The rejection of glasses

For glasses, although its effect is obvious, practical and convenient, but because it comes from the West, some people hold a rejection attitude to it, and the representative of this position is Qianlong. Although cheap eyeglasses near me were common during the Qianlong period, Qianlong insisted on not wearing them. He is very clear about the effect of glasses, "can help the eyes dizzy... Old age must pay attention to every detail." But he firmly rejected the reason for the glasses, one is because of the material, he believes that the western glass glasses are harmful to the body, not as good as the traditional crystal lenses: "glass clouds harm the eye, crystal is no harm", "glass is too dry, crystal warm its nature"; Second, it is because after the habit of wearing, it is difficult to get rid of, and human beings are slaves: "When you use glasses, you cannot give up, and you will be exercised by them." Therefore, in his poem "Glasses", he earnestly reminded posterity: "To the future generations, my words should be thought deeply." (Emperor Qianlong's "Glasses" poem, see "Emperor Gaozong's Four Poems") This tradition seems to have been popular in the court, and when Puyi later wanted to wear glasses, he was opposed by the likes of Toffee Duan Kang, who considered this act contrary to the ancestral system (Johnston's "Dusk in the Forbidden City").

Bao Tianxiao, a famous scholar in the late Qing Dynasty, mentioned in the article "My Myopia" that he was a child in Suzhou wearing beads lane to prepare glasses, but after coming home he was opposed by his grandmother: "Wearing glasses to see my grandmother, grandmother said: 'Children can not wear glasses, only the more I am afraid to wear the deeper, hide it, to see the distant place to wear it. Not only children can't wear glasses, but the children of those so-called scholarly families in Suzhou, although they have a lot of myopia, are not allowed to wear glasses when they are young. It's ridiculous! They hope to develop in the imperial examination, prepare to meet the emperor in the future, what introductions, summoning and so on, are not allowed to wear glasses. I have a friend, his ancestor was a high official, but a high myopia. One day, the emperor was summoned to the toilet hall, and the emperor was sitting east, but there was a screen with a large full-length mirror on the opposite side. He was confused and only knelt before the large full-length mirror. When the eunuch saw this, he covered his mouth and smiled, and drew him to him, saying, "Here is the Emperor," because he was a minister and did not condemn him, but the emperor felt unhappy in his heart, and the official would inevitably suffer." "The king of Chu loved a small waist, and many starved to death in the palace", and now the emperor hates glasses, and the people do not wear them, this seemingly fabricated story reflects the general psychology of society at that time and the people's attitude toward western artifacts.

Wearing glasses is fashionable

However, such opposition was to no avail, and among the literati and officials, and later among the general public, glasses gradually became a practical and fashionable item. From the Kangyong period, people wear glasses became very common, Jiaqing, Daoguang period, literati and officials popular in the body to wear glasses box, which shows the importance of glasses in personal goods.

At first, most people who wear glasses are scholars, and over time, glasses have become a sign of scholars. At that time, there was also a trend of admiring scholars in society, and those who did not read also wore glasses and pretended to be myopic to pretend to be polite: "Glasses to wear myopic, learn from his famous old gentleman." (Qing Dynasty Jing Xiang house owner "all men bamboo words") Qing Dynasty Xueqiu's "continued to all men bamboo words" also said: "glasses to wear myopia, teaching people to know is a scholar."

For young people, glasses are also a symbol of fashion, and they are gradually becoming the mainstream group who wear glasses. "Myopic everyone wears glasses, shop in the deep system clearly. It is more forgiving to raise eyes light and skillful, and to fight for it is all born later." (Qing school Qiu's "Continue to the door of the Zhuzhi Ci") students to buy glasses, in fact, is not all to learn famous scholars, put on a book, "young not romantic, 叆叇 slanted look at red makeup" (Qing Dynasty Li Hangnan "Shenjiang Zhuzhi Ci"), myopia, glasses wear, have a glimpse of beauty charm, at that moment, it is like opening a new world in front of.