#suoyi

OP ran into an elderly grandpa selling cherries at the wet market. He was wearing a super sturdy suoyi蓑衣 that he’d woven by himself. a traditional rain cape woven from palm leaves or rice straw, widely used by Chinese farmers in the past to shield from rain.

Chinese netizens also shared the suoyi they have. (cr搬砖弟，愿为云和雨)

Hi! Thanks for loving my blog, and sorry for taking ages to reply! (image via)

Chinese rain capes/raincoats are called 蓑衣/suoyi, and they are mainly made from local materials - in southern China, straw and coir grass are mostly used, as well as brown hair and brown leaves; in the north, thatch and cattail grass are mostly used. It takes about two to three days to make a suoyi by hand. They are typically worn with bamboo hats called 斗笠/douli.

Below - Ming dynasty illustration of a suoyi and douli (x):

Suoyi has a long history, originating before the Qin dynasty (221–206 BC). Although I haven't worn one myself, sources state that they were very effective. Compared with umbrellas, suoyi was not only better at keeping out the rain, but also freed up the two hands to work. Farmers liked to wear it on rainy days, and fishermen often wore it when fishing during rainy and snowy days. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, people travelling during the rainy season usually brought along suoyi (source).

Below - 19th-century late Qing dynasty suoyi made of palm and straw fiber, plus bamboo douli and basket (1, 2):

The tradition of working in the wind and rain wearing suoyi and douli continued until the late 1960s in China, after which they were gradually replaced with modern rain gear. Today, suoyi has become more of a tourist souvenir and decorative object than a practical item. Nevertheless, it can still be seen being worn by some elderly farmers and fisherman.

Below - a cormorant fisherman wearing suoyi and douli in Yangshuo, Guilin, Guangxi (x):

I highly recommend reading the following article for more information on suoyi's history, craftsmanship, and current status: Suoyi: RuCai Lyu’s rain cape and its ongoing tradition of protection.

For additional references, please see my suoyi tag.

If anyone has more info, please share! ^^

Hi, thanks for the question! 

I condensed the following information from Wikipedia:

斗笠/Douli is the Chinese name for the Asian conical hat, a simple style of conical hat originating in East and Southeast Asia. The hat’s exact origins are unknown, but it has been worn for a very long time. Douli is typically woven from bamboo, kept on the head by a cloth chin strap, and is used to guard against sunlight and rain. Below - some different types of douli:

The hat is known as nón lá (leaf hat) in Vietnam, sugegasa (菅笠) in Japan, satgat (삿갓) or gaerip (개립, 蓋笠) in Korean, do'un (ដួន) in Cambodia, terendak in Malaysia, caping in Indonesia, salakot in the Philippines, and  khamauk (ခမောက်) in Burmese. It comes in a variety of shapes and materials (some examples below):

Among conical hats, the Vietnamese nón lá is unique in that it forms a perfect right circular cone which tapers smoothly from the base to the apex.