The Chinese Traditional Orchestra is the traditional Chinese music orchestra at the China National Opera and Dance Drama Theater (CNODDT), the oldest and largest state-owned theater in China. The orchestra was founded more than 50 years ago and has produced a number of popular Chinese operas and dance plays. In the West, the revolutionary opera "The White-Haired Girl" is probably best known. In the decades of its existence, the orchestra has made a name for itself not only in China but also abroad. It has worked with a number of outstanding artists, most notably stars such as Guo Lanying and Chen Ailian, and won prizes at many national and international competitions during its existence. For example, the orchestra musicians have won the first Chinese Music Performance Competition of the Chinese Ministry of Culture or the Silver Award of the coveted Osaka International Chamber Music Competition. Like all Chinese traditional orchestras, the CNODDT's Chinese Traditional Orchestra is compact and flexible. This peculiarity has allowed it to create its own style by combining traditional as well as modern and innovative approaches. Its repertoire includes many folk works from Chinese music history that are popular with audiences. In this way, the orchestra succeeds in…

Recently, the Chinese Academy of Sciences University held an Hanfu show on the theme of "Guan·Guocui - Chinese Traditional Costumes (觀•国粹 服以载道 中国传统服饰主题嘉会)". The actors for this event were all students from the Chinese Academy of Sciences University. Ten students were dressed in costumes recovered from archaeological data and documents from the Western Han, Eastern Han, Tang, and Song dynasties, demonstrating the beauty of Hanfu. Rhythmic classical music was heard from afar, and a woman in a Quju robe, holding a censer, walked slowly toward the audience accompanied by drum beats. The costumes of the Han Dynasty, represented by the Quju robe, integrated the costumes of the pre-Qin Dynasty and laid down the basic style and tone of Hanfu costumes. Next were men in Eastern Han Zhiju robes and women in Eastern Han Ruqun, who was elegant and square. The woman with a towering bun and a Buyao(步摇) in front of her hair was wearing a big-sleeved Shanqun from the Southern Tang Dynasty, with a graceful, bright, and enchanting figure. The traditional costumes were so different from the modern ones that the teachers and students were amazed and impressed by the exquisite Chinese costumes. The music suddenly turned to lively…

Chinese inventions are great achievements for socio-economic development and scientific and technological progress, both in China and worldwide. But China also contributed other creations, not so outstanding, but no less ingenious, which have not lost their sense of usefulness with the passage of time. Today, let's witness the wisdom and intelligence of the Chinese.   The Abacus The abacus evolved from the token calculus in Cheng Dawei, Ingenious Inventions of Ancient China. About 2,000 years ago, Chinese ancestors mastered simple calculation with counters. In the Spring and Autumn period, mathematical calculations were made using tokens of various colors and values. However, with the socio-economic progress of mankind, this type of calculator no longer met the growing demand. Thus the abacus was born. The principles for the use of this device are similar to the calculation with counters, but are more advanced, faster and easier than the former. The term for the use of the abacus is called in Chinese "Zhu Suan" (Bead Calculation). Its earliest historical record is in the book "Shushu Jiyi" (Documents on Mathematics), created by Xu Yue (?-220), a mathematician of the Eastern Han dynasty in the EL century. In the drawing "Qingming Shanghe Tu" (Scenes by…

In the process of evolution, there are dozens or even hundreds of styles of Chinese clothes. This article mainly introduces the most classical styles of Chinese Hanfu clothes.   Women's clothing Suit Ruqun(襦裙) Ruqun is a kind of hanfu, also call: Shanqun (衫裙), short clothes worn on the upper body, call "Ru", and the dress of the lower body, call "Qun", together call "Ruqun". It is a typical "Shangyi Xiachang(top clothes and underdress) " form. Ruqun has an obvious feature: short top and long dress. The Ruqun appeared in the Warring States Period, Ruqun was worn by ordinary people(female) until the end of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Jiaoling Ruqun/ Shanqun(交领襦裙/衫裙) Jiaoling Ruqun is a kind of Ruqun, the main feature is: the top collar is cross. It is quite common in the Song Dynasty. Wearing method: First: Wear top clothes, Align the collar of the top clothes; Tie a knot in right Jin(襟, the chest part of the top); Tie a knot in left Jin. Second: tie up the dress, Put the dress in front of you, wrap the skirt behind you; Two sides of the dress overlap behind; Folding outwards the pressing on the inner layer of dress;…

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…

A complete set of Hanfu includes Shoufu (首服, hanfu headdress), Tiyi (体衣, hanfu clothes), Zuyi (足衣, hanfu shoes and socks) and accessories. Let's talk about the Chinese headdress today.   Chinese headdress brief introduction The Chinese headdress is one of the important parts of ancient Chinese clothing, In ancient times, both men and women of Han nationality coiled their hair into a bun and fixed it on their heads with a hairpin. The main Chinese headdress is Guan (冠, crown, a hat that goes with a formal dress in ancient), Mao (帽, hats), Jin(巾, kerchief), etc. Mao mainly includes gauze hat (纱帽), hood (风帽)and Jin mainly has the black silk ribbon scarf (纶巾), the net kerchief (网巾) and so on. When the Yellow Emperor invented the Guan, the rite of adulthood of the Han nationality - the rite of male Guanli (冠礼) and the rite of female Jili (笄礼) - shows that Shoufu plays an important role in the national cultural psychology. Since the Qin Dynasty, there has been no separation of Yi and Guan (clothes and hats). However, due to the feudal concept, the number of women in the civilian class wearing the Guan is very small. Many years later, in…

The story of clothing and costumes is one of the most fascinating developments in human history. Traditional Chinese Dress & Clothing has a long history and cultural content, and it is an important part of Chinese excellent cultural heritage, so It has particular researching value. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaD4vS2GQxw Every nation in the world has its unique traditional clothing. The particular histories and cultures could be recognized so as for people to distinguish one citizen from another. China, as a multi-ethnic and time-honored country, has many ethnic minorities who have their indigenous culture. The mutual influences among these different cultures have contributed to the rich textures and fabrics of history and have made Chinese clothing with great variation and glory. Traditional Chinese dress & clothing has been shaped and developed alongside the interactive influences between the outside world and China’s own dynastic traditions. Every different dynastic has different scopes of territory, social values, social norms, etc. Therefore, many aesthetic standards were made according to the environments (socially, geographically, economically, politically) of certain dynastic. This is the main reason why traditional Chinese clothing has such many styles. 5 Types of  Traditional Chinese Clothing & Dress For exploring the world of traditional Chinese clothing, it is necessary…

What is Hanfu? At present, the full name is widely recognized as the “traditional costume of the Han nationality”, that is, the clothes worn by the Han nationality from the Yellow Emperor’s accession to the throne to the late Ming and early Qing Dynasty. On September 30, 2019, a group of young people in Chinese costumes Hanfu came to the streets of Sydney Opera House with zither and pipa. They sang "my country and me" with music in foreign countries. According to @Ms. Tingyue, the initiator of the event, this is a Hanfu flash event in three landmarks in Sydney, aiming to promote traditional Chinese culture. What is Hanfu? At present, the full name is widely recognized as the "traditional costume of the Han nationality", that is, the clothes worn by the Han nationality from the Yellow Emperor's accession to the throne to the late Ming and early Qing Dynasty. On the Internet, the most popular styles are Qiyao-Ruqun (齐腰襦裙) in the Wei and Jin Dynasties, Qixiong-Ruqun (齐胸襦裙) and large sleeved shirt (大袖衫) in the Tang Dynasty, as well as Beizi (褙子) in the Song Dynasty and Horse-face Dress (马面裙) in the Ming Dynasty. The earliest appearance of Hanfu was…

We often see in Chinese TV dramas or movies scenes of the emperor and his ministers discussing political affairs together (called Shangchao, 上朝), with the ministers standing or kneeling opposite the emperor in order of rank, dressed in tidy clothes (Chaofu). So, what is so special about the ministers' clothing? And are the different eras of Chaofu the same? What is the Chaofu? Name: Chaofu (朝服, cháo fú) Alias: Jufu (具服) Function: used at major ceremonies Succession and change: from Zhou to Ming dynasties Before the Zhou Dynasty, Chinese clothing was mainly made in one form, the upper Yi (衣) and the lower Chang (裳) system. The Book of Rites - Yuzao (礼记·玉藻, a chapter describing the ritual) recorded that "Chao Xuanduan (玄端), Xi Shenyi (深衣)", meaning that ministers were required to wear Xuanduan in the morning to attend the Shangchao, while worn Shenyi at home in the evening. The style and development of Chaofu in different dynasties The earliest Chaofu - Pibian Fu Judging from the literature, there were Chaofu as early as in the Zhou Dynasty. The first Chaofu was the Pibian Fu (皮弁服, pí biàn fú), which was made of fine white cloth, and the Yi and…

Chinese culture is one of the oldest in the world. That is why the country has many ancient cities, which are well preserved and have become places really worth seeing. Since time immemorial, China has been considered a "Celestial Empire" where divine and mortal beings live together. And Chinese culture is the only culture in the world that has a continuous recorded history of over 5,000 years. Accordingly, even today there are countless ancient cities, some of which are really very well preserved. These historical sites are now some of the most fascinating and must-see attractions in the entire country. Which of these great cities you definitely have to see once in your life, we tell you here. Daxu The small town of Daxu has located 20 km from Guilin on the Li River. Its history goes back over 2,000 years. It was once the terminus of the southern Silk Roads and flourished in the Middle Ages due to trade. Today you can still admire traditional Chinese architecture. Beautiful stone streets, marketplaces, and bridges, as well as ancient buildings that are incredibly well preserved. Pingyao The old city of Pingyao has around 40,000 inhabitants and a 2,700 year old history.…

Have you've ever wondered what an ancient Chinese scholarly person's costume looked like? In this issue, let's follow Hanfu Culture Society and take a look at one of the Chinese traditional costumes, Lanshan (襕衫, lán shān), a Hanfu costume made especially for scholars. [Structure and History] In the history of ancient Chinese traditional costume, there is a kind of long garment that is cut in one piece at the top and bottom (Tongcai, 通裁) and has a Hanglan (横襕, a seam at the Lanshan's knee) at the hem, which is called "Lanshan". Lanshan is based on the ancient Shenyi Zhi (深衣制), with the Shenyi waistline moved down to the hem, and Henglan added near the knee. The system of the upper Yi and lower Chang was followed in ancient times, and the ritual system was made to symbolize the ancient people's respect for the world and the construction of order. Lanshan began to appear in the Northern dynasty and developed and became more standardized in the Tang dynasty. During the Tang Dynasty, it absorbed the northern dynasty costume system and changed the collar shape from cross collar to round collar and the sleeve style from big sleeves to narrow sleeves.…

As the old saying goes, "Men are willing to die for those who appreciate them, and women are willing to makeup for those who appreciate them". From ancient times to the present, women have always been the trendsetters in the pursuit of beauty. From Chinese traditional clothing to Hanfu makeup to various accessories, each item has passed through history and left a strong mark in the history of women's lives, becoming a classic art appreciation. Previous articles on traditional Chinese earrings have already done some telling about women's earrings and their culture from ancient times to the present, but today we're going to talk about the history of another type of ornaments - traditional Chinese hair accessories.   Derivation of the traditional Chinese hair accessories In ancient China, Confucianism was the orthodox idea of the society, emphasizing "ritual". Hair, as part of the body, is considered unclean and rude if it is disheveled. Therefore, men at the age of 15 years need to tie the hair as a bun, women at the age of 15 years need tie hair as a bun and wear Ji (笄), already a kind of "ritual" custom in ancient time. As to when the custom…

On November 22nd, Hanfu Parade Day, Hanfu enthusiasts gathered in Wenshufang (文殊坊), Chengdu to experience the beauty of Chinese Hanfu. On November 22, 2003, Mr. Wang Letian took to the streets alone in Hanfu, and on November 22, 2020, thousands of Hanfu enthusiasts took to the streets in Wenshufang, Chengdu. It has already been 17 years. The revival of Hanfu has stood the test of time. inclusiveness, diversity, and fashion have become the most beautiful keywords in Chengdu, a city that speaks for Hanfu. Many people from all over the country and young people who love traditional culture have responded positively to the idea of Hanfu Parade Day as a way to show the beauty of traditional Hanfu. The evening runway show video: https://youtu.be/L9RLczfAvWE

A granny (辰辰奶奶) caught everyone's attention some time ago at the Double Ninth Festival. In the video, the 76-year-old granny was dressed in Hanfu and was so elegant that young netizens were instantly charmed. A few days ago, the Xitang Hanfu Culture Week was held as scheduled. Among the thousands of young people dressed in Hanfu, the granny once again caught people's attention. According to granny's grandson, it was on his recommendation that the grandmother began to try and enjoy the Hanfu. As traditional clothing, it is not recommended by the elders to the younger generation, but rather by the younger generation to try it first and then encourage the older generation to experience it together. It's an intriguing thing. Why is the acceptance of Hanfu so high among the younger generation when the older generation had little knowledge of it?   Hanfu has been worn for thousands of years, but why are young people more aware of it instead? Many young people mentioned that when they first wore Hanfu in front of their parents or grandparents, their elders did not even know that is Hanfu. In 1645, the Qing dynasty ordered the introduction of the "Change Manchu hairstyle, change…

Pibo (披帛, pī bó), traditional Hanfu shawl, made from light fabric silk, although now the Hanfu enthusiasts accustomed to call it Pibo, but the name "Pibo" actually appeared later, about the late Tang Dynasty, more often it is called Pei (帔, pèi). In earlier Chinese dramas, Pei was once the symbol of "Chinese ancient costume" with its elegant and beautiful features. In the wardrobe of ancient women, Pei has always been very distinctive and not to be ignored part, wrapped between the arms or draped over the shoulders and neck. Also in Chinese wedding customs, there is "Fengguan Xiapei (凤冠霞帔)", different eras of Pei also have different styles. So how has Pei changed over its long history, and what role has it played? Follow along with Dongfang Zhuangdao to find out more. Traditional Hanfu Shawl Pei before the Song Dynasty Pei, a long silk shawl worn by women in ancient times, is thought to have originated during the Qin and Han dynasties, the more accepted theory is that it was influenced by Buddhism and Metaphysics and originated from the Dajin (搭巾) worn by figures in statues. Since the beginning of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, in the context of ethnic…

Hanfu wedding, which is wearing traditional Chinese clothing: Hanfu, and taking the traditional Chinese wedding system as the prototype. Modern people restore the traditional Chinese wedding, they roughly sum it up as follows The Zhou Hanfu wedding (周制婚礼), represented by the pre-Qin and Han Dynasties. Tang Hanfu wedding (唐制婚礼) represented by Wei, Jin, and Tang Dynasties. Ming Hanfu wedding (明制婚礼) represented by song and Ming Dynasties. The traditional Chinese Hanfu wedding ceremony is generally divided into three parts: pre-wedding ceremony, formal wedding ceremony, and post-wedding ceremony. As we all know, culture is the life of a nation, and etiquette is one of the main signs of all civilized nations and an important window of national culture. As the Chinese nation with a long civilization of 5000 years, attach great importance to marriage. The book of Zhouyi said: Only when there are heaven and earth can there be everything. Only when there is everything can there be men and women. Only when there are men and women can there be couples. Only when there are couples can there be fathers and sons. Only when there are fathers and sons can there be princes and ministers. Only when there are princes and…

Iron is a common small appliance in modern homes, and almost every home has one, but did you know that irons have been in use since 2000 years ago, or even earlier? How did the ancients iron Hanfu?   The Origin of the Ancient Iron The origin of the name "Yundou (熨斗, iron)" is that its image is similar to that of "Big Dipper", and secondly, the shape of the Yundou is like the China ancient cooking utensil "Dou (斗)". In ancient China, the Yundou, also known as "fire Dou", "gold Dou (an iron made of gilding technology, it is not a general folk good)", "Gumu (钴鉧)", its main function is to iron Hanfu clothes, the effect is two: one is to iron out any wrinkled areas of clothing, another effect is to iron the pleats, at where need to be visibly pleated. The first iron was made of stones, pottery, or copper, roasting on the fire, and then pressed on the clothes to iron them. It is said that iron was invented before the end of the Shang Dynasty. King Zhou of the Shang Dynasty was inspired by the fact that irons burned people's hands when they were used,…

1. Chinese Sculpture Chinese sculpture is an art form that has been closely linked to Chinese funerary rites since ancient times. Throughout history, the symbolic protection of important tombs or imperial pantheons by means of life-size or large statues can be seen. In addition, small sculptures of objects, characters and productive activities were also buried in the tombs to accompany the deceased in the afterlife. The introduction of Buddhism meant an enrichment of styles and volumes and the appearance of the first religious and monumental sculptures. The most famous funerary statues are the life-size terracotta warriors of Xi'an, guardians of the tomb of the First Emperor. Then there are the large stone statues of the "Spirit Way" leading to the Ming tombs in Beijing, In all these cases (like the Han and Tang tombs of Xi'an and the Ming tombs of Nanjing) there are representations of real or fantastic animals, guardians or solicitous officials. As for the grave goods, the Neolithic finds have shown the oldest Chinese sculpture known to date: small zoomorphic or anthropomorphic bone and wood objects, jade pieces (discs or human and animal figurines). From the Shang onwards, the latter were found in the tombs of princes…

The last month has seen a very large number of Hanfu events, as well as the release of very many new Hanfu styles, especially those featured in the fashion runway shows. Hanfu styles that make it to the show are of high quality in terms of fabric, fit, and design. We've selected some of the most stunning styles from the recent shows, let's take a look at the latest Chinese clothing Hanfu style! Tang-style Hezi Qun & Daxiu Shan The hottest item on the show recently has to be the Tang style Hezi Qun (诃子裙, skirt ) in the picture of the beauty in tears. It not only looks full of senior, with gorgeous accessories as if back to the Tang Dynasty. The classic color matching, wear a full texture. Ginkgo Cat Winter Jiayi & Bijia Winter is getting closer and closer, and a nice winter Jiayi (夹衣) is sure to capture your heart in no time. A cute cat rolling around under a ginkgo tree on an autumnal day is a beautiful sight to behold in this autumnal orange Jiayi. The sleeves are adorned with a lovely lace border and the cuffs are decorated with little round pompoms. Whoever…

We often see many different Chinese robe styles of Hanfu, but you may not be able to say exactly what the difference is between them. There are many similarities in different styles of Hanfu, but with the development of history, it is gradually optimized, convenient to wear, and also derived from different shapes. This article will introduce the form system of the Hanfu and Chinese robe system.   The form system of Hanfu There are many styles of Hanfu, but they can be divided into the following shapes， Yichang system (衣裳制), is the kind with the separation of the upper and the lower garments. Shenyi system (深衣制), is the one-piece kind that unites the upper and the lower garments together, make separately, and sew together. Paofu system (Chinese robe, 袍服制), cut out the upper and the lower garments with a piece of cloth, no seam in the middle, natural integration.   The uniform system of Chinese robe (袍服) Chinese robes appeared in the pre-Qin period, at that time, were just underwear with cotton, so people have to wear it with their coats. In the Zhou Dynasty, emperors used robes for daily wear. In the Qin and Han Dynasties, the status of robe…