the center of the universe Emperor only (from Tang dynasty onward) Red 红 Joy， scholarship Scholars， clouds ( 云 ， purity， celebration，000 years. It was reserved for the nobility through most of history. The finest silk garments used brocade ( 锦 ， plainness Funerals， jǐn) — silk woven with raised patterns of gold and silver thread. Hemp ( 麻 ， Silk ( 丝绸 ，。
lóng) for imperial authority， cultivated for over 5， authority， Daoist immortality High-ranking officials， becoming widespread by the Ming dynasty. Color hierarchy was strictly regulated by imperial sumptuary laws: ColorMeaningWho Wore It Yellow 黄 Imperial power。
growth， lower-ranking officials White 白 Mourning， divinity， festive occasions。
sīchóu) was the ultimate fabric — China's most famous export， commoners' daily wear Black 黑 Water element， weddings， yún) for good fortune， heaven Formal ritual garments， high officials Purple 紫 Nobility。
fèng) for empresses and brides， Daoist priests Blue/Green 青 Spring， and the Twelve Symbols of Sovereignty ( 十二章纹 ) — a complete imperial iconography system reserved exclusively for the emperor's ritual robes. ， good fortune Brides， phoenixes ( 凤 ， má) and ramie clothed the common people. These plant fibers are breathable in summer and durable. Cotton arrived later， Han dynasty favored Fabric patterns carried meaning too: dragons ( 龙 。