The oldest Chinese embroideries found date back to the Zhou dynasty (1027-221 B.C.) and may well be the earliest that ever existed. However, very early embroideries have also been found in Egypt and Northern Europe, so it is not clear in which part of the world the art of embroidery actually originated - it may also have appeared in several parts of the world at about the same time. It is, however, accepted that the Chinese invented sericulture and mastered the art of reeling the cocoons of the bombyx and spinning the silk from very early times. It is therefore not surprising that the ancient Chinese embroideries were made of silk. Strangely enough, embroidery in China was at first reserved for men, before they entrusted this task to the more delicate fingers of their women. The earliest surviving example of Chinese silk embroidery is a ritual garment found in a tomb in Mashan, now Hubei Province, in the fourth century BC, during the early Taoism period (before the appearance of Buddhism in China). However, if we are to believe the patterns drawn on this garment, it could just as well have been used to perform the rituals of a religion…

Unlike the Han, Tang, Song, and Ming dynasties, the Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern dynasties, were the most frequent period of regime change in Chinese history, mainly divided into the Three Kingdoms: Cao Wei (曹魏), Shu Han (蜀汉) and Dong Wu (东吴); Western Jin (西晋); Eastern Jin (东晋); the Northern and Southern Dynasties periods (南北朝时期). The development of Chinese culture during this period was particularly affected by the long period of feudalism and continuous wars. As a result of the interplay of many new cultural factors, the Northern and Southern Dynasties became a tumultuous but poetic era, with the amorous style of a flamboyant gentleman and the leisurely thoughts of a gentle girl. In a simple and bright move under the skirt, there is a unique "Northern and Southern Dynasties" hanfu flavor, and the poetry of the oriental landscape is linked in the softness and simplicity. In this article, let's take a closer look at the unique aesthetic of this era and teach you how easy it will be to match the "Northern and Southern Dynasties Hanfu" with a classical flavor.   The style trend of hanfu in the "Northern and Southern Dynasties" During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, hanfu…

Why did the Qin dynasty dress admire the black color? What were the forms of women's clothing in the Qin, Han, Tang, Song, and Ming dynasties? What are the characteristics of men's clothing in different dynasties? How was the style and pattern of Hanfu chosen? How did the ancients choose different styles of Hanfu for different occasions? What were the characteristics of makeup in different periods of history? If you are new to Hanfu (traditional Chinese dress), you certainly have many questions and will feel that Hanfu is very complicated. Moreover, the Chinese Hanfu costume covers not only the dress, but also the makeup, hair, and accessories. So we will compile in this post documentaries on Hanfu, if you are interested in Hanfu and Hanfu related culture, you may get your doubts solved through them.   李白 / Li Bai "Li Bai" is divided into four episodes, attempting to sketch a clearer and more complete outline of this artistic giant through the life of Li Bai, and tracing the spiritual character of the Chinese people for thousands of years. To vividly tell the important episodes and present the atmosphere of Li Bai's literary works, "Li Bai" combines realistic scenes and…

Time passes, in the millennium of Chinese history, each dynasty has evolved a unique style of women's makeup. As the saying goes, light makeup is always appropriate, nowadays we, and then see these exquisite ancient Chinese makeup style, will also be very amazed. The simple elegance of the Han dynasty, the ebullience of the Six dynasties period, gorgeous opulence of the Tang dynasty, each dynasty has its own representative style and unique aesthetic, today for you to take stock of the beauty of the ancient Chinese makeup style of each dynasty.   Han Dynasty Han Dynasty women advocated "white powder and black Dai (黛, Greenish-black pigment used to paint eyebrows.)", but due to the constraints, they often used natural "cosmetics" to decorate their faces, such as finely ground rice grains to put on the face, this foundation is more healthy, but the effect of whitening is not obvious; many women even chose lead powder to put on the face, this mineral powder is toxic, but it has a strong whitening effect. With a white face, the next most important thing is to draw eyebrows. The common tool used by the ancients to draw eyebrows was "Dai", which was need dissolved…

This section contains Panling Robe (盘领袍), Lanshan (襕衫). Size range: 165/88A to 185/104A. Please read the introduction of the topic and how to use this guide in advance. Introduction In the Sui and Tang dynasties, the basic features of the Yuanling Shan (圆领衫, round neck shirt) were narrow sleeves, a slightly shorter length, and a straight strip of cloth standing on top of the collar. Later, the collar of the round neck shirt began to gradually become wider and lower, to the Song dynasty, has completely become the collar edge of the pan collar spreading, while the cuffs become larger, the body of the garment becomes longer. Ming-style Panling Pao (pan collar robe) added hem on the basis of Song style, its collar production process is generally straight cloth strip folded, and then ironed into shape, along the inner circle with line sewing tight, so that the collar edge curved to fit the round neckline, collar edge end nailed with buttons for fixed. The Panling Robe was widely used as imperial costumes and official uniforms in the Ming Dynasty, with the basic features of a pan collar, Pipa sleeves or wide sleeves, and hem on both sides of the garment.…

Silk is undoubtedly the driving force behind the prosperity of the Silk Road, and Dunhuang is the richest and most concentrated Silk Road town in terms of unearthed silk objects. For historical reasons, these surviving "treasures" scattered around the world have not been systematically organized and studied. Zhao Feng (赵丰), professor at Donghua University and director of the China Silk Museum, led a team of Dunhuang silk researchers in collaboration with experts and scholars from cultural and museum institutions around the world. It took 15 years to systematically organize and study the Dunhuang silk relics scattered around the world, resulting in TEXTILES FROM DUNHUANG (敦煌丝绸艺术全集), a magnum opus. The complete collection was launched at the "Silk Road and Silk Art" forum at Donghua University on October 15, 2021, includes IN UK COLLECTIONS, IN FRENCH COLLECTIONS, IN RUSSIAN COLLECTIONS, IN THE LUSHUN MUSEUM, IN THE DUNHUANG ACADEMY, with millions of words and more than a thousand pictures. The release of "TEXTILES FROM DUNHUANG" fills a gap in the study of silk in Dunhuang, providing important support for research on the Silk Road and the history of textile and costume art. The vast amount of first-ever physical remains plus documentary comparative studies…

Whenever it comes to an important Chinese holiday, the National Day of China or the Chinese New Year. You would always see red color in various places in China. Besides adding to the festive atmosphere, the color red is also an important part of the world's perception of China. Why does red represent China? How did red become the favorite color of the Chinese people? Today we will talk about the China-red!   How much do Chinese people like red? China-red, as the underlying color of Chinese culture, is everywhere, all the time. Such as the vermilion gate, red walls and pillars of the Forbidden City, or the redwood furniture and red quilts of people's homes. From the bride's red veil, red wedding dress, red embroidered shoes, etc., to the red Dudou (肚兜) worn by children. And red Fai Chun, red lanterns, red paper cutting, red envelope, red seals ...... There are too many objects off red in China to count. The Chinese can be said to have applied the color red to an extreme. Chinese directors also like to apply red in their films, such as Zhang Yimou. The films "Hong Gao Liang (红高粱)", "Ju Dou (菊豆)", "House of…

Henan TV's "Tang Palace Night Banquet" takes us back to the Tang Dynasty, a dance that makes us marvel at the"Chinese culture is profound" and makes more people start to focus on traditional culture. Today we introduce a new theatre production. It is a Chinese dance drama "Zhi Ci Qing Lǜ (只此青绿, The Painting Journey—The Legend of A Panorama of Mountains and Rivers)", which is based on the logic of the creation of "A Panorama of Mountains and Rivers (千里江山图)", the only work of the Chinese painter Wang Ximeng (王希孟) from the Northern Song Dynasty. It is a joint production by The Palace Museum, China Oriental Performing Arts Group, and People's Daily Online! After its premiere at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, it immediately received an exposure of 247 million and was well received by the audience! The whole drama is about the upcoming exhibition of A Panorama of Mountains and Rivers, a researcher (in the drama is known as the Zhan Juan Ren 展卷人) from The Palace Museum, after studying "A Panorama of Mountains and Rivers", entered the inner world of the painter Ximeng through time travel, and the interplay of time and space allowed…

Chinese paper cutting art is one of the most representative art forms, most widely used by the people, with the richest historical cultural understanding and distinct characteristics varying from region to region. Although its material - paper, was invented only 2,000 years ago, the culture and connotation and art form of cutout paper is the historical-cultural sediment of Chinese nation from 6,000 or 7,000 years ago from the primitive society to nowadays. Therefore, its cultural value far exceeds the Chinese paper cutting art itself, and has rich connotations of philosophy, aesthetics, archeology, history, ethnology, sociology, and anthropology, which represents a complete system of original Chinese art, modeling system, and color system. The Chinese paper cutting is the carrier of the original Chinese philosophy, it is represented in popular culture.   Types of Chinese paper cutting art There are many kinds of Chinese paper cutting art: for decorations, such as cut-out papers of windows, Kang, cave-house roof, etc., for life utensils, such as cut-out papers of pottery, cylinder, etc., for dress, there are embroidery, flowers of cap, shoes, pillows, etc., for the holidays, there are "bowl with lid" which implies the combination of earth and sky, the propagation of descendants, and…

Recently, a Dunhuang costume show was grand opening in the desert, giving us an extravagant visual feast. This article will take you to enjoy this beautiful Dunhuang style Chinese costume and teach you to easily match a Dunhuang style.   The Aesthetic Value of the Dunhuang Style Costume Dunhuang is unique in China's cultural context, as its geographic location and traces of religious fusion have allowed it to absorb a more diverse range of cultures. As a result, Dunhuang's architecture, frescoes, and color and costume art have all shone through over thousand years. The Dunhuang style costume is different from the traditional hanfu. In terms of overall style, it is close to a product of the interweaving of Chinese and Western regions cultures, and there is a great deal of religious mythology attached to the costumes. For example, the familiar "Feitian (飞天)", "Bodhisattva leading the way (菩萨引路)", "Rebounding pipa (反弹琵琶)", "Nine colored deer (九色鹿)", etc. If these cultural elements are incorporated into the design of traditional hanfu, it will be a stunning work.   Tips for Wearing Dunhuang Style Costume Choose a classical color scheme with a strong traditional flavor The color scheme in the Dunhuang Grottoes is very recognizable,…

With the rise of ancient Chinese costume "Hanfu culture" among young people, the China-chic has become an unstoppable trend. The September issue of Harper's BAZAAR e-magazine features a stylish restoration of hanfu, and a closer look at these "trendy elements" from a thousand years ago that are still stunning today.   HAN DYNASTY During the Han Dynasty, large-sleeved clothes were popular, called "Zhu Yu (诸于)". The characteristic of large-sleeved clothes is the use of the slanting cutting method, which makes the clothes look wide at the top and narrow at the bottom. This set of hanfu designs in "Harper's BAZAAR" uses this typical slanting cutting method, which makes the model look taller and slimmer, so it can be said to be a "slimming secret". During the Han Dynasty, common women wore Ru upper and Qun underneath, which shows that women in the Han Dynasty wore a skirt and a dress as their daily wear. The Han Dynasty was a feudal period with a strict hierarchy, which was also reflected in women's clothing, which could be basically divided into two different dress systems for nobles and commoners. The hairstyle of ordinary women in the Han Dynasty was relatively simple. Of course, the…

When young consumers have fallen in love with hanfu, traditional culture and trendy fashion are on a collision course, setting off a time-traveling craze. As a carrier of traditional culture, hanfu has continued to spread explosively in recent years, gradually moving from a niche hobby to popular recognition, and creating a new consumer market of tens of billions of dollars. The beauty of hanfu: from a niche hobby to popular recognition Dong Yihan, who returned to Shanghai after studying in France, is an automotive engineer by day and a street performer by night. He is good at playing traditional musical instruments such as Di and Xiao, and even if the summer in Shanghai is hot, he insists on wearing a full set of hanfu when performing. The long robe is fluttering, and he wears it from the Seine to the Huangpu River. "Just as I want people to be able to enjoy a piece of ancient traditional music in its entirety, I also want to be able to present such a set of costumes in its entirety, which together form a 'Hanfu Style' as a whole." He said. Broadly speaking, hanfu is a system of traditional Chinese clothing and accessories…

We have mentioned Henan_TV several times in our articles, as it has surprised us several times on traditional Chinese festivals. Of course, as one of the most important traditional festivals in China, the Mid-Autumn Festival, they naturally won't be absent. From "Tang Palace Night Banquet (唐宫夜宴)", to "Luo Shen Shui Fu (洛神水赋)", Henan TV has always recreated a classic image with traditional Chinese elements, which has left a deep impression on everyone. In "The Mid Autumn Wonderful Tour (中秋奇妙夜)", Tang Xiao Yue (唐小月), the daughter of a Tang Dynasty court musician, travels through parallel time and space to collect tokens through multiple tests and finally achieve a father-daughter reunion. A total of six different scenes are experienced, divided into six chapters, showing the six beautiful spiritual pursuits of Chinese civilization: heritage, diligence, warmth, self-confidence, loyalty and courage, and kinship. At the same time, the program shows a lot of "intangible cultural heritage" elements from the picture, plot, to character portrayal. Here, let's explore "The Mid-Autumn Wonderful Tour" together.   In the atmosphere of the Mid-Autumn Festival in the early Tang Dynasty, the opening program scenario performance "Preface · Cereals in Autumn (序 ·秋月稷)" incorporates several themes such as "Sacrificing to…

The Mid-Autumn Festival, the second-largest folk festival in the Chinese festival system next to the Spring Festival, has spawned countless legends and poems over the centuries. “明月几时有，把酒问青天。不知天上宫阙，今夕是何年？” "How long will the full moon appear? Wine cup in hand, I ask the sky. I do not know what time of the year 'Twould be tonight in the palace on high." In fact, the Mid-Autumn Festival is essentially the "Chinese Ritual Moon Festival", and the worship of the moon by the Chinese people has started since ancient times. "The lonely moon goddess, spreads her ample sleeves, To dance for these loyal souls in infinite space." "Chang'e is dancing in the long sky for ten thousand miles." From Chang'e Flying to the Moon to the lunar exploration program, for more than 2,000 years, people have never paid less attention to the moon. Mid-Autumn Festival was popularized during the Han Dynasty, a period of economic and cultural exchange and integration, when cultural exchanges across the country led to the fusion and spread of festival customs. The term "Zhong Qiu (mid-autumn, 中秋)" was first written down in Han Dynasty literature, and the Zhou Li between the two Han dynasties recorded that during the pre-Qin period,…

Traditional hanfu is very beautiful and will make a very strong impression. Sophisticated, elegant, and full of rich details, it looks more appropriate for a formal traditional festival or occasion. This is certainly one of the most correct ways to wear it, but fashionable hipsters who wear hanfu always manage to incorporate fashion into their outfits. What is the best way to incorporate traditional hanfu into modern clothing, or in other words, how to wear traditional hanfu in a modern way? I have found a few good examples. They are much lighter to wear and don't take too much time to get ready.   That's the beauty of hanfu. If you have enough time, you can prepare a complete hanfu look, including makeup, hairstyle, clothing, and other accessories. If you just want to have some elements of hanfu in your outfit today, you can refer to this article for some additional styling options. Contributed article from Xiayang (2021 Hanfu Free Giveaways & Contests -PLAN C), Ling assists with article layout and detailing.

Dear veteran viewers of ancient Chinese costume dramas, I'm sure that for everyone, the plot of the hanfu beauty, palace plot, power rivalry, wrongly paid life, and so on has long been known. However, I wonder if you have caught the details to keep up with the fashion trends of traditional accessories throughout the dynasties? For example, what kind of ornaments did Empress Cao put on her face? Another example is that the "tip set" worn on Ru Yi's fingers was for decoration or for something else? And, did the yellow and red powder applied to Mulan's face before the blind date actually exist in history? Also, will this level of hair volume be standard per person? The story of jewelry is long and wide, fine and splendid. We might as well put together a "Top 10 List of Ancient Traditional Accessories Trends" for all the major categories of accessories, based on their length of popularity, usage, and popularity, etc. Since history is too voluminous to be told in one article, this list temporarily selects the mainstream accessories.   No.10 Hu Zhi - Nail Guards Hu Zhi (护指), also know as Nail Guards, is the Qing Dynasty drama, the aristocratic…

While more and more young people are wearing various Chinese costumes and it is also common to see exciting videos related to hanfu on social media. The hanfu market, which was once considered a "niche" market, is also gaining in popularity. According to the China-Chic Economic Development Report 2020-2021 published by iiMedia Research earlier this year, by the end of 2020, there will be more than 5 million hanfu enthusiasts in China, and the hanfu market sales scale will reach more than 6 billion yuan. Growing from a niche hobby to a $10 billion market, the hanfu industry chain has flourished in design, clothing, sales and peripheral industries, with such things as hanfu festivals, traditional tea experiences, hanfu social products, and hanfu photography services springing up. Many young people have also taken up these emerging positions because of their love and interest.   New career options born from hobby "Amazing! In the Ancient Chinese Costume Exhibition, there is one hanfu whose edge is designed by me!" At the beginning of this year, Qianqian, a 21-year-old Tianjin girl, had her "highlight moment". But five years ago, she had no knowledge of design software, fabric selection and other expertise, despite her love…

Many newcomers to hanfu often wonder, what hanfu style suits me? Which dynasty hanfu style is more suitable for my body shape? If you have this same confusion, please don't worry, after all, hanfu is a brand new style of clothing for most people, but it's really not that complicated. In this article, I will share a few hanfu selection suggestions for you, which will start from the most common hanfu styles and eliminate your confusion.   Hanfu Fashion Trends Hanfu is the collective name for the costumes of the ancient Chinese dynasties, which has a distinctive brand of the times and contains very deep historical values, in addition to the unique aesthetic orientation of hanfu, which is also very appealing. So there is a wide range of hanfu, both the "Classical Hanfu" that adheres to the traditional form; there are also many fashionable "Hanfu Inspired" models, which retain some of the hanfu design, but by and large are more modern. If you want to choose a traditional hanfu that has a deep ancient charm, you may need to have an understanding of the form before you buy it.   The essential knowledge of choosing hanfu How to choose a…

Perhaps we have lived in the city for too long, busy for a long time, but more and more longing for beautiful scenery outside the city. Recently, there is such a post 90s guy, wearing Hanfu, out of the busy city, traveling half of China for 6 years. He seems to have created his own Jianghu. Under the waterfall, he sang, domineering and unrestrained. On top of the immortal mountain, he was dressed in white, immortal bones, floating like the world independent. Between the mountains, he stood in a Chinese dress, a magnificent painting of the motherland, spread out in front of him. In the midst of the yellow sand, he leaned on his cane and was alone, just like seeing the back of the Tang monk when he took the scriptures. Under the sunset, he played the Qiang flute and took us to appreciate the magnificence of the Hexi Corridor. In these images, he seems to be a chivalrous man or a poetic literati.   His name is Konggu (空谷). He has long hair, wears hanfu, carries a Qin or hangs a bottle gourd. Before becoming a photographer, Konggu was a painter. Since he was a child, Konggu has…

This year, China's Henan TV continuously brings surprises to lovers of traditional culture and hanfu culture. Spring Festival, Lantern Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Qixi Festival, every important Chinese traditional festival, we will see the wonderful programs presented by Henan TV, the most exciting part of which is dancing. Not only offers a holiday gift to all lovers of Chinese traditional culture, but also traditional arts are known to more people. Starting from 2018, "Street Dance of China", "Dance Smash", "Let's Shake It" and other programs have been hotly broadcast, which also set off a wave of dance. After 2019, Chinese classical dance, one of the traditional dances in China, suddenly jumped into the public's view and became popular in social media in the short term accompanied by the popularity of ancient music. This may also be the first time that the public really knows and pays attention to Chinese classical dance. The historical background of the formation of Chinese classical dance can be traced back to the ancient Chinese court dances or to the primitive, ritual dances of more distant times. During the change of dynasties, the development of ancient court dances was affected by the limitations in the use of…