Originally published in China Youth Magazine, Issue 10, 2021 @Correspondent: Fan Tuan (饭团) In recent years, there is a phenomenon that people can easily notice: more and more people in "ancient costumes" walking in the streets, they have wide robes and large sleeves, fluttering clothes, forming a landscape of their own, and most of them are young people. Their clothing is called Hanfu (汉服), and they call each other "Tongpao (同袍)" "Paozi (袍子)". So, what is Hanfu? Why are young people so keen on the Hanfu revival? How can ordinary people become Hanfu Tongpao? In this article, we interviewed 10 Hanfu Tongpao. Among them, there are ordinary people, leaders of Hanfu societies, Hanfu models, businessmen, and social media celebrities. Let's get closer to Hanfu in the stories of Tongpao.   Which Hanfu styles does Tongpao prefer? Hanfu, also known as Han Yi Guan, Han Zhuang, and Hua Fu, is a unique Han style and accessory system that was formed through a natural evolution from the reign of the Yellow Emperor to the middle of the 17th century AD (late Ming and early Qing dynasties) in the main areas where the Han people lived, with the "Huaxia-Han" culture as the background…

Hanfu has grown very popular today. In fact, the hanfu industry is now worth over 1 billion and has kept increasing over the years. Even today, it is still increasing. Many young and old people alike wear hanfu daily: in the streets, at school, casual wear, etc. The wearers also say that hanfu gives them a sense of national identity. However, how exactly are the intricate pieces made? There are several steps to it. First, silks and fabrics must be made. Second, embroidery and decorations must be done on the cloth. Then, tailors and hanfu makers buy the cloth and sew it. After much work, beautiful hanfu are made but let's get into detail... 01. Silk making 1. In Chinese mythology, silk is said to be invented by Lady Hsi Ling Shih, the wife of the yellow emperor who ruled from about 3000 BC. However, written references of silk was found at the Shang dynasty site in Anyang. Silk was first discovered and created in China. Real silk is very valuable and is one of the most expensive fabrics in the world. There are several types of silk but the most common type is silk made from the cocoons of…

The hot summer season does not only represent dullness and bondage, but also softness, ease, breathability and silhouette opening. Besides the hanfu style, there is still a wide range of fabrics to choose from. Han Time's essential guide will start with fabrics and bring you hanfu style suitable for summer wear.   Ramie | Ancient Cloth for Summer Hanfu The ramie is harvested three times a year, and at the time of the Grain in Ear (芒种), the farmers peel off the ramie skin from the pole, which is so coarse that it will break the hands if not careful. But it and Ge Man are the oldest fibers used as the raw material for making clothes. In Chinese, there is a character "Ji (绩)", which refers to the action of spinning hemp fibers into threads, and the process of making hemp threads is called "Ji Sha (绩纱)", which is mostly done by women and elderly people, and then sold to weaving workshops to be made into cloth before it is ready for clothing. Because ramie has a good gap, it has excellent breathability, and the solid color fabric reflects simplicity. If added with the printed and dyed flower color,…

Traditional Chinese painting has a long history, and classic heirloom paintings not only give us an idea of how the ancients lived, but some hanfu styles are even inspired by ancient paintings. The paintings we are going to learn about today have even been "printed" directly on the Chinese hanfu costumes. The traditional style of the hanfu combined with the retro tones of the paintings, makes a difference.   A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains The painting "A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains (千里江山图)", now collected in the Palace Museum in Beijing, is one of the ten most famous Chinese paintings, the work of Wang Ximeng of the Song Dynasty. He was only 18 years old when this painting was completed. Wang Ximeng's "A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains," 51.5 cm wide and 1,191.5 cm long, is painting on silk in green and blue, lavish in its elegance, combining the majesty of a thousand miles of rivers and mountains with the smoky atmosphere of life. There are not only magnificent mountains and rocks in the whole work, but also inhabitants on the riverside, who are either moored or working, adding dynamic beauty to the painting. The whole…

Hanfu models are arguably the luckiest of all, as they are always the first to try on the latest hanfu and take beautiful photos. But becoming a good hanfu model also takes a lot of hard work. Modern Hanfu found four hanfu models and let's hear their stories.   No.1 A Shang (阿尚) I am a college student studying drama performance, and I chose to join the hanfu modeling industry in my freshman year because I wanted to gain more shooting experience to better train myself and to reduce some economic pressure for my family, and I had participated in some aspects of modeling work. When I first joined the hanfu modeling industry, I thought hanfu modeling was the same as print modeling, but then I realized that I had to have my own "Yun Wei (韵味, charm)" to make it work. And the outside world's opinion about hanfu is really too single, each hanfu model as a "show" on stage for a minute or even a dozen seconds, may have to do a full month or two months of preparation off stage. From the understanding of the costume, to the selection of the overall style, to the design of…

  On the evening of 26 May, a unique discussion was taking place in a courtyard in Yibin, Sichuan Province. The participants were all dressed in "Chinese traditional costumes", including a round-necked robe from the Tang dynasty, a Beizi from the Song dynasty, and a short Aoqun from the Ming dynasty, giving a sense of time travel at first glance. They are members of the Yibin Hanfu Association and are working on a plan for a ritual. Li Juan, the owner of the courtyard and president of the Yibin Hanfu Association, listens carefully and gives sound advice from time to time. Li Juan is a lover of traditional culture and has won awards for excellence in calligraphy in Yibin's Cui Ping District, and for excellence in Chinese painting from the Yibin Artists Association, etc. She came across hanfu in 2013 and loved it so much that she has been promoting it with other hanfu enthusiasts ever since. In December 2019, she took the lead in setting up the Yibin Hanfu Association, and has held many events such as the Flower Festival, coming-of-age ceremony, and the Qu Yuan Ritual Ceremony at the Dragon Boat Festival, bringing hanfu and traditional rituals to…

Zimu Kou (子母扣, metal clasp button) is the most common accessory for making Ming-style Hanfu, and if you make a Ming Hanfu yourself, they are a must-buy material. Usually, you need about 7-10 buttons to make a Duijin Duan Shan (对襟短衫) with a stand-up collar. A good-looking Zimu Kou can become the highlight of the clothes, adding texture and a sense of sophistication, and good clothes should find a matching button to complement each other.   About Zimu Kou's selection Metal Zimu Kou is more suitable for autumn and winter Shan and Ao and other outer clothing, but sometimes too thin fabric to support too heavy Zimu Kou. Pifeng's Zimu Kou larger (only one, so need a larger one, can do embellishment, or highlight). Zimu Kou applied to the collar should choose easy to buckle on, the size of the buttons than the size of the garment is a little smaller. Gorgeous button style, more suitable for clothes with woven gold, dark pattern and so on.   About the care of Zimu Kou General copper and silver-plated material button are easier to oxidation, over time will become black. Usually to keep clean, dirty to wipe as soon as possible. If…

Original Author: Huafeng Mozhu (华风墨逐) Hanfu Cutting & Sewing Patterns Detail Zhongyi (中衣) Aoqun (袄裙) Ruqun (襦裙) Beizi (褙子) Pan collar Aoqun (盘领袄) Quju (曲裾) Banbi (半臂) Shuhe (裋褐) Zhiduo/Zhishen/Daopao (直裰/直身/道袍) Panling Pao/Lanshan (盘领袍/襕衫) Shenyi (深衣) Yisan (曳撒) Inspired Hanfu (改良汉服) Updating   Preface Ethnic costumes are different from ordinary clothes that only play the role of warmth and decoration, but they are one of the elements of the appearance of a nation and an important carrier of its traditional culture. It is also an important carrier of the traditional culture of a nation. The cultural connotation of traditional costumes of different nationalities is different, and it can naturally show the spiritual civilization and aesthetics of the nation. Hanfu is the traditional costume of the Han people, also known as "Han Zhuang" or "Hua Fu".Since the time of the Yellow Emperor, Yao and Shun, hanfu has taken a basic form, and after the inheritance of the rituals of the Zhou Dynasty, it has formed a perfect system of clothing and crown and spread to the people in the Han Dynasty. The hanfu had been developed for thousands of years until the fall of the Ming Dynasty, when it was temporarily stopped.…

Contributed article from user Shengli for 2021 Hanfu Free Giveaways & Contests PLAN C (My Story with Hanfu). Through your dislike of the gauze hat as mean, You have come to be locked in a cangue; Yesterday, poor fellow, you felt cold in a tattered coat, To-day, you despise the purple embroidered dress as long! Confusion reigns far and wide! you have just sung your part, I come on the boards, Instead of yours, you recognise another as your native land; What utter perversion! In one word, it comes to this we make wedding clothes for others! - The Dream of the Red Chamber by Cao Xueqin, translated by H. Bencroft Joly         In my native culture, we have such a saying: While at first you're welcomed according to your clothes, next you'll be treated according to your wisdom. Indeed, how much we can say of a person by his dressing, how many metaphors on his background, status and way of life can be expressed through dress! Like in words of Shih-yin from The Dream of the Red Chamber, where ideas of complexity and instability of human life and intergenerational relationships were put in words about tattered,…

Everyone has a martial arts dream in their heart, especially when watching Chinese historical dramas, many people even want to take the place of the main characters in the dramas to go into the world. If you still love martial arts to this day, you can try these martial arts style Hanfu suits (Wuxia clothing), which are very handsome, let them satisfy your martial arts dreams.   The first set consists of a straight collar and lapel jacket with a graduated color pleated skirt, the outermost layer of which can be added to the Hewei (合围). The embroidery is derived from bamboo leaves, garden window frames, and the leather cuffs with buttons emphasize the feminine capable, and easily master the martial arts temperament.   The second set belongs to the Hanfu-inspired clothing, which can be called Wei Jin style, is composed of a large-sleeved shirt with a cross-collar lining, the overall presentation is an elegant style, often seen in martial arts film and dramas such dress. Light green color scheme, no complicated embroidery, wearing such an outfit, gently leaning on the bow, away from worldly strife, converge into a quiet painting.   The third set is a Ming-style round neck robe,…

Contributed article from user LiangYuZuan for 2021 Hanfu Free Giveaways & Contests PLAN C (My Story with Hanfu). I had been exposed to Hanfu early as a child. I remember watching "Liang Shan Bo, Zhu Ying Tai" (1979) and Jacky Chan starring in "The Young Master" (1979) in theater while waylaying in Macau. I also remember seeing Shirley Temple films in black and white with her lavish dresses. My young impressionable years were mired in TV period dramas and folklore made to film available for rental videos out of Chinatown. I would often daydream about the long flowing Hanfu of fairies and gods/goddesses in the Heavenly Courts. Great epics about Sun Wukong in his journey to the west for spiritual scroll or the battles of Nezha challenging the Heaven's Forces were made to real life in long TV series portrayed by performing artists. Seemed they were fictional characters, and therefore their garments were costumes. But when regular people start dressing up like that, they were considered cosplayer. Opera garb was costume, not Hanfu. I felt the clothes were real enough, especially in the series involving historical figures. I even saw them burn incense and pray as if to ask permission to play…

Contributed article from user Camille for 2021 Hanfu Free Giveaways & Contests PLAN C (My Story with Hanfu). It's my first time writing an article, so maybe the content is rather simple, thank you for reading. The first time I came across hanfu was through the TV series: Dream of the Red Chamber, which is probably a common starting point for many people, we are always unconsciously attracted by the beautiful costumes in TV series. But at that time, I didn't know that it was called hanfu, but later I read articles about hanfu, and only then I connected the two together, and in fact. It seems like it was a long time ago that I liked hanfu, but it seems like it happened recently, probably because I used to like it, but I never had the money to buy a set of hanfu of my own, so I remember the state of it very clearly. But the real reason I got my own hanfu was after I worked and took out a little bit of my monthly salary and I got a hanfu. I still remember how excited I was when I got that set of clothes, it was…

From November 22, 2003, Mr. Wang Letian, a private citizen, wear the traditional costume of the Han nation and walk on the street. Wang Letian's action has been widely spread and has received a lot of support and response, and has set off a wave of the Hanfu movement in the country. In addition to the widespread of Hanfu enthusiasts, the Hanfu movement is also helped by Hanfu merchants. Today, we will tell you the story of Hanfu merchants "Chonghui Han Tang (重回汉唐, Back to Han Tang)" and see how they have developed from opening the first Hanfu store to becoming the Hanfu head business in China. The history of the development of the offline stores of Chonghui Han Tang can almost be seen from the changes in the Chinese Hanfu industry. 2006, the first offline store of Chonghui Han Tang was opened in Wenshufang, a commercial street in Chengdu, with less than 20 pieces of Hanfu hanging in a 30 square meter storefront. Over the past ten years, Chonghui Han Tang has opened more than 30 directly-managed stores and more than 100 agency stores, covering almost every provincial capital city in China. The store in Wenshufang, because of its…

The costume is a vivid presentation of the style of each era. Before the Chinese New Year, the National Museum of China launched the "Ancient Chinese Costume Culture Exhibition". The exhibition attracted many Chinese culture lovers, including those wearing Chinese Hanfu costumes. In addition to the display of traditional costumes, the exhibition also includes many artifacts related to costume production, costume images, and clothing etiquette, providing a complete, systematic, and expansive overview from the Stone Age to the Ming and Qing dynasties. Rich in artifacts and detailed panels, there are lines of costume development stretching back 5,000 years, as well as many aspects of lifestyle, cultural exchange and ritual innovation, and even the finer points of ornamentation, belts, headwear, and makeup, which are also not to be missed. One of the highlights of the exhibition is the use of 15 restored portraits dressed in the costumes of different dynasties and identities to showcase the complete wardrobe of different dynasties. Taking this opportunity, Qianmo Xueshe will select a few of these restored portraits to introduce you to the changes in ancient women's Hanfu clothing. 01 Han Dynasty Shenyi with Long Sleeves Shenyi (深衣) were the most common women's Hanfu clothing in…

With the increasing number of Hanfu styles, which ones to choose to make yourself stand out? Hanfu Time has recommended some cute Hanfu styles with cat patterns, so let's get to know some cats from ancient China by the way.   Cat in ancient China Cats, as early as in the Book of Rites, have been recorded. Cats like the little elves that heal the soul, also survive in everyone's daily life all the time with various cute gestures. There are also many different kinds of patterns in cats. In addition to pure yellow, pure black, and pure white fur, there are also cats with different patterns, which is similar to our modern understanding of cat fur. Cats with unadulterated fur and bright eyes are mostly good cats of excellent quality. The pure fur should belong to the long-haired cats, and it is written in the "Xiang Mao Jing" that "all pure colors, regardless of yellow, white and black, are called Si Shi Hao." The left cat in Jin Qing's "Two Cats" of the Song Dynasty is one of the "Si Shi Hao (四时好)". The Dragon Li (Chinese Li Hua, 狸花猫) is a kind of Chinese cat with a fur…

Apart from the traditional Hanfustyle, is there a more fashionable and trendy style of Hanfu? How to wear Hanfu in fashion? In fact, the answer is yes. Some of the styles of Hanfu have the same genes as fashion, so as long as they are matched with the right colors, they are suitable to be worn as fashion; it is also good to mix and match Hanfu items to create a fashionable mix of various styles. Han Time has brought us a few examples of this, take a look. Hottest style: "Song-style Xuan skirt" The Song-style Xuan skirt (宋制旋裙) is the most fashionable Hanfu suit available today. The narrow hem was excavated from the tomb of Huang Sheng in the Southern Song Dynasty, and the wide hem was excavated from the tomb of Zhou in the Southern Song Dynasty. The narrow hem is similar to the common pencil skirt nowadays, and can be easily managed in solid colors and atmospheric floral colors, while the wide hem is similar to pleated skirts and A-skirts, which can not only change the length but also evolve into many playful styles by applying denim and gingham. Easy to match style: "Mamian skirt" The Mamian…

When many people think of Hanfu, it must be the traditional clothing with long sleeves and fluttering skirts. Although different people have different impressions of Hanfu, there is a common understanding that it must have strong Chinese elements. But in fact, there are also Hanfu styles that go well with more fashionable elements in addition to the traditional format. As Christmas is coming up this year, let's take a look at what a Hanfu for Christmas style looks like. Square Collar Pi Ao + Standing Collar Ao + Pleated Skirt As we all know, autumn and winter are the most suitable seasons for Ming-style Hanfu, because most of them are very warm. The first set's top is a traditional Ming-style short Ao (袄) with standing collar and parallel opening, which is fresh and elegant, but it is not very "Christmas style" and warm, so it can be paired with a square collar half-sleeved Pi Ao (披袄) to ward off the cold wind and look more demure and lovely. The bottom skirt is a pleated skirt with modern elements, which is dignified and mature. The addition of Christmas style will be in this mature into cute and playful, with a top…

As the popularity of Hanfu continues to grow, there are more and more voices saying "Let's integrate Hanfu into daily life", but Hanfu for daily wear is not an easy task for some Hanfu lovers, not only should they wear complete sets of Hanfu, but they also need to match the appropriate hairstyle, accessories, shoes, and bags, which is also the reason why many Hanfu lovers are not willing to wear Hanfu every day. But! Today, I would like to introduce to you a lovely lady who perfectly integrates Hanfu into her work life: Li Guoguo (@李蝈蝈要当红军咕唧). Miss Liguoguo has been in contact with Hanfu for many years, and often shares her Hanfu outfits on social media. She loves to go to exhibitions, loves handicrafts, and is obsessed with the beautiful patterns in ancient Hanfu clothes. Best of all, she is creative in mixing and matching Hanfu with fashion. In the video, she made of her Hanfu for daily and commuter style mixed and matched with modern fashion, showing four elegant and charming looks, each outfit is beautiful, with the distinctive charm of Hanfu, and the dapper charm of commuter wear. It turns out that a gorgeous Hanfu can also…

In the ancient Chinese costume system, Hanfu sash and belt ornaments played a very important role, not only as a means of securing and decorating the garment, but also as a symbol of the wearer's status. In ancient times, officials wore Chaofu (朝服) when going to Shangchao (上朝). The Chaofu was the ancient official's uniform for political discussions, one of the important functions of Chaofu in ancient China was to distinguish between the ranks of superior and inferior through clothing. This distinction was mainly made through the three aspects of the Guan (冠, headwear), the color/Zhangwen (章纹) of the garment, and the belt ornaments. The belt ornaments on Chaofu, specifically the belt and the various types of pendant hanging from it, are mainly of the following types: jade pendants, Bixi (蔽膝), Yinshou (印绶), and Yufu/Yudai (鱼符/鱼袋). In ancient Chinese Chaofu, belt ornaments were a very important part, especially for men, as they were almost the only ornaments they wore and were important identity markers. The role of the belt ornament in expressing the wearer's rank was clearly and straightforwardly defined in the costume system during the Zhou dynasty, and was later enriched and refined through the ages. Hanfu Belt for…

The spread of culture is never an overnight process. As a traditional Chinese dress,  traditional Hanfu carries the spiritual pursuit and value orientation of the Chinese people. The appearance of traditional Hanfu in China Fashion Week is a major breakthrough in the culture of Hanfu, representing not only the attention of the Chinese audience, but also the hope to show the beauty of Hanfu to the world. At this year's China Fashion Week, Chu He Ting Xiang (楚和听香) has brought their brand-new product series, which combined the elements of Chinese Hanfu clothing with ancient light and shadow effects, handsome men and elegant women dressed in different styles and colors of Hanfu passed by on the stage, with the graceful Chinese gauze sleeves and skirts shimmering like water waves, looked fairy-like in the mix of lights. The show not only showed the beauty of the Hanfu itself, but also the harmonious atmosphere that is created between the multiple sets of Hanfu. Two main styles were on display: the traditional court Hanfu style, and the Han elements combined with Western-style. 1. Traditional court Hanfu style In the courtly style, the hanfu is mainly presented in solid colors. The wide sleeves and placket of…