For example, in the early Qing Dynasty, the emperor's empresses rode in luxurious sedan chairs, while the prince rode in a sedan chair with a silver top and a yellow cover. Although officials with three or more products can wear silver coats and soap colors, four people can carry them in Beijing and eight people can go out of Beijing. Below level 4, only two people are allowed to sit in a small sedan chair with a tin roof. As for the ordinary landlords and gentry, they used black oil and flat soap curtains.
By the middle and late Ming Dynasty, even small and medium-sized landlords were "everyone has little shoulders and no riders" (Gu Jieyuan's Guest Redundancy in Ming Dynasty). During the Ming and Qing dynasties, sedan chairs developed into four-person or eight-person lifts. The reason why princes and nobles like sedan chairs more and more is that it is safe and comfortable to sit on this special means of transportation. Wang Yuyang, a scholar in the Qing Dynasty, wrote a poem: "When you get to the front door, eat areca will take a sedan chair." At this time, the sedan chair has become a relatively common and important means of transportation.
"History of the Ming Dynasty" contains: "In the seven years of Hongzhi, civil and military officials ruled, and four people had to sit in sedan chairs. The fifth house is in charge, guarding the public, uncles, princes, etc. Regardless of age, you are not allowed to sit in a sedan chair, illegally sitting in a sedan chair, and those who make good use of eight people are all heard. " In the second year of Qin Long, Sun Wendong, a native of Yingcheng, was accused of illegally sitting in a sedan chair and was immediately taken without pay.
"The Draft of Qing History" also records: "Han officials have more than three products, and the imperial court uses silver and is covered with soap. There are four husbands in Beijing and eight people in Beijing. Below level 4, two civil servants and two husbands, which are made of tin. There are eight governors, governors and governors. There are four people, the secretary below, the teacher above, and Yu Tian. Riding in various postures ... subaltern car, black oil, flushing, flat top, soap curtain. A car with a car system. It is forbidden to use cloud heads. " Officials need to follow the rules, and people with money can't go beyond the system. There are also restrictions on riding in today's society, but they only care about officials and people.
As a means of transportation, sedan chair gained great popularity in Song Dynasty. In the famous Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival, there are many sedan chairs on the bustling Bianliang Street in the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty. Although these sedan chairs are similar to those in the Han and Tang dynasties, they are still carried by two people, but they are made of superior materials, mainly hardwood, carved with dragon patterns and beautiful in shape. The appearance is roughly the same as that seen in modern times. During the Southern Song Dynasty, the use of sedan chairs was further popularized. The History of the Song Dynasty, Imperial Mansion Records, said: "Zhongxing entered the east and went out to the west, blocking the danger with roads, and making hundreds of officials sit in sedan chairs ...". .
There are two kinds of sedan chairs in ancient times, one is a cool sedan chair without curtains, also called a bright sedan chair or a show sedan chair, and the other is a warm sedan chair with curtains, also called a dark sedan chair. Different official products have strict differences in the shape and type of sedan chairs and the color of curtains. For example, in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, ordinary officials used blue or green woolen curtains in their sedan chairs, so they were called "blue woolen sedan chairs" and "green woolen sedan chairs". In addition, sedan chairs have different names according to their different uses: those used by royalty are called imperial sedan chairs; The dignitaries sit in the official sedan chair; The luxurious sedan chair used by people to get married is called sedan chair. There are many people carrying sedan chairs, usually two to eight people, and most people carry sedan chairs by two people. The sedan chair carried by the official is divided into four people and eight people. For example, according to the regulations of the Qing dynasty, all Beijing officials with more than three qualities were carried by "four people" when they were in the capital, and by "eight people" when they left the capital; The governor takes "eight people to carry" and the subordinate of the governor takes "four people to carry"; Imperial envoys above the third level are carried by "eight people". As for the sedan chairs carried by the royal family, there are as many as 10 people, or even more than 30 people. In addition, there are other regulations on sedan chairs, which show the strict hierarchy of feudal society everywhere.
There are also regulations on the shape of ancient sedan chairs.