The ceremonies of Guan and Ji were the coming of age ceremonies for young men and women in ancient China. Originally, Guan referred to a kind of cap for men while Ji referred to a kind of hairpin for women.

When a man was 20 years old, there was a Guan Ceremony for him. The ceremony was held in his family’s ancestral temple. On that day, an important guest would bestow a Guan upon the grown-up man. Guan was believed to be the beginning of proprieties. It was believed that after the ceremony, the man may have proper behaviors, dignified expression and courteous words.

Ji Ceremony was held for a woman when she reached at the age of 15. It was also held in the ancestral temple of her family. The woman’s hair would be fastened by a Ji on that day. The process of the ceremony was almost the same as the Guan Ceremony.

For a woman, experiencing the coming of age ceremony meant that she had grown up and would be a virtuous and intelligent wife, while for a man, it meant that he would shoulder his responsibility for his family, his clan and even his country.