Profile photo for CaiLei
CaiLei
Familiar with Chinese historyDec 24

Why did the Qing royalty grow their nails?
Men and women of high status in the Qing Dynasty wore long fingernails to show that they did not need to work, which was a symbol of status.

Imperial ladies of China's Qing Dynasty protected their elaborately decorated nails with jewel-inlaid metal or cloisonne manicures.

42K viewsView 530 upvotesView 6 sharesAnswer requested by
Josh Lee
Profile photo for Mel Victor
Profile photo for Jimmy Qu
Profile photo for Robert Matthews (馬學進)
Profile photo for Shadow Lurker
Profile photo for Hiro Kuwana
Profile photo for Noel Leong
Profile photo for Andrew Chang
Profile photo for Angelique Wu
Profile photo for Brett
Profile photo for Initial H
Profile photo for Eric Lee
Profile photo for Shngain Lang
Shngain Lang
,
Eric Lee
,
Initial H
and 14 more upvoted this

530

6

21

Profile photo for Kam Bik Fai

Add Comment
Profile photo for Alan Chiu
Alan Chiu
· December 28
I doubt men of high status would do that. Try calligraphy with long fingernails. You can’t. As government business often requires writing, high officials will not handicap themselves to the point that they can’t write important documents properly. There is a reason that calligraphy was evaluated in the civil service exam.

Upvote
·
2

Reply

Profile photo for CaiLei
CaiLei
· December 28

Upvote
·
27

Reply

Profile photo for CaiLei
CaiLei
· December 28
The officials all dictated and The servants followed the instructions to write. The emperor‘s servants was called "eunuch of bingbi"(秉笔太监) and the officials‘s servants were called "Bi Tie shi"(笔帖士). Even the smallest official has a master(师爷).

Upvote
·
17

Reply

Profile photo for Alan Chiu
Alan Chiu
· December 28
"Eunuch of bingbi" existed only during Ming dynasty. Eunuchs were forbidden to be involved in politics in Qing dynasty. For example, eunuch An Dehai was executed by Ding Baozhen because he left the capital w/o written permission.

Qing emperors were known for their “comment in red”(硃批) on memorials to the throne. The National Palace Museum preserved many of them.

Upvote
·
4

Reply

Profile photo for CaiLei
CaiLei
· December 28
The emperor's handwriting was very rare, and the imperial edicts were all written by eunuchs(Little official). Not every emperor was as industrious as Yongzheng.

In the Qing Dynasty, the Military Aircraft Department replaced the emperor to write the imperial decree(Zhangjing. 章京). The emperor is responsible for granting red(盖章).

Zhangjing(章京) must be jinshi, young, skilled, writing quickly, writing properly.

Upvote
·
5

Reply

Profile photo for Annie Feng
Annie Feng
· December 29
Other than the comments posted by the OP, the long nails were typically worn only on the third and fourth fingers, you can most definitely write calligraphy using your first two fingers and your thumb. In fact, they’d be trained to do so like how a french king in the 1700s would be trained to drink while holding a glass using only two fingers. But of course both men and women if they really needed to do things that absolutely require more fingers they would briefly take off the long nails when they do it.

Upvote
·
4

Reply
Profile photo for CaiLei

Profile photo for Alan Chiu
Alan Chiu
· December 29
OK, that makes more sense. OP’s original answer doesn’t qualify to say only “some” fingernails are kept long.

In addition, people in high status still wrote with a brush, despite having secretaries to assist them. Confidential memo to the throne were usually written by the principal to keep it confidential, for example. Genuine calligraphy (真跡) by famous officials are prized, and people want the ones from the principal, not those written by his secretaries.

Upvote
·
1

Reply
Profile photo for Annie Feng

Profile photo for Benjamin Tweedy
Benjamin Tweedy
· December 29
That actually at one point was a major distinction in officials. Imperial level bureaucrats would have scribes, so could grow all their nails long. They were paid in gold Provincial level officials would have others to do manual labor, but had to do their own writing (scribes are expensive) so they co…
(more)

Upvote
·
1

Reply

Profile photo for Diogo Cão
Diogo Cão
· December 27
Reason for Qing Dynasty being defeated by the West Number 1,46789;

Their elite couldn’t fire a gun because of their long polish and delicate nails

Upvote
·
6

Reply

Profile photo for Liang
Liang
· December 27
The kingdom is doomed anyway if the situation requires governing elite to fire a gun. The same applies to any modern nations, if the president or generals need to fire a gun to protect themselves, it means they (by extension their regime) are in a terrible situation.

Upvote
·
23

Reply
Profile photo for CaiLei
Profile photo for Charles Fox
Profile photo for Anton Dambaev

Profile photo for Mel Victor
Mel Victor
· December 28
Hehe…they most likely be peee-ing in their pants while cowering in the basement, which incidentally reminds one of the 6th Jan scenario at Capitol Hill recently…what a beautiful sight to behold.

Upvote
·
1

Reply
Profile photo for CaiLei

Profile photo for Arian Inigo
Arian Inigo
· December 28
I wouldn't compare Jan. 6th at the US Capitol to the destruction of the Yuanmingyuan (Old Summer Palace in Beijing, China) by British and French military forces in 1860, which is regarded by many Chinese as a symbol of Western violation of Chinese sovereignty, even more than Jan. 6th was an insurrection. The former was just a mass trespassing event that could have been prevented (and it's odd that not many weapons were brought to that event), while the latter was a wanton and heinous destruction of property.

Upvote
·
2

Reply

Profile photo for Mel Victor
Mel Victor
· December 28
Errr…. I was replying to Liang, specifically about long long nails crippling ones ability to even pull the trigger to save own life, the only option left is to run away to hide.

Upvote
·
2

Reply
Profile photo for CaiLei

Profile photo for Annie Feng
Annie Feng
· December 27
“Men and women of high status in the Qing Dynasty wore long fingernails to show that they did not need to work”

That and also as high status they are to touch/handle things as little as possible with their fingers and hands (similar to French kings in the 1700s who only are supposed to raise a glass with two fingers). It were always the servants who are to handled things for them.

Upvote
·
31

Reply
Profile photo for CaiLei
Profile photo for Helen Shi
Profile photo for Mel Victor

Profile photo for Arian Inigo
Arian Inigo
· December 28
This reminds me of how in the US some women in their pajamas would take their children to school in the morning. This was a status marker of sorts. The one wearing pajamas could afford to stay at home and be a housewife while other women had to dress up nicely to go to work daily.

Upvote
·
8

Reply
Profile photo for CaiLei

Profile photo for Peri Collins
Peri Collins
· December 30
Where and when was this considered a status marker in the US? When I was growing up kids made fun of moms who dropped their kids while in bathrobes, house coats and other things like hair curlers that were not meant to be seen in public. If we acted up, my mom literally threatened to dress up like t…
(more)

Upvote
·
4

Reply

Profile photo for Arian Inigo
Arian Inigo
· December 30
That would be a recent development (post-2000), restricted to suburbs (perhaps the only place where it would be safe to do so). In other locales going around in PJs is going to attract laughs and sneers.

Upvote
·
2

Reply

Profile photo for Julian Lkp
Julian Lkp
· January 27
I always fascinated by Qing Dynasty royal costume & accessories. Looks colourful & elegant especially from those Queen or Consorts.

Upvote
·
3

Reply
Profile photo for CaiLei

Profile photo for Celeste
Celeste
· December 28
I am seeing this trend right now in the US…never among middle/upper middle class/whealthy people though. It seems paradoxical. I have seen a daycare worker with those extra long nails…(How…?) and a couple of receptionists who kept mistyping.

Upvote
·
4

Reply
Profile photo for CaiLei

Profile photo for Radya Ardi
Radya Ardi
· December 29
the yassification of Qing Dynasty 😍🥰🤩

Upvote
·
6

Reply
Profile photo for CaiLei

Profile photo for Washim Ullah
Washim Ullah
· December 28

Why did the Qing royalty grow their nails?
CaiLei's answer: Men and women of high status in the Qing Dynasty wore long fingernails to show that they did no...

No wonder the Qing dynasty fell. The leaders were too arrogant.

Upvote
·
4

Reply