During the warlord period, officials, gentry and rich people often wore robes. When welcoming guests, attending meetings or attending celebrations, they covered their robes with "mandarin jackets".

Warlords in the Republic of China refer to the main forces that influenced the political structure of China in the early 20th century. They were nominally led by the "central government", but they established their own power at the local level and used various means to expand their power, with the army as the main political capital.