NEWHANFU

For four consecutive years, Guangdong Light Industry Polytechnic University students have journeyed to Lianma Village in Conghua. Their mission: resurrecting Liuxi paper, a near-lost craft where bamboo transforms into delicate sheets. Villagers greet them warmly, noting how these young innovators consistently bring fresh energy to the ancient settlement. Since 2022, the "Treasure Hunt Lianma" student team has woven academic rigor with cultural reverence, creating a sustainable bridge between campus and community. Their evolving strategy—from technical restoration to creative reimagination—demonstrates how youthful vision can transform heritage into living, breathing contemporary practice. Roots in Collaboration A formal partnership between the university's Materials School and Lianma Village established continuity. This framework enabled 17 professors and 28 technicians to provide ongoing support, moving beyond sporadic visits to embedded cooperation. Students adopted a "holiday immersion + routine assistance" model, ensuring consistent presence rather than fleeting involvement. During recent discussions, Professor Xie Guowei emphasized this sustained engagement as fundamental to their progress, allowing deep understanding of both the craft's intricacies and the village's needs. Their collaboration birthed unique educational initiatives. "Red Culture+" experiential tours now guide visitors through local revolutionary history using digital platforms, while integrating Liuxi paper motifs into thematic learning about integrity. Lotus and…...

Summer 2025 witnesses a cultural phenomenon reshaping China’s tourism landscape. From mist-shrouded villages in Anhui to canal-lined streets of Shaoxing (绍兴), international visitors are trading T-shirts for Tang dynasty robes. This sartorial shift transcends fashion—it’s a tactile dialogue with history. As Indian student Adnan explores Keqiao Ancient Town, his crimson-sleeved arms gesture toward stone bridges, embodying a silent conversation between eras. Beyond Instagram moments, this trend fuels local economies and rewrites cultural exchange. Threads of Curiosity Adnan’s journey began with a simple observation: flowing sleeves against smartphone screens. "At home, we see hanfu in documentaries," he shares while adjusting his linen sash. "Touching embroidered phoenixes makes legends tangible." His family’s Shaoxing base became a springboard to Keqiao’s silk vendors, where textures bridged his Indian heritage with Ming dynasty motifs. Near Huangshan’s Xixinan Village, Brazilian siblings Maria and Pedro discovered shared symbolism. "Our Carnaval feathers mirror these crane patterns," Pedro notes, tracing gold-threaded birds. Their guide contextualized each stitch: "Cloud collars symbolize heaven’s embrace," she explained, linking cosmology to craftsmanship. For German retiree Helga, the ritual itself resonated. Seated before a Qing-style dressing mirror, artisans transformed her silver braid into coiled palace hairstyles. "This combing ceremony," she reflects, "feels like ancestral…...

That unassuming canvas tote slung over your shoulder isn’t just carrying your essentials—it’s rewriting fashion’s rulebook. Once confined to art galleries and indie bookshops, these humble carriers now stride confidently down metropolitan streets and Instagram feeds. They reject luxury branding, champion sustainability, and broadcast individuality through bold prints and minimalist silhouettes. In an era of curated aesthetics, canvas bags offer authenticity—a tactile rebellion against fast fashion’s excess. Canvas Totes A decade ago, canvas totes signaled underground credibility—the unofficial uniform of art students and thrift-store regulars. Their migration from fringe to mainstream began when social platforms like Instagram transformed them into viral style statements. Film festival merch bags and museum collaborations became instant collectibles, merging cultural cachet with everyday utility. Celebrity sightings accelerated the shift. When A-listers traded designer purses for souvenir-laden canvas sacks during travel shows, they validated the trend’s practicality and charm. Suddenly, "unpolished" became aspirational. The bag’s journey mirrors a broader cultural pivot: where status once whispered through logos, it now shouts via curated authenticity. Prints as Personality What elevates canvas beyond mere function? Its canvas becomes a billboard for self-expression. A Klimt reproduction, a line of Sylvia Plath poetry, or a protest slogan—each print serves as a…...

Paris Fashion Week’s autumn/winter showcases witnessed an undeniable shift: Chinese celebrities commanded global attention with distinctive aesthetics and unapologetic individuality. Moving beyond traditional "ambassador" roles, stars like Wang Yibo, Xin Zhilei, and Dilraba delivered masterclasses in personal style, blending Eastern sensibility with avant-garde Western design. Their presence wasn't merely noted; it became the focal point of social media buzz and front-row photography, signaling a new era where Chinese influence reshapes high fashion narratives. From Wang Yibo’s (王一博) youthful reinvention to Xin Zhilei’s (辛芷蕾) sharp elegance and Dilraba’s (迪丽热巴) ethereal grace, each moment resonated far beyond the runway, cementing their status as true style innovators. Boyish Charm, Reimagined Wang Yibo’s arrival at the Chanel show shattered expectations. Gone was the aloof idol; in his place stood a sun-kissed, tousle-haired vision of relaxed sophistication. His artfully messy "lamb's wool" curls framed a face radiating ease, a stark contrast to previous polished looks. The choice of Chanel’s AW25 glittering boucle tweed jacket was inspired, its intricate craftsmanship amplified by playful touches: a single swallow brooch pinned low and layered COCO CRUSH rings. The ensemble masterfully balanced haute couture grandeur with an approachable, almost rebellious, boyish energy. His interaction with the crowd—removing sunglasses to…...

A playful wink, a gust of salt-kissed wind, and a single fresh blossom tucked into flowing dark hair – this seemingly simple moment, captured on the sun-drenched Fujian coast, has propelled Yu Shuxin (虞书欣) into the social media stratosphere. Far from the typical glamorous studio shoot, these candid behind-the-scenes glimpses from the set of her upcoming drama, Road To Success (灿如繁星), showcase a different kind of star power: effortless, authentic, and deeply connected to its breathtaking seaside setting. Yu Shuxin, shedding elaborate costumes for a breezy white dress, transforms the shoreline into her runway, proving that true radiance often blooms from unadorned simplicity and genuine joy. Her spontaneous interaction with the camera, particularly the now-iconic wink, resonates not just as celebrity charm, but as a pure expression of delight in the moment, instantly captivating audiences and setting the internet ablaze with anticipation for the drama itself. Seaside Style Ditching ostentatious luxury, Yu Shuxin’s coastal look for Road To Success is a masterclass in understated elegance. Her attire, a fluid white dress seemingly washed in the hues of the ocean itself, speaks of comfort and ease. The real magic, however, rests literally on her head: a single, delicate wildflower plucked from…...

The runway pulsed with energy at Wuhan's Red T Fashion District on July 5th. Nearly one hundred young designers from universities across mainland China and Taiwan transformed fabric into dialogue, showcasing 38 finalist collections for the Fourth Golden Clothes Award. This event, part of the 19th Hubei-Wuhan Taiwan Week, became more than a competition—it evolved into a vibrant conversation about shared heritage and contemporary vision. Models moved beneath lights not just displaying garments, but carrying stories woven from ancient motifs and futuristic textiles, revealing how a new generation interprets identity through cloth and craft. Silk Roads Redrawn Layers of hand-dyed indigo flowed like mountain mist down the runway. One designer merged digital-printed Song Dynasty landscapes with biodegradable synthetics, creating gowns where past and future coexisted seamlessly. Another finalist reimagined Miao embroidery techniques using recycled thread, patterning jackets with geometric phoenixes traditionally stitched over months, now achieved with innovative speed without sacrificing artistry. The tactile richness of handwork met engineered fabrics unexpectedly. A collection from Taiwan featured modular clothing using magnetic Han-style closures, allowing wearers to reconfigure silhouettes instantly. This practical innovation honored traditional fastening methods while embracing adaptability for modern life. Judges noted how entrants sourced inspiration from regional textile…...

In a workshop in Jiangxi, Wu Wanjing (吴婉菁) places a piece of ramie fabric embroidered with blue-and-white porcelain patterns onto a LABUBU doll. This moment captures more than a craftsperson at work; it embodies a deliberate conversation between millennium-old heritage and global pop culture. Xiabu embroidery, rooted in the unique texture of handwoven ramie cloth (often called "China Grass"), thrives not through rigid preservation, but through dynamic reinvention. Once adorning baby bonnets and household items carrying familial blessings, its distinct "transparent stitching" technique, mimicking the flow of ink wash paintings, now finds unexpected canvases. Museums safeguard its history, while designers and students actively reinterpret its language for contemporary eyes and wardrobes, proving this resilient textile art is far from frozen in time. Fabric with Character Ramie cloth possesses an inherent, irregular texture formed by its handwoven warp and weft threads. Each piece is genuinely unique, bearing subtle variations from the artisan's touch. This distinctive surface posed a significant creative challenge: traditional dense embroidery methods would completely obscure the cloth's natural beauty and tactile quality. Preservation demanded innovation. The solution emerged in the form of the "transparent void stitch," a technique specifically developed for Xiabu embroidery. This method allows silk threads…...

Shanghai’s A.F.A ROJO Arts Space transformed into a vibrant hub of sustainable creativity this weekend. The Xiaohongshu "Infinite Fashion Bazaar" redefined urban style by turning forgotten garments into coveted treasures. Over 100 creators, 20+ vintage boutiques, and 30+ celebrity-donated pieces converged, proving that fashion thrives not through consumption, but circulation. This wasn’t just a market—it was a manifesto for conscious living, where discarded fabrics found new life and community connections sparked fresh trends. Swap, Don’t Shop At the heart of the bazaar lay the "Style Exchange Zone," a 6,000 sqm arena buzzing with sartorial diplomacy. Visitors traded pre-loved jackets, boots, and bags, each swap a silent protest against fast fashion’s waste. "These clothes once defined my past; now they’ll inspire someone’s future," shared one participant, clutching a newly acquired silk scarf. The space thrived on face-to-face interactions—strangers debated stitching techniques, shared closet confessions, and left with more than just items: they carried forward a philosophy where value outlasts vanity. Designer-led upcycling stations punctuated the zone. A plain tee morphed into a structured tote under precise scissors; shattered ceramics became mosaic brooches. These micro-workshops showcased sustainability’s tactile joy, transforming "waste" into heirlooms without a single new resource. The lesson echoed clear:…...

As Chinese cultural aesthetics gain global traction, actress Dilraba (迪丽热巴) emerges as its most captivating ambassador. Her recent fusion ensembles—a deconstructed qipao and an ink-wash gown—transcend mere fashion statements, weaving historical reverence with contemporary audacity. This exploration delves into how her sartorial choices ignite cultural pride, challenge design boundaries, and crystallize a new era of "Eastern Glamour." The Revolutionary Qipao Rebirth Dilraba’s black-and-gold qipao shattered conventions at a recent gala. Its asymmetric silhouette—featuring a single sculpted sleeve and strategic cutouts—balanced tradition with rebellion. Gold embroidery snaked across midnight silk, evoking dynastic opulence while the exposed shoulder whispered modernity. This architectural masterpiece proved heritage wear needn’t be archival. The ensemble’s genius lay in its disciplined restraint. Unlike ornate historical qipaos, Dilraba’s version used negative space as artistry. A solitary golden phoenix clasp anchored the neckline, while the split skirt revealed flashes of leg sans vulgarity. Every element served the garment’s narrative: China’s past reimagined for fearless futurists. Her styling amplified the revolution. Matte crimson lips contrasted with ink-black hair swept into a low chignon. No jade bangles or dangling earrings distracted; instead, a single gold ring echoed the gown’s metallic threads. Minimalism magnified the garment’s structural audacity. Social media erupted. Weibo…...

Building genuine connections across cultures enriches our lives. When birthdays or holidays arrive, choosing the right gift for foreign friends becomes more than a gesture—it’s an opportunity to share your heritage while honoring theirs. Thoughtful presents spark joy, foster mutual understanding, and create lasting memories. This guide explores unique, culturally resonant gifts that transcend borders. Handcrafted Cultural Treasures Traditional crafts tell stories of heritage and artistry. Chinese embroidery, like Suzhou or Sichuan styles, showcases intricate techniques passed down for generations. Pieces featuring nature themes—birds, flowers, or pandas—capture attention with vivid detail. These works transform into elegant wall hangings or table displays, offering daily inspiration. One diplomat displayed Suzhou embroidery in her office, prompting colleagues to ask about its symbolism, turning the gift into a conversation starter. Yixing clay teapots represent another timeless choice. Crafted from porous purple clay, these teapots enhance tea flavors over time. Classic designs like the "Shi Piao" (stone dipper) balance form and function. For tea enthusiasts, gifting a small Yixing pot with premium oolong creates an interactive experience. A London-based chef uses his daily, noting how the ritual centers him—proof that utility and tradition coexist beautifully. Culinary Delights from the Region Regional flavors offer edible adventures.…...