When you wear Hanfu, you want to wear beautiful Hanfu accessories. Needless to say, there is no need to talk about hairpins, as well as other accessories on the head. However, did you know about Ying Luo which is often worn around the neck?
Ying Luo (璎珞 ; yīng luò) is a ring-shaped necklace. As a necklace, it comes in a variety of styles and shapes. Ying Luo also often features hanging beads combined with lucky trinkets or motifs rooted in Chinese culture. Ying Luo is relatively large and the most luxurious among the necklaces.
The word “Ying Luo 璎珞” comes from the Sanskrit “Keyūra” and originally referred to a Buddhist ornament. During the Tang dynasty, Buddhism was introduced. The word “Ying Luo 璎珞” mainly refers to the ornate string worn around the neck, mostly made of pearls, precious stones, gold, silver, and precious metals.
Portrait of a donor wearing Ying Luo, Mogao grotto no. 17, 983 AD
It was then widely adopted as a necklace in Chinese society for centuries. Ying Luo gradually lost popularity because it lost its appeal due to changes in people’s taste for aesthetic needs.
However, today, Ying Luo is still worn as a modern Hanfu accessory by Hanfu enthusiasts since the Hanfu movement and can appear in a variety of styles and materials.
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