The origin of trousseaux
In ancient Chinese marriage, as the bridegroom’s family was busy preparing the bridal chamber and furniture, the bride’s family was occupied with the preparation of trousseaux. In ancient times, trousseaux referred to the dressing case a woman used for putting on the makeup; then it was extended to include all the practical and ritual articles the bride brought to the bridegroom’s family at her wedding. It is said that the tradition of sending the trousseau originates from Princess Wencheng’s wedding. During the Zhenguan period of the Tang Dynasty, the king of Tibet sent an envoy to the capital. Carrying a large amount of gold and jewelry as betrothal gifts, the envoy told Emperor Taizong that the Tibet King wanted to marry one of the princesses. The Emperor made a promise. But the Princess Wencheng was not happy as she was the one to be sent that far. The emperor’s senior official Wei Zhend advised the Emperor to give the princess her maids, nurses and her favorite furniture, jewelry and antiques as trousseaux. Princess Wencheng finally agreed. The Emperor ordered skillful craftsmen to make a dragon-and-phoenix bed, a wild goose wardrobe, a peacock screen, a square table, some elephant-feet stools, silk quilts and rainbow mirrors on the reverse of which were inlayed a painting of her parents. After that, many people followed this to give dowries to their newly-wed daughters. They called it trousseaux (嫁妆jià zhuang) and this tradition has lasted to present day.

Saving every penny for the trousseaux
As the trousseaux had literally become a symbol of the social status of the bride’s family, the relatives and friends directly or indirectly related to the family would contribute to it. No matter wealthy people or ordinary people, they both contribute to the trousseaux of their relatives’ or friends’ daughters. The sources of the trousseaux could be divided into two portions: one portion came from the bride’s parents, who prepared and saved for it bit by bit, and the other portion came from the kith and kin of the bride’s family. On receiving the betrothal gifts from the bridegroom’s family, the bride’s families would divide the desserts and dried fruit into several portions and send them to all the relatives and friends, together with the wedding invitations. Those who received the invitation would send congratulatory gifts or money to the bride’s family as soon as possible. The relatives add to the value of the trousseaux, while the bride’s family gives a banquet for these honored guests.

Varieties of trousseaux
The value of the trousseaux literally became a symbol of the social status and economic strength of the bride’s family. The trousseaux of the wealthy and powerful families were extremely extravagant and included almost everything for everyday use—houses and lands, shops and stores, servants and maids, gold, silver, jewelry, sets of rosewood furniture, antiques, silk and various kinds of daily utensils. Middle-class families prepared the trousseaux according to their respective economic conditions. In the trousseaux of the ordinary people, there were no precious articles like antiques. But two quilts, clothes for the four seasons, a pair of chests, a set of pots and basins, some jewels and a pair of red candles were always necessary. Even for the poor families, there were at least wooded chests. Chamber pots and red candles included in the trousseaux. The wooden chests implied that the bride did bring something valuable with her and would not beg the bridegroom’s family for food; the chamber pots were indispensable and had the auspicious implication of bringing offspring to the bridegroom’s family; a pair of red candles, traditionally called “lights of longevity” or “ever-bright lights,” expressed good wishes for a happy and enduring marriage.