The chair-like sedan enclosed with color silk was one of the main vehicles in the ancient time of China. Of course, it was primarily used by the rich. On special occasions, such as a wedding ceremony, a sedan chair was used to take the bride to the groom's house, even for the poor. There is a story about its origin, which is said to have something to do with the great powerful emperor, Qianlong of Qing Dynasty, who was a very diligent emperor. It is said he had made seven inspection tours to the far south of China. And the story about how the sedan got used in people's wedding just happened on his third tour.
One day, when the emperor and his men were marching in the mountains, suddenly the guide reported that the march was hold up by a team of people. So Emperor Qianlong got off the sedan and went to the front to see what happened. It was a bride who was clustered around with a wedding band and she was on a donkey. Seeing it was a happy event, Emperor Qianlong felt very delighted. However, it was a bit serious because neither of the teams would give way to the other. The emperor thought out a way to solve the problem. He said to the bride, "I would like to give way to you and lend you the sedan for your wedding if you make a poem instantly." The bride agreed without knowing who he was. Then she recited: "See you tour; see me tour. No matter whoever is the host on the road; See your sedan; see my donkey, clearly which is better for my wedding. Your Honor, must be generous; lend me your vehicle instead of my living animal? Who can say I am humble while you are noble! No difference here in the middle, just the phenomena poke fun at people." Emperor Qianlong was astonished on her talent, so he was willing to lend her the showy sedan for her wedding.
It made the wedding ceremony so spectacular that the subsequent wedding ceremonies appealed to a bridal sedan dearly for carrying the bride even though it was only a simple sedan sometimes. It gradually became a custom and was kept for many, many years until 1930's. Even now, such sedans can be found in the parade on major Chinese festivals.
