The ancients would carry umbrellas when going out on rainy days. But would they use umbrellas for sun protection on sunny days, just like modern people do?

To be honest, there were actually many types of umbrellas in ancient times. In the backdrop of historical periods, as people donned a wide range of Hanfu, the oil – paper umbrella emerged as a staple, frequently seen in period dramas. However, the oil – paper umbrella is no longer just for rainy days. Instead, it has become a prop for creating an atmosphere. Oil – paper umbrellas were also often used during the day. We often see scenes where the main character slowly walks by, holding an oil – paper umbrella on a sunny day. It looks beautiful, but after all, an oil – paper umbrella is made of paper. Can it withstand long – term exposure to the sun if it’s used in both sunny and rainy weather?

Ⅰ. Silk Umbrellas

To give a direct answer, the ancients were also very intelligent. There were many materials used for umbrella surfaces, but it was not reasonable to use oil – paper umbrellas (for sun protection), and there were indeed umbrellas used on sunny days. For example, in the Western Zhou Dynasty, there were umbrellas made of silk, but at that time, the main purpose was not for sun protection but for nobles to show off their status. The following picture is a mural on the north wall of the tomb chamber of Xu Xianxiu’s tomb in the Northern Qi Dynasty in Taiyuan. The person sitting under the umbrella is the tomb owner, the Prince of Dong’an. The guards in the honor guard are wearing large – sleeved red shirts, with their hands clasped in front of their chests. They look imposing and solemn, showing great majesty and power. This group of murals reflects a bold and vigorous style. The painted curtains, tables, singing and dancing performers, flags, feather canopies, saddled horses, and attendants on the four walls of the tomb chamber fully demonstrate the luxurious life scene in the inner court of the tomb owner and the eminence of his rank and title.  

Ⅱ. Huagai

During the Qin and Han dynasties, an umbrella – style huagai (华盖) was popular, and it could be adjusted flexibly. There is an umbrella on the painted bronze chariot unearthed from the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang. It is exquisitely designed. One can operate the mechanism to tilt the umbrella to block sunlight from different angles. It also incorporates the world’s earliest lotus – leaf – shaped base and the world’s earliest gears. When this cultural relic was unearthed, it was broken into thousands of pieces. It took nearly eight years of painstaking restoration to restore it to its original appearance. Thanks to the hard – working restoration staff, this national treasure from a thousand years ago has reappeared in the world.

The bronze chariot and horses are composed of more than 3,500 components. The chariot and horses are exquisitely painted, and the horses are decorated with various gold and silver ornaments, extremely gorgeous. The top is a large and thin arched canopy cover. The manufacturing difficulty is extremely high. It was truly remarkable that it could be made back then.

The “huagai” also became an essential item for nobles of all dynasties when traveling.

Ⅲ. Straw Raincoat and Bamboo Hat

Ordinary people naturally couldn’t afford silk umbrellas. But if they wanted to protect themselves from the sun and rain, they could use straw raincoats and bamboo hats. It is recorded in “Xiaoya” of Classic of Poetry: “When your shepherds come, they wear straw raincoats and bamboo hats.” In Liu Zongyuan’s (柳宗元) poem “River Snow“, the line “In a lonely boat, an old man in a straw raincoat and bamboo hat, fishing alone in the cold river snow” also shows that someone is fishing in the heavy snow while wearing a straw raincoat and a bamboo hat. It can be seen that this set of gear was a versatile outfit for traveling and being outdoors.

Ⅳ. Curved – handle Umbrella

Curved – handle umbrellas have also appeared among unearthed cultural relics. Why were the handles made curved? Generally, when nobles traveled, attendants would hold umbrellas for them. But attendants usually couldn’t walk side by side with their masters. So, the curved – handle umbrellas were specially designed, allowing the umbrella – holders to follow behind. Nobles really went to great lengths to show off their noble status. Of course, this unearthed cultural relic was found beside the coffin, with bells hanging from the edge of the umbrella. It is speculated that it was used for offerings or guiding the spirit.

Ⅴ. Paper Umbrella

The popularization of oil – paper umbrellas is also attributed to Cai Lun‘s improvement of papermaking in the Eastern Han Dynasty. As the cost of paper decreased, people creatively chose affordable paper to replace expensive silk fabrics as the material for umbrella surfaces. To enhance the waterproof performance of the paper, tung oil was applied to it, making the paper impervious to water and thus effectively protecting against rain. However, actual tests show that it can’t be exposed to the sun for a long time. After sun exposure, it requires special treatment; otherwise, the umbrella surface is prone to cracking, reducing its service life. The main problem lies not in the tung oil but in the paper.

Umbrellas can also help avoid awkward situations. An interesting story is recorded in The History of the Southern Dynasties: “(Wang Ji) even walked on the streets and didn’t choose his companions carefully. Sometimes, when he saw acquaintances on the way, he would cover his face with a hat or an umbrella.” When he met someone he knew, instead of greeting them, he used an umbrella to cover his face, trying to slip away quietly, secretly praying in his heart: Don’t notice me, don’t notice me.

By the Song Dynasty, the use of umbrellas had become very common, and using them for sun protection had also become the norm. Xu Xuan (徐铉) in the Song Dynasty recorded in Records of Searching for Spirits (《稽神录》): “Su Jianxiong (苏建雄), a military official in Jiangnan,… during the extremely hot and sunny summer, held an umbrella to shade himself.”

Ⅵ. Other Materials

However, the umbrellas used for sun protection in the Song Dynasty might not necessarily be oil – paper umbrellas. They could also be cool umbrellas made of fabrics such as oiled silk and gauze. Even now, there is an intangible cultural heritage craft of making oil – cloth umbrellas with cotton cloth. Tung oil, just like the “coating” on modern parasols, can resist heat, rain, acid, alkali, and corrosion, and has a wide range of uses. It is recorded in History of Song: Vehicles and Attire: “Umbrellas are commonly used by officials and are made of blue silk.” Blue – silk cool umbrellas were sometimes used in weddings. It is recorded in the chapter Weddings of Dream of the Liang Capital (《梦粱录》): “On the wedding day, the groom’s family sets a fixed time in advance and asks the groomsmen to each carry items, such as flower vases, wedding candles… blue cool umbrellas, armchairs,… and go to the bride’s home to pick up the bride.”

The parasols we use nowadays already appeared in Bianjing (汴京), the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty, and were commonly used by merchants. In Along the River During the Qingming Festival, there are a total of 42 umbrellas, which proves the popularity of umbrellas at that time. There were also umbrellas in the shape of lotus leaves, which were extremely cute.

Summary

Nowadays, many people don’t like using oil – paper umbrellas mainly because they can’t be folded in the middle and are inconvenient to carry. However, during various historical periods, oil – paper umbrellas paired harmoniously with traditional Chinese clothing, creating some of the most iconic images of traditional Chinese aesthetics. However, the fact that oil – paper umbrellas have evolved until today definitely shows the unique wisdom of the East. Due to the characteristics of oil – paper itself, there hasn’t been an excellent solution yet that allows for multiple folds while still maintaining its craftsmanship. But that’s okay. Just like some people today still prefer to use long – handled umbrellas, when it’s not raining, they put the umbrella in a cover and carry it on their back. This sense of ritual will always be there, becoming a unique part of Eastern life.