Biao qi, the long banners
The long embroidered banners that lead a procession, worked with auspicious phrases and the name of the village — a single troupe can carry dozens.
Pronunciation biāo qí｜Belief and processions｜One entry in the Chaoshan glossary
What it means
The embroidery is usually a phrase like “peace to the whole village”, “seasonable weather” or “all under heaven rejoicing”, with the village or the surname worked at the other end. The cloth is silk; the better needlework comes from Chaozhou embroidery workshops, edged in gold thread, and in a strong wind the whole panel turns over.
The poles are long, one to a bearer, and in a narrow lane the bearer has to turn sideways. When the procession is long, dozens of banners join into one sheet of colour running from the mouth of the street to the temple.
When you see it
First-month processions, house-moving, and festival gatherings. Do not pull at a banner to look at it — that is the local line between asking for luck and spoiling it; stand back and watch.
Words easily confused
Biao qi carry auspicious phrases and the village name; troupe flags carry the troupe’s name (the yingge team and the drum team each have one), and their positions differ: the biao qi go in front, the troupe flags travel with the body.
Custom in Chaoshan villages; this page describes only, and neither endorses superstition nor prescribes behaviour.
Read next: The procession calendar.
Same group: ying lao ye, yingge dance, dragging the god.
Home › Glossary › Belief and processions › Biao qi
Text on this site is CC BY-SA 4.0; copyright in images is reserved and commercial use requires a separate licence.
Last revised: 3 November 2026