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(p=hébāo), sometimes referred as Propitious pouch in English, is a generic term used to refer to Chinese embroidery pouches, purses, or small bags. When they are used as Chinese perfume pouch (or sachet), they are referred to as , , or . In everyday life, are used to store items. In present-day China, are still valued traditional gifts or token of fortune. are also used in Traditional Chinese medicine. (2025). 9783030895082 ISBN 9783030895082
There are many ethnic groups in China which share the custom of wearing pouches. The is also a type of adornment used in Chinese clothing (including in and in the Manchu people ). Manchu pouches are called .
is also used as token of love since purses were personal items.(2025). 9789812296429, Asiapac Books. ISBN 9789812296429They are used as a gift between young girls and boys and their acceptance towards each other. Chinese perfume pouches, , are still valued items which are exchanged between lovers in the countryside.
Perfume pouches are also a love token for the ethnic Manchu; and when two youths fall in love, the boy is given a handmade perfume pouch by the girl. It is unknown when the perfume pouch became a pledge of romantic love. In Manchu culture, the pouch can also hold tobacco. Tobacco pouches are usually made by a wife for her husband or by a maiden for her lover.
It is also customary for the brides from the Yunnan ethnic minorities to sew in advance prior to their wedding; they would then bring to their bridegroom's home when they get married. The number of they would require to make would depend on the numbers of people (e.g. musicians, singers and guests) who would attend their wedding ceremony. Ginkgo biloba, peanuts, sweets would be placed inside those pouches as a symbolism of 'giving birth to babies as soon as possible'.
is used in Traditional Chinese medicine. Wearing a Chinese medicine to prevent to disease is a traditional practice known as dressing therapy. These medicine pouches are used to induce resuscitation, awaken consciousness, eliminate turbid pathogens with aromatics, invigorate organs (spleen and stomach), avoid plague and filth, repel mosquitoes and other insects.
The custom of wearing of pouches dates back to the pre-Qin dynasties period or earlier; the earliest unearthed Chinese pouch is one dating from the Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period.
In the Southern and Northern dynasties, became one of the most popular form of clothing adornment. They were worn at the waist and were used to carry items (such as seals, keys, handkerchiefs). Incense, pearls, jade, and other valuable items were placed inside the to dispel evil spirits and foul smells.
In the Song dynasty, the term referred to a small bag which would store carry-on valuables (e.g. money and personal seal). Since then, the custom of wearing continued throughout the centuries through the late Qing dynasty and the early Republic of China. It then vanished in cities due to the clothing reforms when pockets became of common use. Despite its decline in common use, the was still popular in some rural areas and ethnic minority areas in present-day China allowing the Chinese folk art to be transmitted to modern times.
The tradition of carrying can be traced back to the Duanwu festival, where a would be filled with fragrant herbs and was embroidered with the patterns of the Five Poisons; it was meant to ward off evil spirits and wickedness while brings wealth and auspiciousness to its carrier. According to old sayings, these perfume pouches were made to commemorate Qu Yuan: when Qu Yuan drowned himself in the Miluo River, people living in the neighbouring Qin dynasty made and carried pouches stuffed with sweet grass and perfumes which Qu Yuan loved out of sympathy for the poet and to cherish his memory.
According to the of the , respectful young people during this period wore a scented bag called when they met their parents.
During the reign of Qin Shi Huang, perfume pouches were attached on the girdles of young men to show respect to their parents and their in-laws.
It is also believed that the use of is a long tradition of the Han Chinese; the use of can be traced back to the Tang dynasty when women living in rural areas would make perfume pouch (made of coloured silk, silk threads, gold and silver beads) in every year on the 4th lunar month.
By the Qing dynasty, were not exclusively used on the Duanwu Festival; they were used on daily basis. Nearly everyone carried a regardless of social classes, ages and gender. The Manchu also carried all year round. Moreover, according to the Qing dynasty custom, the emperors and the empresses were required to carry a on them all year round. The Qing emperors would also award perfume pouches to the princes and ministers to show his favour for them on important festivals or at the end of each year. , ornamented purses which were manufactured for the imperial palace, were an extraordinary mark of imperial favour and expressed the high regards which was held by the Qing emperor to his generals; the emperors only sent to those to his highest generals. (2025). 9789004288355 ISBN 9789004288355
Tongzhi Emperor and Guangxu Emperor used to perfume pouches when choosing their empresses: after having examined all the girls who were lined up in front of him, the Emperor would hang a on the button of the dress of the girls whom he preferred. were used extensively by the common people regardless of gender and ages; they would carry perfume pouches and give it to others as presents while young men and women would often use it as a toke of love. were appreciated for their fragrance but they were also considered as a preventive against diseases.
is a bag composed of 2 sides: the interior and exterior side. It is often embroidered on its outside while the inside is made of a thick layer of fabric. The opening of the bag is threaded with a silk string that can tightened and loosened. They are made in various shapes, such as rotund, oblong, peach, ruyi, and guava. They also have different patterns for different usages: butterflies and flowers represented the wish for love and marriage; golden melons and children represented the wishes for longevity and more children; images of represented the wishes for carrying a son. Each area in China has a distinctive form of .
were the ornamented purses made for the imperial palace and were bestowed to the highest generals favoured by the Emperor in the Qing dynasty as a symbol of favour and high regards. They usually came into 2 sizes: either large or small. They could be bestowed as a single purse, in pairs, or in numbers up to 4. These could also contains gems, jewels and precious metals, such as (corals), (lit. "seven pearls and eight jewels"), ([[gold ingot|Gold bar]]), (silver ingots), (gold coins) and (silver coins).
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