2. Coming-of-age Customs

Coming-of-age ceremony signifies the transition from childhood to adolescence or adulthood. The “Guanli”(冠礼) and “Jili”(笄礼) are traditional coming-of-age ceremonies for young men and women of the ancient Han Chinese, marking their maturity, eligibility for marriage, and entry into clan activities. Contemporary rites of passage include the government-initiated “18-year-old adult ceremony education” as the mainstream.

Guanli (冠礼): The “Guanli” for young men originated in the Zhou Dynasty (1029 BC – 771 BC), performed at the age of twenty in ancestral temples in February. It allowed men to wear hats and arrange their hair after the ceremony.

Jili (笄礼):  The “Jili” refers to the ceremony for young women when they reached fifteen years old during the Zhou Dynasty. Their hair was braided and adorned with hairpins, symbolizing adulthood and betrothal. After the ceremony, noblewomen typically received further education in etiquette and household skills, including virtues such as “fude 妇德” (virtue), “furong 妇容” (appearance), “fugong 妇工” (accomplishment), and “fuyan 妇颜” (speech), necessary for their roles as wives and daughters-in-law.