Hong mu ji, the red clogs
The red leather clogs worn on the day of chu huayuan, in the old account brought by the mother’s brother together with the new clothes.
Pronunciation hóng mù jī｜Rites of life｜One entry in the Chaoshan glossary
What it means
The wood is lacquered red and a red cloth strap is nailed across the instep; walking in them makes a clatter. On the day of chu huayuan the child changes into new clothes and new shoes, and these are the shoes — red to match.
In the old account the set came from the mother’s brother: new clothes and new clogs brought together, where today cash is more often given instead. Some earlier accounts have the grandmother on the mother’s side sending them, and that version is just as common in the villages.
When you see it
Worn on the day of chu huayuan, in the year the child turns fifteen by the old count, and not on ordinary days. In recent years Rongcheng has held a chu huayuan coming-of-age ceremony each year, and the children taking part wear the same pair.
Words easily confused
These are the shoes of chu huayuan, not the clogs of everyday wear. They come from an elder, which sets them apart from the new clothes the household buys itself.
Read next: Chu huayuan: the date, the offerings and the order of the rite.
See also: Rites of life: the five thresholds side by side.
Same group: chu huayuan, the flower bath.
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Last revised: 3 November 2026