Huasheng 华胜 花胜, Flower-Shaped Women’s Accessories

When wearing Hanfu, you will also wear some beautiful Hanfu accessories, right? There are many kinds of Hanfu accessories, have you ever heard of “Huasheng”?

Huasheng (华胜 ; huá shèng) or (花胜 ; huā shèng) is a type of flower-shaped women’s accessory, usually made into flower and plant shapes, and can be worn in a bun as well as on the forehead.

According to information, Huasheng comes from “Shi Ming Shi Jewelry (释名 · 释首 饰)”: “华胜：华，象草木之华也；胜，言人形容正等，一人著之则胜，蔽发前为饰也。”

Huasheng worn by noble women in ancient times had exquisite workmanship and elaborate styles, and Huasheng in the ordinary people was relatively simple. Apart from that, Huasheng can be said to be a very feminine accessory.

We already know hairpins like Ji, Zan, Chai, and Buyao, so how do we differentiate them from Huasheng? Huasheng is the common name for a flower-shaped accessory. As long as it is in the shape of a flower, and is worn in a bun or on the forehead, the decoration is Huasheng.

Huasheng can indeed be Zan or Chai, and the colors and materials also vary. However, one thing is consistent, all of them are in the form of flowers. If they meet the Huasheng requirements, they can also be called Huasheng, but this does not change the fact that they are also Zan or Chai.

Of course, times have changed today, and Huasheng’s style may have changed a lot. Even in many costume c-dramas, the pendant decoration on the foreheads of many beauties is no longer in the shape of a flower.

Huasheng is currently making a comeback due to the Hanfu Movement and has become one of the many accessories worn with modern Hanfu. Since Huasheng is considered an ancient term, its modern version (on the forehead) is commonly referred to as E Shi (额饰) or Mei Xin Zhui (眉心坠).