In the long history of the ancient Chinese land, China enjoys the great reputation of being the “Country of Elegant Attire”, the “Land of Beautiful Costumes”, and the “State of Etiquette”, all of which are closely related to Hanfu. In modern life, Hanfu is not an everyday outfit. We can often see it only in large - scale traditional celebrations, exquisite photo shoots, and ancient - costume TV dramas. So, what kind of etiquette connotations are hidden behind Hanfu, which carries thousands of years of culture? Let's explore the profound world of Hanfu culture to find the answer.
Hanfu, the traditional clothing of the Han ethnic group with a millennium - long inheritance, is based on the essence of the Four Books and Five Classics and has followed the traditions in the Records of Carriages and Attire for thousands of years. The ceremonial robes have always adhered to the etiquette norms with few major changes over time. On the other hand, the daily clothing of the common people has become increasingly diverse as time goes by. As the unique traditional ethnic clothing of the Han people, Hanfu has a history of more than 4,000 years. Nourished by the wisdom and beliefs of the Chinese people, it has given birth to a splendid Hanfu culture and established a unique Hanfu system.
Unique Style Features of Hanfu
Hanfu has a variety of charming style features:
Historical Revival: Although the dark days of “hair - cutting and clothing - changing” have passed, the wave of Hanfu revival is surging, bringing it back to life in the new era.
Orderly Inheritance: As time passes, the historical inheritance of Hanfu can be clearly traced. It has been passed down from generation to generation, like an ever - flowing cultural river, maintaining its continuity.
Diversity in Unity: The styles of Hanfu are extremely rich. Styles such as “upper garment and lower skirt” (Shangyi Xiachang), “robe - like garment” (Shenyi), and “jacket and skirt” (Ruqun) compete for beauty, showing the diverse charm of ethnic clothing. However, its basic form is always “cross - collared, right - lapel, tied with ropes instead of buttons”, which demonstrates the high internal unity of Hanfu.
Complete System: After thousands of years of continuous development and refinement, Hanfu has become a mature and complete clothing system. It not only has a wide variety of internal types and exquisite craftsmanship but also has a rich variety of matching accessories.
Cultural Integration: The combination of Hanfu and traditional culture is natural. To a large extent, it has become a typical symbol of authentic traditional culture. From design to production, Hanfu is permeated with the profound influence of traditional culture, and the two coexist harmoniously and complement each other.
Influence of Hanfu
For thousands of years, with the extensive spread of the Confucian kingly way culture in ancient China, Hanfu has had a far - reaching influence. Many neighboring ethnic groups and countries in the Confucian cultural circle (Han cultural circle) have emulated China's etiquette system and borrowed some elements of Hanfu for use in the five major ceremonies: auspicious, inauspicious, guest - receiving, military, and festive. The Chinese guest - receiving etiquette stipulates that the rulers of foreign tribes must wear their national costumes when meeting the Chinese emperor. The implementation of the national costume system has gradually enabled neighboring ethnic groups to form their own unique ethnic clothing. For example, after Emperor Taizong of the Khitan entered the Jin Dynasty, he was exposed to the Central Plains' clothing system and formulated his own country's national costume and Hanfu system on his way back north, referring to the Central Plains' clothing system.
The Significance of the Han Dynasty
When it comes to Chinese history, the Han Dynasty is undoubtedly one of the most important and outstanding dynasties. It was also the first feudal dynasty to establish the concept of a centralized state. With a complete system and strong national power, it played a crucial role in the development of Chinese civilization. The term “Han people” originated from the Han Dynasty. During the Han Dynasty, the social economy developed vigorously, and the local ethnic culture showed amazing creativity, achieving high artistic and aesthetic achievements in many fields. The prosperous Han Empire, with its economic prosperity, advanced technology, and prosperous culture, has made the Chinese people proud for thousands of years. Today, the Han ethnic group, the main ethnic group in China, is named after the Han Dynasty, inheriting that glorious history.
The Essence of Hanfu
As the traditional clothing of the Han ethnic group, Hanfu is a unique clothing system that has naturally evolved around Chinese etiquette culture, with [Huaxia - Han] culture as its profound background and core idea. It includes various elements such as clothes, headgear, hairstyles, facial decorations, shoes, and accessories, jointly constructing a complete and unique clothing system. This system condenses exquisite traditional Chinese craftsmanship such as textile, batik, tie - dyeing, and embroidery, as well as excellent aesthetics, and carries more than 30 precious Chinese intangible cultural heritages. It truly lives up to the reputation of “Beautiful China, Country of Elegant Attire, and State of Etiquette”.
The basic features of Hanfu are distinct. Cross - collars, right - lapels, ties, and wide sleeves are its iconic elements, while round - collars and other forms serve as useful supplements. Usually, Hanfu does not use buttons in prominent positions. It was not until the Ming Dynasty that buttons gradually began to appear in conspicuous places on some styles of clothing.
