First-Graders Return to School in China with Song Dynasty-Inspired Social-Distancing Hats

First-graders in Hangzhou have returned back to school after months of Covid-19 quarantine. In order to ensure safety, some classes are wearing social-distancing hats reminiscent of those from the Song Dynasty.

First graders back to school in Hangzhou, with social distancing headgear

The long horizontal plumes on Song Dynasty toppers were supposedly to prevent officials from conspiring sotto voce with one another while at court—so social distancing was in fact their original function! pic.twitter.com/0AOKsWE1xH

— eileen chengyin chow (@chowleen) April 27, 2020

The three-foot long sides extending out of the hats have been made out of balloons, cardboard, and foam. The hats in the Song Dynasty weren’t nearly as DIY. But as Duke professor Eileen Chow points out on Twitter, they were also intended for social distancing.

They kept officials and politicians from speaking too quietly together, “conspiring sotto voce,” while in court.

Users found the children’s hats clever and adorable.

Historical precedents used. Clever on the part of the teacher to be able to incorporate a history lesson and maintain social distancing.

— Olga Sadowy (@OSadowy) April 27, 2020

That's actually really cute.

— Liana Brooks (@LianaBrooks) April 27, 2020

This week, Beijing and Shanghai allowed some students in middle and high schools to return. The Chinese Ministry of Education stated that all students will have their temperature taken before entering, and must have a “green code” on an app that calculates their infection risk level.

People have taken many other creative measures across China in response to Covid-19, from ancestor-worshipping online to the country’s own capital city banning the “Beijing Bikini.”