Sedan chair, also called Jiaozi in Chinese, is a traditional Chinese transportation vehicle that carried by at least two bearers. Actually, it is a movable chair or bed which is installed on two bars.

Sedan chair has a long history for more than 4000 years in China. It is said that it originated in the early Xia Dynasty (2033B.C?-1562B.C?). In Tang Dynasty (618~907), except the Emperor and Empress, no one was allowed to use it. During the Southern Song Dynasty (1127~1279), it gradually became a common mode of transportation for persons of all ranks.

Most sedan chairs are made of wood, bamboo, rattan, etc. According to the purposes, they are classified into different types, such as the official sedan chair, civilian sedan chair, wedding sedan chair, etc. They can be lifted by two persons, four persons, eight persons or even sixteen persons.

Nowadays, sedan chairs are still can be easily found in tourist attractions. In some mountain areas, especially in Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces, they still function as a traditional transport vehicle for carrying tourists.