on the corners and beams to drive away bad luck.
I hope to be the first place with smooth sailing. In ancient China, it was a custom to go to Beijing to study for exams or to be an official. Besides books, you must carry an oil-paper umbrella. Have a safe trip, top student in high school. When Chairman Mao went to Anyuan to launch an armed uprising, he left alone with nothing but an oil-paper umbrella. Nowadays, in many places, friends, relatives, parents and classmates will buy students an oil-paper umbrella, wishing the college entrance examination a success. Carrying an oil-paper umbrella with you can ensure a safe journey.
(4). Noble and elegant. Oil-paper umbrella itself has rich cultural connotation and strong cultural atmosphere. Its elegant and natural beauty brings the femininity of China women into full play. The oil-paper umbrella decoration is classical, romantic, noble and elegant under the illumination of light.
(5). Indicates a prominent position. In many parts of our country, there is a custom of offering oil-paper umbrellas to ancestors. This custom originated from the ancient emperor of China, who held a yellow umbrella to show his supremacy. Sacrificing ancestors or undead with oil-paper umbrellas shows that they have a prominent position in the underworld and can be reincarnated as soon as possible without suffering.
(6). The umbrella rib is bamboo, which stands for peace and implies stability and rising. Since ancient times, there have been many good sayings about bamboo, which are hollow, honest, selfless and naive; The ancients in China said: "Eating without meat is better than living without bamboo", "Bamboo reports peace" and so on. "Even a thousand bones, after all, a little heart" is the motto of Ruoshuitang oil-paper umbrella and people's praise for it. In the traditional culture of China, relatives and friends exchange oiled paper umbrellas to show that they are willing to unite with each other and share weal and woe.
The umbrella is round, which means happiness and reunion. In the past, Hakka customary marriage included bride price and dowry, among which oil-paper umbrella was also an indispensable item in dowry. "Paper" and "Zi" are homophonic, meaning "early birth of your son", and the word "umbrella" contains five words, meaning "many children and grandchildren". The round umbrella surface symbolizes its "perfection" and the success of marriage; In addition, sending an umbrella to accompany you also means shading from the rain and ward off evil spirits.
(8). Represents a hundred years of love. Since ancient times, how many classic love stories have been interpreted under the oil-paper umbrella: in the legend of the white snake, Xu Xian and the white snake broke the bridge in the West Lake with the red umbrella as the medium, forming a story of eternal love; "Talent+Beauty" is the symbol of China's happy love since ancient times, and the oil-paper umbrella has long been a token of affection.