Diyi

Diyi (翟衣) worn with phoenix crown

Diyi (翟衣) is the traditional Chinese attire (hanfu) worn by empresses and crown princesses (wife of crown prince) in the Ming Dynasty. It is a formal wear meant only for ceremonial purposes. It is a form of shenyi, and is embroidered with long-tail pheasants (翟, Di) and circular flowers. It is worn with phoenix crown (without the dangling string of pearls by the sides). Diyi has been worn by empresses since the Zhou Dynasty as a formal wear under various names like huiyi (袆衣) in Zhou and Song Dynasty, and miaofu (庙服) in Han Dynasty.

As a vassal state to China, queens of Korea Joseon Dynasty could only wear dashan of Ming Dynasty princess (a rank lower than Ming Dynasty empresses). But during the Korean Empire, after Korea broke off from China, queens were elevated to empresses, and they started to wear diyi of Ming Dynasty empresses.

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  Emperor's yuanlingshan and empress's diyi
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  A Ming Dynasty portrait of an empress wearing diyi
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  A Song Dynasty portrait of an empress wearing huiyi
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  The diyi adopted by empresses of Korean Empire

See also

• Han Chinese clothing
• List of Han Chinese clothing