Source of "male left female right"

In our daily life, the male left and the female right seem to have infiltrated into all aspects of our social life. On the public toilet, male left female right; wearing a wedding ring, male left female right; in addition, there are wedding photos, couples attending certain ceremonial occasions, etc., men are often on the left, women are often on the right. If the position is reversed, someone will laugh at it and say that it violates the custom of "male left female right".

How did this custom come about? According to the legend: after the ancestor of the Chinese nation, Pangu, the body organs were transformed into sun and moon stars, four poles and five mountains, rivers and lakes, and all things. Although this legend has the elements of mythology, it provides us with a reference for the study of the Chinese nation and the god of the moon. "The Five-Year Calendar" believes that the Japanese and Japanese gods of the Chinese nation are the eyes of Pangu's eyes, and the Japanese god is the left eye of Pangu's; the moon god is the right eye of Pangu's, and the folks pass on the "male left". The female right" custom is from this. So who is the Sun and Moon of the Chinese nation? The god of the sun is Fuxi; the god of the moon is the son-in-law, both of whom are legendary gods of the ancient times.

A few years ago, in Shuimogou, Urumqi, I saw the white reliefs and descriptions of the Fuxi female figure unearthed in Astana. Tu Fufan's Fuxi female figure, out of the Astana Hara and Zhuo ancient tombs, there are also a small number of cemeteries near the old city of Jiaohe. Most of them are in the graves of husband and wife, usually nailed to the top of the tomb. Down, a few paintings are folded and placed next to the deceased. According to the etiquette of the ancient Chinese male left female right, Fuxi is in the left and left hands, the female niece is on the right, the right hand is in compliance, the first snake body, the snake tail is entangled; the head is painted on the day, the moon is painted at the end, and the stars are painted around. . Since it is profound in meaning, strange in composition, rich in artistic charm and mysterious color, it has been highly valued by the academic circles since its publication at the beginning of this century. Fuxi and Nuwa are the ancestors of the gods and humans in ancient Chinese legends. It is said that Fuxi has taught people to engage in farming, animal husbandry, and fishery production, and the son-in-law has taught people how to marry and marry. The rules and moments they have in their hands are the means of production and a symbol of social order. In 1953, scientists discovered that a basic genetic object of biology - the molecule of deoxyribonucleic acid, the structure of the basic genetic material of this metabolite - a double helix of structural form, and the performance of metamorphosis in the Turpan region The image of the human ancestor of all things is very similar. In the name of the metamorphosis of all things, a portrait of the Fuxi Nuwa unearthed in Turfan became the homepage illustration of the 1983 Trial of the UNESCO International Social Science.

In addition, the custom of "male left female right" is closely related to the philosophy of ancient people. Ancient Chinese philosophers believed that the two opposites of the coherent things and personnel in the universe are yin and yang. Things in nature have size, length, up and down, left and right, and so on. The ancients classified it as large, long, upper, and left as yang, small, short, lower, and right as yin. The yang is strong and the yin is weak. The character of a person, the male sexual violence is strong and belongs to the left, and the gentleness of the woman belongs to the right. "Men left female right" also has practical scientific significance in the application of traditional Chinese medicine. "Men left female right" medically indicates the physiological difference between men and women. TCM diagnosis, the man takes the gas in the left hand, the woman takes the blood in the right hand, even if the child is sick to observe the hand pattern, take the "male left female right" habit. This is the origin of "male left female right". This custom has been around since the Warring States period more than 2,000 years ago. Of course, as to whether the "male left female right" can really indicate the physiological difference between men and women, it is another problem.

In our feudal society, many things have the distinction of high and low, even the east and the west, the front and back are no exception.

In ancient times, the South was regarded as the Supreme, and the North symbol was defeated and surrendered. The palaces and temples face the south, and the emperors' seats are all facing the south. When the emperor called the "south respect", he defeated and surrendered others to "be defeated" and "north called ministers." It is precisely because this direction of Zhengnan is so honorable. Therefore, in the past, the people built houses, and no one dared to take the south direction of the meridian. They were all in the east or west, so as not to be guilty of taboos.

In addition to the Southern North and the North, in the east and west, the ancients were headed by the East and west. The residences of the Queen and the Scorpions are divided into the East Palace and the West Palace, while the East Palace is the Great, and the West Palace is the second. The temple dedicated to the ancestral tablets is to be built on the east side of the palace. The "eastern family" and "landlord" in modern Chinese also came from this.

In addition to the east, west, and north, there are also high and low points in the direction of the front and rear. The ancient emperor was the supreme, and he was seated south to the north, and his left side was the east. Therefore, while advocating the East, "Left" is also noble. Dongwu of the Three Kingdoms period occupied Jiangdong, also known as Jiangzuo. The left-handed system of Wen Zuowu, the concept of male left and right, are all reflections of respect for the left, and some customs even continue to this day.

Such as: the room is the most important part of the courtyard. Beijing Siheyuan is a bungalow with no buildings. The most important room in the courtyard is the main room. The main room is the north house, also known as the upper house or the main house. Since the ancestral tablets and the house are located in the middle of the main house, the main house is in the highest position in the whole house, and the opening, depth and height of the main room are larger than other rooms in terms of scale. There are usually three rooms in the main room, one in the middle is the ancestral hall, the second in the east often lives in the grandparents, the second in the west, and the second in the left (the east) of the old house. The (south) is slightly larger, which is the result of the traditional practice of “Left for the Top”. In the old days, people had the custom of respecting the left. The "Zuozu Ancient Temple", "Wen Zuowu Right" and "Men Left Female Right", which we often say, are reflections of Zuo Zuo.

Another example: wearing a ring is also very particular about it, this kind of attention is not recorded in the text, but a convention. The public believes that the left is up, the right is down, the left symbolizes dignity and strength, and the right symbolizes gentleness and thoughtfulness. Therefore, the people wear the ring with the distinction of "male left female right". In addition, the man wearing on the index finger indicates courtship, the expression on the middle finger is in love, and wearing on the ring finger indicates marriage. Women are generally not on the index finger, others are similar to men. If someone is left and right on the little finger, it is clear that he is single. In contemporary folklore, the emotional exchanges between men and women must pay attention to the position of the ring worn by the other party. It is necessary to respect this customary convention and get along well.

Of course, in the history of China, there has also been a phenomenon of female left and right. Located on the east bank of the Jialing River, the Qianfo Cliff Cliff statue next to the stone cabinet pavilion has a history of 1,400 years. The scale of the statue is magnificent and magnificent. It is 417 meters long and 45 meters high from south to north. There are 13 layers of statues and caves, which are densely like a hive. There are more than 400 caves in the existing caves. The statues are seven or more in size. The Dayun Gudong is the center and divided into two sections. The Great Cloud Cave is the largest cave in the dry Buddha Cliff. There are 234 statues in total, and the main Buddha in the main hall of the Maitreya Buddha Statue is the symbol of Empress Wu Zetian. On the left is the Queen of Heaven, and on the right is Gao Zong Li Zhi, which has changed the traditional customs of the Chinese male left and right. The 牟ni Pavilion has a smooth pattern and a full-bodied style. The back of the Buddha is a hollow carved screen that enhances the performance of the stone-faced polyhedron. It is a rare art treasure in the cave.

The male left female right, the customary convention, is the tradition of men’s respect for women for thousands of years. From left to right, first male and female. According to the custom of the East, every signature, if it is a husband and wife, must be written in front of the husband's name, the wife added as a suffix. Unlike the West, everything is about "Ladyfirst", and even the opening speech is "Ladiesandgentlmen".