Ancient Custom of Kowtow
By admin on 2014-12-16

Ancient kowtow

In historical operas and films, people often performed kowtow - a traditional custom for worship on bended knees. It is said that the history can be traced back as early as the legendary Emperor Xuan Yuan. How this custom originated and how it survived has a lot to do with the living standards and custom of ancient Chinese people. In the past, it was mainly performed by inferiors to superiors, young people to the elderly or the common people to bureaucrats etc. As it's a symbol of feudalism, kowtow is not commonly practiced today. 

Before the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD) in China, people usually sat on mats made of reeds or bamboo strips at dinnertime, during discussions or reading. Guests were usually invited to sit on an extra mat. Even top leaders would sit on a mat, which was usually of a higher quality.

 Therefore, the meaning of the words "to sit" in ancient times was completely different from what we understand today. "Sitting" is generally known as kowtow today: Both knees bent down on the mat, with the buttocks resting on the heels. When meeting a guest, the host usually had to stretch the upper part of the body to show respect. Gradually, the custom of kowtow became a part of daily life.

During the Zhou Dynasty, there was a set of strict rules about kowtow, which played a very important role in maintaining authority and reverence towards emperors and, in turn, consolidating the feudal system. Emperors, therefore, were all willing to follow the tradition.

In the Han Dynasty, the gradual appearance of chairs and benches altered the original sitting gesture greatly. But the tradition of kowtow survived, and became a symbol of different classes. The custom was widely adopted in officialdom. For instance, the custom of kowtow was applied when officials met the emperor; when officials of lower rank met those from a higher rank etc. The custom also prevailed among the common people. During sacrifices and birthday celebrations for the elders, kowtow was also passed on from generation to generation. Later, the custom of zuoyi (a bow with hands folded in front) and jugong (a bow) were also added. With the abolishment of the feudal system in 1911, kowtow also ended gradually.