The protesters, who dressed in Hanfu clothing, demanded Dior apologize for a design that the brand labeled as a “hallmark Dior silhouette” and attribute the design inspiration to Mamian Skirt, or Horse Face Skirt, which was popular during the Ming dynasty. Song Weixia, a 30-year-old brand designer from the mountainous province of Anhui who incorporates fashion elements inspired by Hanfu into her everyday outfits, says there’s more to this fashion flashback than just holiday spirit. Cai tells CNN Travel it’s also getting more common to see people in other ethnic attires too, given the island province is home to several ethnic minority groups, the largest of which is the Li community. Li, who lives in Hebei province in northeast China, is a devotee of the Hanfu movement, which has spanned a decade and in the last year has seen a spike in followers, partly thanks to social media. In 2019, CNN Style reported on the comeback of traditional Chinese fashion, noting that the Hanfu industry’s total market value at that time was estimated to be worth 1.09 billion yuan, according to state media. Tourists taking the metro in Suzhou, China, this week could be forgiven for feeling like they’ve traveled back in time a few centuries.
Like wearing hanfu, there is a fine line of how to wear this without fetishizing and appropriating Chinese culture. “There is a group of people who wear it as a trend or as a fashion item,” she says. “There are a lot more people – from visitors to tour guides to influencers – wearing Hanfu here at Haikou’s Qilou in these few years,” says Cai Pa, an area historian. What are the parts of a traditional hanfu? Traditional hanfu parts include upper garments, lower garments, full-length robes, outerwear, and various accessories. The Yi represents the foundational upper garment in traditional Chinese attire. A whole set of the Han Chinese Garment has three layers: underwear, an inner garment, and an overcoat. Hanfu (Simplified Chinese: 汉服; Traditional Chinese: 漢服; pinyin: hànfū) is the traditional outfit of Chinese clothing worn by the Han people. Hanfu was made up of a yi (Chinese: 衣; pinyin: yī), a narrow-cuffed, knee-length tunic tied with a sash, and a chang (Chinese: 裳; pinyin: chánɡ), a narrow, ankle-length skirt worn with a bixi (Chinese: 蔽膝; pinyin: bìxī), a length of fabric reaching the knees. Many years later, the zhaohuiwenguan evolved into the military cap called wuguan (Chinese: 武冠; pinyin: wǔguān; lit.
Han-Chinese clothing has changed and evolved with the times since its first appearance. In the Qing dynasty, the Ming dynasty xiapei (long scarf) evolved into the Qing dynasty xiapei which was in the form of a sleeveless waistcoat. Han Chinese women also wore jia ao (夹袄), a form of lined jacket, typically over a long-length qun underneath as winter clothing. It has represented an important aspect of Han culture and it remains a fundamental keystone to understanding China’s traditional aesthetics. Related article China’s spectacular fire dragon dance tradition is hundreds of years old. Xiaohongshu (or Little Red Book), a popular social media platform in China, found that 83% of those surveyed on their platform between the ages of 18-35 years old claimed that they were planning to take over this year’s Lunar New Year preparations at home. In the capital city of China’s southern Hainan province, Haikou, lies Qilou Old Street, which features a fusion of Asian and European architecture from the 1920s. It too has seen an increase in young tourists wearing traditional attire during visits, according to one local. There was one Han Chinese Tusi, the Chiefdom of Kokang populated by Han Kokang people. “But the bonding with family traditions seem to fade as one grows older.
Dressing up in traditional outfits to visit local attractions has become a popular way to express one’s holiday spirit in China in recent years, especially among youth, many of whom have been sharing images of their outings on social media this week. Popularity reportedly tumbled during the pandemic, but a local media report says that interest in Hanfu has increased significantly in recent months. “As a child, I’d look forward to the lively atmosphere,” she says. Each period also has its own hairstyle and make-up look. During the 15-day Spring Festival/Lunar New Year holiday, the busiest travel period of the year in China, many of these sites host colorful lantern displays, providing eye-catching backdrops for photos. “Of course there are people who join the trend only during the Lunar New Year – but for most people, it isn’t just because of the festival,” she tells CNN Travel. There are three main styles of hanfu: the jacket and shirt, one-piece dress, or jacket and trousers. There are many different styles of clothing inspired by multiple Chinese dynasties that could fall under this umbrella term, but most generally include a long, flowing cross-collar robe.