The sedan chair was a traditional vehicle in ancient China. The earliest sedan can be traced back to 4,000 years ago. In different ages, it had different names, like jian yu (shoulder carriage), mian jiao (sleeping sedan) and nuan jiao (warm sedan).
The sedans familiar to modern people originated from nuan jiao in the Ming and Qing dynasties. The sedan body is fixed in a wooden rectangular frame with two long log poles. The top and four sides of the seat are enclosed with curtains. One side can be rolled up and there is a small window on each side. A chair is placed inside the enclosed space. The ancient sedan can be divided into two types: guan jiao (official sedan) and min jiao (civilian sedan).
The guan jiao was graded by the status of the officials. There were sedan chairs carried by four persons or eight persons. The civilian sedan chair was often carried by two persons. At that time, a carrier was a special career. Only after training could they carry the sedan smoothly.
There is a kind of civilian sedan called hua jiao (bridal sedan) used in a traditional Chinese wedding. The bridal sedan is wrapped in silk curtains with auspicious embroidery. The wedding sedan is either carried by four or eight people and is accompanied by a group of people who play folk music.
The sedan chair has been phased out for its lack of efficiency and high cost. As a traditional custom, only the bridal sedan has been preserved.
