Looking to get into the Taobao shops? These are some good jumping-off points!

As a Taiwanese-American, I'm often asked about my interest in Hanfu. Here's y perspective on hanfu and why it's important to my identity.

For thousands of years, the Chinese have used rings to symbolize essential events, births, deaths, weddings, anniversaries, etc. The rings are generally worn by the oldest person present and passed down through generations. While the modern ring represents romantic love and commitment, what are the symbolic meanings of the traditional rings in Chinese history? Let's go into the past life of the ring.   Ancient - The Ring of Bone More than 5,000 years ago, when humankind was still in its primitive society, the "ring" was already born. At that time, it did not have an exact name, but was just a ring-shaped object worn on people's fingers. In 1959, archaeologists found twenty traditional rings in the burials of the Dawenkou Longshan culture in Tai'an, Shandong province. Several of them are still worn on the finger bones of the deceased. These rings were made from natural animal bones, tooth bones, jade, etc. Although the process was simple, they were well made, and the surface was polished smooth, and some were inlaid with turquoise. This is the earliest "ring" found in China. It appeared in people's daily lives before records about it in history books.   Yin Shang - The Ring…

Just a little introduction!

Have you ever struggled with tying your hanfu skirts, or gotten used to the old ways of tying them? Look no further for a collection of tutorials on how to tie hanfu skirts in various styles!

What hanfu styles are from which dynasties? Can you tell what dynasty the cover photo for this article depicts?

Now that we've talked about gender neutrality and men's hanfu, let's explore some unisex hanfu that are traditionally enjoyed by everyone!

A personal account of what hanfu means to me as a gender fluid person.

For many of us, spring is finally here! Spring means new beginnings, fresh starts, new growth. It’s the perfect time to start looking for new jobs, new opportunities, or even new relationships. If you’re ready to make a fresh start with a spring hanfu look, then take a look at these 12 floral patterns that are guaranteed to get you noticed this spring. You’ll be sure to stand out in a crowd! In Chinese tradition, there is a representative flower for each month. Turning the beautiful floral into embroidered or printed patterns on the spring hanfu attire not only makes the hanfu more colorful, but the best expression of the beautiful symbolism of these flowers.   January - Plum Blossom Look 1 Inner: Hezi Qun Set (诃子裙) Outer: Daxiu Shan (大袖衫) Dynasty: Tang Look 2 Inner: standing collar slash lapel Changshan (立领斜襟长衫) Outer: Bijia (比甲) Skirt: Mamian Qun (马面裙) Dynasty: Ming   February - Apricot Blossom Look 3 Inner: Qiyao Shanqun set (齐腰衫裙) Outer: lapel Changshan (对襟长衫) + Xiapei (霞帔) Dynasty: Song Look 4 Inner: standing collar wide sleeve Changshan (立领广袖长衫) Outer: Yunjian (云肩) Skirt: Mamian Qun Dynasty: Ming   March - Peach Blossom Look 5 Inner: Qiyao Shanqun set…

What are some styles of hanfu for men? Read about six of the most popular types!

Many hanfu lovers have been confused about how to choose the right hanfu hair style to match their hanfu. Overly complicated hanfu hair styles mean tedious steps and long hours of preparation. But retro hanfu hair styles are not the only option. In fact, more and more hanfu lovers are choosing to match their hanfu with more stylish and simple hairstyles, especially when wearing modern hanfu style. In this way, hanfu can gradually integrate into modern society while retaining its traditional cultural connotations. Let's take a look at four modern hanfu hair styles that easily go with your hanfu, as shared by Yi Zhi Keke.   01 Low Coiffure Hairstyles Hairstyle features The back of the head coiffure is very simple, just tie a ponytail at the back of the head, then twist it into a clockwise circle and wind it up. If you think the modeling is too monotonous, you can also insert a hairpin, or coiffure hair band together with the coiled in, which will make the overall modeling more gentle and soft, but also with a little mature woman's charm. This kind of coiffure is most suitable with curtain bangs, so that both romantic style, but also…

The ancient women left their stunning figures in the ancient poets, and their bejeweled were equally eye-catching. That brilliant hanfu jewelry like a river of stars, will set them off quiet, elegant, highlighting the unique charm. In this article, let's go into the history of gorgeous Chinese traditional necklace and choker and see how the ancient people carried forward the beauty of neckwear.   The Ancient Times When our ancestors were still living in cold, dark caves, the sense of beauty was already awakened. They searched for anything that resembled "beads", drilled holes in them, strung them on chains, and wore them around their necks. Some of them were also painted red with hematite powder. At the Zhoukoudian Peking Man site, which is about 30,000 years old, a large number of neck ornaments have been unearthed. These neck ornaments are made of different materials, including gravel, animal teeth, fish spine bones, and bird bones, all of which have been carefully selected and polished. Among them, there is a string of rabbit bone chains, consisting of 12 pieces of rabbit backbone, each of which has a hole for threading. The holes have been worn out and deformed due to long-term wear,…

Want to put together a hanfu-inspired outfit, but still waiting on your hanfu to arrive? Here's how to do it!

The Qingming Festival is coming up soon! Learn more about where this holiday came from and some things that you can do to participate in celebrating it, both in the way of the ancients and the way that people do now.

Novoland: Pearl Eclipse (斛珠夫人), the hottest Chinese drama at the end of 2021, once again proves that Chinese Xianxia dramas still have solid fundamentals in the drama market. This drama is a new way to open up fantasy drama with its extreme refinement in many aspects such as emotional arrangement, female characterization, and delicate deconstruction of traditional culture.   The Ultimate Beauty of Emotional Lines Drama is the art of narrative, and how to tell a good story has always been a difficult task in the creation of dramas. Under this, Novoland: Pearl Eclipse continues to work carefully on the expression of connotation and emotional arrangement, giving this drama a unique quality and extraordinary significance. The story of Novoland: Pearl Eclipse is well laid out and clearly structured, and the three emotional lines are intertwined and complement each other, so that the expression space and aesthetic tension of the drama are fully extended in the narrative. Fang Hai Shi and Fang Zhu In the drama, all three couples are heart-wrenching. Fang Hai Shi and Fang Zhu have experienced many life-and-death situations and have become attached to each other, but Fang Zhu is unable to respond to Hai Shi's love because…

Most of you have probably watched similar kinds of videos involving ‘transitions’—essentially, transitioning from modern-day or loungewear-like attire to being dressed up in gufeng-style hanfu. Why not try to learn how to film one yourself?

If you are a cheongsam enthusiast, then you must watch the Chinese drama Rattan (司藤). With its novel and compact plot, perfect cast, refreshing cheongsam looks, and documentary-style live-action interpretation, it is a drama worth watching. The story of a young designer, Qin Fang (Zhang Binbin), who meets Si Teng (Jing Tian), who has been asleep for decades, in the process of helping Si Teng to find the truth of her birth, the two get to know each other and overcome many obstacles to grow together. As a classical oriental fantasy drama, the success of Rattan undoubtedly let us see the deep charm of Chinese mythology latent.   Perfect Character selection and setting Wei Yu, the author of the Rattan original, specializes in fantasy themes with rich imagination and strong writing power. The female characters in her works mostly exude mature and independent femininity. In the original novel, "Miss Si Teng" is the extreme image of a female protagonist who has been assassinated and fallen asleep for decades, and wakes up confused about the modern society she lives in, and plays a series of heartwarming and hilarious scenes. When adapting the original work, which has a large fan base, the…

Chinese traditional auspicious ornaments are an important part of an artifact. The decoration on the object not only increases the beauty of the object, but also sends people's expectation and hope for the future through the ornaments with good meaning. The most complex and exquisite period of traditional Chinese ornamentation belongs to the Ming and Qing dynasties. Especially the Ming dynasty gold and silver jewelry, the use of Lei Si (累丝), Xiang Qian (镶嵌, inlay), Chui Ye (捶鍱, pounding thin) and other processes, in a small and delicate Tou Mian (头面, a Ming dynasty jewelry) to make a variety of plants, animals, people ornaments, and embellished with precious stones, more rich and elegant. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, on various handicrafts and even stone carvings, furniture, and architecture, some common ornaments, such as dragon and phoenix signify auspiciousness and power; peony signifies wealth and prosperity; pine, crane, and peach signify longevity; pomegranate signifies to have many descendents. There is another category of ornamentation, which is a combination of animal and plant patterns, expressing good meanings through harmonics pun, very simple and easy to understand. For example, an old lion and a small lion, meaning that the family soon to…

Liu Chao's family has been filigree inlay artworks craftsmen for three generations, and they have devoted almost all their time to this craft. But in China, some traditional craft are facing the crisis of being lost, so how did Liu Chao inherit and carry forward the traditional craft of filigree inlay?   Filigree inlay (花丝镶嵌), also known as "fine gold art", is a long-established traditional Chinese handicraft technique, mainly used in the production of royal jewelry, in ranked among the Eight Unique Skills of Yanjing (original name of Beijing). In 1963, Liu Chao's maternal grandfather Li Yucheng learned "filigree inlay" from an old artist, and now it has been 57 years. From the grandfather, to Liu Chao's mother, to Liu Chao today. More than 20 years ago, Liu Chao used to follow his father and go to the street stall with the filigree inlay Ruyi, and with the change of time, a new generation of craftsmen has inherited these crafts. In Liu Chao's case, it is apparent to see the seemingly contradictory combination of innovation and tradition in the new generation of craftsmen. On the one hand, he is considered to be a person who follows the trend of the…

Although the 2022 Spring Festival Gala is over, the powerful after-effects are still immersing people in the beauty of the Chinoiserie dance that they cannot extricate themselves from. Dance "Zhi Ci Qing Lǜ" performed in the CCTV Spring Festival Gala once again occupying the headlines of major media, with exquisite costumes and makeup, beautiful and elegant dance, and wonderful interpretation, directly to the heirloom painting of talented young Wang Ximeng. The 1:1 perfect reproduction of "A Panorama of Mountains and Rivers", the wonderful degree is comparable to the real one. But it's not just Zhi Ci Qing Lǜ, the Chinoiserie-inspired dances have received unanimous acclaim at Spring Festival Gala all over China.   2022 Henan Spring Festival Gala Henan TV has surprised us all year long in 2021, and this year's dance program, "Exquisite Beauty and Heavenly Fragrance", will naturally not disappoint. Inspired by the Tang Dynasty, the dance uses peonies to find poetic characters and historical culture. 11 top dancers, present the scenes of the blooming world vividly on the stage with graceful, elegant, and rhythmic dance postures. In the dance, legendary characters such as Bai Juyi, Di Renjie, Shangguan Wan'er, Zhang Xu, Yu Wenkai, Li Chunfeng and Yuan…