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Teenage girls in Xi'an, China
Participate in their
Confucian coming of age ceremony

^{Mothers and friends of the girls stand watch over the ceremony as the host approaches.}

A Confucian coming of age ceremony for teenage girls is held in Xi'an, the capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province, April 6, 2014. More than 50 teenage girls on Sunday attended a Ji Li, the Confucian-style coming of age ceremony for females. (The coming of age ceremony for males is called, "Guan Li"). This ceremony was organized by local fans of Hanfu, the traditional Chinese costume, and followed typical Ji Li practices which include making hair buns, attaching hairpins and paying tribute to Huangdi, the common ancestor of the Chinese.



The hostess of the coming of age ceremony helps a teenage girl dress up in the traditional Hanfu costume.



The teenage girls make their adulthood vows.



The host of the Confucian coming of age ceremony attaches hairpin for a teenage girl which symbolizes her turn into adulthood.



The girls practice a gratitude courtesy after receiving the hairpins.



The girls, now officially adult women, ceremonially throw sticks into a bronze canister in an ancient game called Touhu.

All photos provided by Xinhua, China news agency.



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China Daily
Wikipedia - Traditional Hanfu clothing
Wikipedia - game of Touhu