Nowadays, when someone asks, "Which jiaoyi are you in?" The question is meant to clarify your position in the leadership of your institution.

There are three types of jiaoyi: 

1. Armchair with a round back. This belongs to the highest grade of jiaoyi and was for the exclusive use of members of the imperial family. When folded, such chairs could be carried on a journey, and this is why they were also known as travelling chairs. When the emperor went on a hunting excursion, his bodyguard would follow in tow with the folding chairs on their shoulders. Thus jiaoyi was also known as Hunters chair.

2. Armchair with a straight back. This type of jiaoyi features arms that are longer than usual, and is mostly made from hardwood. A tiny number of them were made of Onmosia henryi, a precious hardwood. Such a jiaoyi was usually for the enjoyment of the learned and moneyed gentry in their studies or courtyards.

3. Chair with a straight back but no arms. This type of jiaoyi is relatively simpler in structure and usually made from run-of-the-mill materials. Many of them are still in use in the rural area of north China.