What is the Chunyang Jin 纯阳巾

Chunyang Jin （纯阳巾）is a type of hat worn by Taoist priests. Its top is shaped like the sloping roof of a traditional Chinese tiled house, with nine vertical folds and nine seams at the front. The Jiuliang Jin is similar to the Chunyang Jin and Jiuzhuan Huayang Jin as recorded in historical documents.

Sanli Tu (Illustrations of the Three Rites) notes: "The Chunyang Jin, also known as Letian Jin, is quite similar to the headwear of the Han and Tang dynasties. There is a piece of cloth about an inch long on the top, which is folded like bamboo slips and hangs down at the back. It is called 'Chunyang' after an immortal, and 'Letian' after a person's name."

Wang Chongyang, the founder of the Quanzhen School, also wore a similar hat in the beginning. According to Dongxuan Jinyu Ji (Collection of Golden Jade in the Mysterious Grotto): "Chongyang, the Compassionate and Virtuous True Person, when living in a hut on Kunlun Mountain, made a headscarf with three and a half feet of green cloth. It had nine folds and nine seams arranged on the top. He said he had seen it in a dream and named it 'Jiuzhuan Huayang Jin'. The master had a dignified and imposing appearance, just like that of Zhongli (a renowned immortal in Taoism). With this headscarf on his head, he looked even more handsome and elegant, truly a transcendent being beyond the mortal world."

Based on this, Taoist priests of the Quanzhen School wore the Jiuliang Jin in the early days. However, most Quanzhen Taoist priests nowadays wear the Hunyuan Jin, while Zhengyi Taoist priests often wear the Chunyang Jin during rituals to distinguish themselves from the Quanzhen School.