| C: | 翎子 |
| P: | Língzi |
| Pic: | Yang wenguang in Beijing opera.JPG |
, also called , refers to a traditional Chinese ornament which uses long pheasant tail feather appendages to decorate some headdress in, Chinese opera costumes.[1] [2] [3] In Chinese opera, the not only decorative purpose but are also used express thoughts, feelings, and the drama plot. They are typically used on the helmets of warriors,[4] where a pair of pheasant feathers extensions are the indicators that the character is a warrior figure; the length of the feathers, on the other hand, is an indicator of the warrior's rank. The are generally about five or six feet long. Most of the time, are used to represent handsome military commanders.
It is suggested that the use of originated from the, a form of used by the military officials since the ancient times. Similar headgear decorated with pairs of worn the military can be seen in paintings dating to the Ming dynasty.
See main article: Guan (headwear). During the Warring States period, King Wuling of Zhao adopted the policy and a -style which looks similar to the conical hat of the Scythian was adopted.[5] King Wuling's -style was less pointy than the actual Scythian hat and he decorated his hat with a marten tail to denote his noble status. The King of Qin later give the -style of King Wuling to his servant as an insult to King Wuling after the latter had destroyed the regime of the Zhao state.
King Huiwen of Zhao later wore the same -style as his father, King Wuling; and therefore this type of was named . Many years later, the evolved into the military cap called .
By the Han dynasty, a decorated with pheasant feathers became known as [6] and was used by the military officials of the Han dynasty.[7] The was first worn in the state of Zhao to distinguish military officers during the Warring States period.[8] The was possibly itself derived from the -style adopted by King Wuling through policy. The snow pheasant was a symbolism of martial valour and courage due to its association with the snow pheasant which would fight its opponent until death.
The skills required to manipulate the two pheasant feathers are known as . These skills include shaking and swinging; sometimes the are shaken with one hand but sometimes two hands are used. The skills of are used by many roles; however, they are especially used in the role.
When combined the movements of the head and body of the actor, the movement of the express the feelings and dispositions of the character, which include the expression of surprise, hatred, happiness, and frivolity.