The History of the Gift of Accompaniment

In the past, the Chinese community was an agrarian society with a strong human touch. These gifts were not expensive products, but rather represented the emotional connection between people, and were a small token of the giver's feelings.

In modern society, the accompanying gift is no longer just a small gift to connect with emotions, but has become the moniker for commercial marketing of famous products and specialities from around the world, and also provides a ready-made choice for people who bring accompanying gifts. A number of products with local characteristics have become synonymous with souvenirs. In Macau, there are also many shops selling handicrafts under the proper banner. 

Accompaniments = Danlue: It has been said that in the old days, when people lived in hardship, the accompaniments to be given to friends and relatives during the New Year festivals were not just bought on the road.

Usually they were prepared with their own savings, or with items that they had accumulated and saved up from their own production, just like alchemy.

The second day of the first month of the lunar calendar is usually the day when a married daughter returns to her mother's home. Daughters who are married off usually have to prepare some gifts, commonly known as "accompanying hands" or "waiting for the road", and must prepare some red envelopes to give to their elders, juniors or children when they return to their mother's home. If the daughter brings home a grandson, the maiden family usually gives the daughter a chicken leg. The grandmother usually hangs a small red envelope (formerly tied with "ancient money") around her grandson's neck with a red string, called a "knotted cloth", as a sign of blessing.

It is also a custom in ancient times to guarantee women's rights at the very least, and it is only at this time that women who have worked hard all year to keep house are able to enjoy this rare holiday as "guests". In fact, whether it is the accompanying hand or the danlu/waiting for the road, it is a gift for the child to "wait" for a friend or relative from far away, and this kind of courtesy should not be neglected in normal times, but on the New Year's Day and the wedding day, both parties must do their best to "accompany the hand" and "wait for the road" when they return!

China is known as a country of etiquette, and tea culture is deeply rooted in people's daily lives. The culture of 'accompanying gifts' is not simply material enjoyment, nor is it simply spiritual culture, but a clever combination of the two into people's lives, and then developed into spiritual cultural activities. We are constantly striving to promote the spirit of 'handfasting' and to spread it across the Chinese landscape to promote traditional Chinese virtues.

The art of the accompanying gift is the art of the accompanying gift, which is what the ancient people meant by the fetish of the 'saddle pulley'. These accompanying gifts represent the emotional connection between people, just a small accompanying hand but on behalf of the gift giver's heart, for people, the accompanying gift is not just a gift, but a bridge that holds the emotional connection between people, can express the deepest feelings of the gift giver, a good accompanying hand can make the two sides of the gift to form a spiritual communication and resonance.