- Green is disliked among Chinese men due to historical and cultural reasons
- "Wearing a green hat" implies a man's wife is unfaithful in Chinese culture
- Green was seen as inferior, worn by lower officials in ancient China
Green is likely the most disliked colour among Chinese men, and the reason is deeply rooted in history and tradition. In Chinese culture, the phrase "wearing a green hat" is a centuries-old idiom implying that a man's wife has been unfaithful, making green a symbol of shame and dishonour. Dating back nearly 2,000 years, green was considered a "mixed colour," formed by blending blue and yellow. In ancient times, only five colours - red, yellow, blue, white, and black - were regarded as noble and pure. Any hue outside this set, like green, was seen as inferior and carried lower social value.
Green was considered low-grade, reserved for junior officials, while higher-ups wore esteemed colours. In fact, Bai Juyi's poem even links green attire to demotion. Common folks weren't even allowed hats, just headscarves.
In the Tang dynasty, county governor Li Feng introduced a humiliating form of punishment where subordinates who made mistakes were forced to wear green headscarves. The duration of this public shaming depended on the severity of their offence.
Later, in the Northern Song dynasty (960–1127), officials who betrayed their former regimes and surrendered to the Song emperors were dressed in green uniforms. This colour choice was deliberate, and meant to symbolise society's contempt for treachery and disloyalty.
During the Yuan and Ming dynasties, men related to prostitutes were required to wear green headscarves, leading to the phrase "wearing a green hat" meaning a man's wife was unfaithful. This phrase is still used today to describe a cuckolded husband.
Lately, internet users have been jokingly saying, "There's a grassland on his head," poking fun at the symbolism behind wearing green.
In 2021, photos of mainland singer and actor Gu Jiacheng sporting a bright green baseball cap, likely inspired by Western fashion trends, quickly went viral. Many Chinese netizens reacted with surprise, leaving comments like, “You're so brave to wear that!”
A Beijing-based influencer also shared that her Austrian husband once wore a green cap while jogging in a local park, unintentionally drawing amused smiles from people around him.
