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The Most Classic Hanfu of All Time
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;…- 9
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Hanfu Accessory: Ronghua History and Basic DIY Steps
Vocabulary Velvet Flower - 绒花 (rónghuā) - a realistically made flower made artificially from silk threads and copper wire. Palace Flower - 宫花 (gōng huā) - another way to call ronghua with the rise in popularities of ronghua to females in the palace. Untwisted Silks - 无捻蚕丝 (wú niǎn cánsī) - when it comes to silk threads, depending on the type and material of the threads, one single thread can be made up of thinner threads twisted together. Untwisted silk thread means there are no smaller twisted threads. You can directly skip to the brushing steps in ronghua making process. Hunan Embroidery Thread - 湘绣线 (xiāngxiù xiàn) - another type of thread used in ronghua making. Suzhou Embroidery Thread - 苏绣线 (sūxiù xiàn) - another type of thread used in ronghua making. History 绒花, rónghuā, an artificial handcraft head accessories made from materials such as silks and coppers. It existed since the Qin Dynasty. There are many known “brands” of ronghuas, such as Nanjing Ronghua. In the Tang era, Wu Zetian listed Nanjing Ronghua as a royal tribute to the Yangzhou area becoming a luxury only princes and princesses can use. Eventually, Nanjing Ronghua became something that represents Nanjing but also…- 9
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Hanfu History of Ancient Chinese Underwear
In the long years of change, Chinese underwear not only plays the role of covering the body and keeping warm but also carries the long Chinese civilization and records the ancient and mysterious oriental culture. Compared with other traditional Chinese costumes, there are not many descriptions of underwear in ancient Chinese books, which makes it difficult for people to see through thick clothes directly to the thin shelter. Only through precious historical materials can we have a glimpse of ancient Chinese underwear. The history of Chinese underwear has a long history. The following historical clues of underwear are beginning with the Han Dynasty. Chinese Underwear of the Han Dynasty - Baofu (抱腹) The underwear of the Han Dynasty is called "Baofu" or "Xinyi (心衣)". There are records in the historical materials of the Han Dynasty: Baofu, with belts up and down, and wrap the abdomen. The basis of "Xinyi" is "Baofu". The common point of the two is that the back is exposed without a back piece. Wei Jin - Liangdang (两当) The difference between "Liangdang" and "Baofu" and "Xinyi" lies in that it has a back piece, which can be used as both the chest and the back. Most of…- 7
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Top 10 Most Popular Traditional Accessories in History
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… -
Brief History of Cloud-Shoulder (Yunjian)
Brief history describing the purpose of yunjian, history, and changes overtime between modern period and past. -
History of Traditional Chinese Hair Accessories
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…- 7
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Guide of the Ming Dynasty Shan/Ao Types for Girls
The Ming Dynasty Hanfu has always been known by Hanfu lovers for its dignity and elegance. Compared to the Tang and Song dynasties, Ming Hanfu has a large number of excavated artifacts, heirloom paintings, and costumes to serve as references. Therefore, we can have access to a great variety of Hanfu styles from the Ming Dynasty. Common types of Ming style Shan/Ao The different Ming Dynasty Shan/Ao styles are mainly composed of the elements of collar, bodice, sleeve shape, and length of the clothing. Ling (领, collar): Zhi Ling (直领, straight collar), Yuan Ling (圆领, round collar), Li Ling (立领, stand collar, also known as Shu Ling), Fang Ling (方领, square collar). Jin (襟, bodice): Da Jin (大襟), Dui Jin (对襟), refers to the intersection of the neckline of the clothes, and also refers to the chest part of the clothes. Xiu (袖, sleeve type): Zhai Xiu (窄袖, narrow sleeves), Zhi Xiu (直袖, straight sleeves), Pipa Xiu (琵琶袖, pipa sleeves), Da Xiu (大袖, wide sleeves). Yi Chang (衣长, length of clothes): Chang Shan/Ao (long), Duan Shan/Ao (short). We will introduce several classic Ming Hanfu styles for girls, based on different collar styles. Zhi Ling Zhi Ling Da Jin…- 7
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Exquisite Restored Hanfu from the Ancient Painting
Ancient paintings are one of the most important ways to explore the ancient traditional Hanfu, and the Hanfu styles in some classic famous paintings are even more popular among Hanfu enthusiasts. The charm of the Wei and Jin dynasties, the gracefulness of the Tang Dynasty, the elegance of the Song Dynasty, just flow into reality from ancient paintings. Today, take a look at those restored Hanfu costumes from ancient paintings! Court Ladies Preparing Newly Woven Silk Court Ladies Preparing Newly Woven Silk (Dao Lian Tu, 捣练圖) shows women at work pounding, weaving, ironing and sewing, and is an important custom painting of the Tang Dynasty. The women in the painting are voluptuous and dressed in various colors of Qixiong dresses, if looking closely, you can see that the fabric is decorated with colorful patterns, mainly with Tuan Hua (团花). At present, there are some restored Court Ladies Preparing Newly Woven Silk hanfu, which can be said to be very nicely restored in color and pattern, fresh, natural and antique style. A Palace Concert A Palace Concert (Tang Ren Gong Le Tu, 唐人宫乐图) depicts the life of court lady at a banquet during the late Tang Dynasty. Around the…- 6
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Chinese Clothing & Hanfu Documentaries Recommendations - Updating
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…- 6
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6 Easily Confused Hanfu Costume Structures
There are many different forms of Hanfu, and different dynasties may have different styles, so we often mention some proper names of Hanfu in our articles. And this article brings together some words that are easily confused in Hanfu costume structures, and I hope it will be helpful to you. 1. Hanfu collar types 2. Hanfu collar protector types It is used to ensure that the garment is protected from stains and can be removed for washing. The style is available in different lengths of width. 3. You Ren refers to the chest part of the clothes. The Ren of Hanfu is usually covered to the right (when viewed from the front, the right lapel covers the left lapel), which is called You Ren (右衽, right overlapping). 4. Hanfu sleeve types 5. Center seam It refers to the centerline of the garment when it is measured and made, and is a metaphor for the philosophical theory of neutrality and integrity. 6. Robe hem The cloth added on both sides of the robe, used to create a three-dimensional feeling by pleating control. It is also used as a function to cover the slit of the robe. According to the hem, the… -
Fashion Secrets in Traditional Chinese Jewelry Boxes
A complete hanfu look is certainly not complete without fine jewelry to match. In the course of ancient history, traditional Chinese jewelry naturally evolved, graceful and luxurious, or refined and small. In this article, we will reveal through the order of dynasties, the fashion secrets in ancient traditional Chinese jewelry boxes. Let's see those periods of "China-Chic" how fashionable. Wei, Jin and North and South Dynasties: A Fashion Trend from Abroad? The poem "Ballad of Mulan" contains the line: "She combs her hair by the window and, before the mirror, fastens golden yellow flowers." This "yellow flowers (Hua Hunag, 花黄)" refers to the makeup of women in the Wei and Jin dynasties, which was inspired by Buddhism. Due to the popularity of Buddhism, the Buddha-nature of gold brought inspiration to women, so although the "flower yellow" in makeup may have been a little exaggerated, but it does reflect the characteristics of Buddhism at the time, as well as the pursuit of exoticism. Of course, the rise of the introduction of Buddhism to the fashion circle brought not only makeup, with the matching jewelry also with a clear Buddhist style. In terms of production materials, although gold and silver remained…- 6
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10 Traditional Chinese Colors & 4 Patterns Applied to Hanfu
The Colors of the Four Seasons | Chinese Dressing Aesthetics Color, is an important factor that constitutes the beauty of the art of dress. The ancients naturally did not ignore it. Classical Chinese dress colors originated from ancient times, as early as 18,000 years ago when the Beijing Cavemanused stone powder red to dye jewelry. For a long time, Chinese colors learned from the bright nature of birds' feathers, flowers, and so on, imitated the dyeing, and gradually became a system of its own, following the rules to use, expressing the transformation of seasons. Rites of Zhou has recorded: "For painting, the five colors are mixed. The symbol of the east is called cyan, the symbol of the south is called red, the symbol of the west is called white, the symbol of the north is called black, the symbol of the sky is called Xuan (dark black), and the symbol of the earth is called yellow." The center is also yellow. The colors of the Wuxing (五行, Five Elements) are yellow (earth, 土), white (metal, 金), cyan (wood, 木), red (fire, 火), black (water, 水), the colors of the four seasons are spring green, summer red, autumn white, winter…- 5
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12 Different Types of Chinese Knots and Their Significance
At various Chinese festive events, the beautiful and elegant Chinese knots often appear as important decorations. As a traditional Chinese handicraft, it originated from knotting for record-keeping and has been widely used in daily life since then. To know more about Chinese knots, one must understand Basic Knots, which are the smallest units that can be combined and varied to create complex knot patterns, and they are the basic knotting method used in making Chinese knot art. Complex variations and combinations of these basic knots can be created through the use of these fundamental knots. This article will primarily focus on the forms and meanings of 12 basic Chinese knots. Flat Knot The flat knot is an ancient and simple knot that can be made by winding one end of a line around the other line, with the later one being the axle. This knot can also be made with only one line by winding around an object to form a knot. Flat knots, while simple in appearance, are flat and easy to undo, which makes them widely used in daily life. They can be used to tie things together or to make bracelets, hanging chains, and other decorations,…- 5
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A Brief History of Tang Dynasty Clothing
Tang Dynasty clothing mainly refers to the Tang Dynasty Hanfu clothes. Tang Dynasty is a period of great prosperity of China's feudal society. Both people's thoughts and material production have reached the ancient historical peak. Since the Tang Dynasty, a large number of flower patterns have been widely used in craft decoration. Its composition is lively and free, dense and symmetrical, plump, and mellow. Especially after the combination of wavy continuous patterns and floral plants, it was the popular pattern in that period. The style of the Tang Dynasty clothing has taken real flowers, grass, fish, and insects for sketching, instead of the previous creative idea of the "Mandate of Heaven." Still, the traditional mythical animals, like dragon and phoenix pattern, has not been excluded. At this time, the design of costume patterns tends to express the free, open mind and casual artistic style. The Feature of Tang Dynasty Clothing In the Tang Dynasty, foreign trade was developed, and the country was peaceful for a long time. Especially when the Tang Dynasty became the center of economic and cultural exchanges among Asian nations, it was the most glorious page in the history of Asian history. This period absorbed Indian and…- 5
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The History and Usage of Traditional Panbo
Brief history on Chinese tool panbo and how it is different in the past when compared to Japanese tasuki.- 5
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Hanfu Accessory: Jin Bu History and Purpose
Vocab “Step ban” or “walking ban” - Jin Bu (禁步, jìn bù) - an accessory often matches with hanfu. It is an accessory that is threaded together with jade stones and hung over a hanfu dress. Jade pendant - Yu Pei (玉佩, yù pèi) - also an accessory made of silk threads, beads, and jade stone that hung at the waist. But yùpèi are much simpler than Jin Bu, oftentimes it is just a jade with one or two beads tied together with thread. Oftentimes there will be no silk or bead tassels at the bottom like Jin Bu. Materials Jin Bu are usually made up of colored silk threads, jade beads, and jade pendants combined together. There may or not have tassels made up of silk thread at the end of the accessory. If not, the tassels may also be made up of threaded beads. Jin Bu in the past were made up of precious stones, and since they are threaded, they will clash together when walking making jade clash. If this is heard now people might not think much about it, but the etiquette and customs were stricter in ancient times, especially on feminine etiquette and how…- 5
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How Many Parts Does a Hanfu Upper Garment Consist Of?
This article introduces you to the components of the Hanfu upper garment. Use the most common cross-collar shirt for demonstration. This is a Ming Dynasty women's woven gold cross-collar short shirt currently in the Confucius Museum in Shandong. 1. Guard collar (Huling, 护领): added to the outside of the collar parts, shorter than the collar, made of plain cloth, can be used to prevent wear and tear dirty. 2. Lapel (Jin, 襟, jīn): it refers to the edge of the chest part of the clothes, which is the collar edge of the clothes with cross collar and straight collar. 3. Ren (衽, rèn): refers to the chest part of the clothes. The Ren of Hanfu is usually covered to the right (when viewed from the front, the right lapel covers the left lapel), which is called You Ren (右衽, right overlapping). 4. Du (裻, dú): refers to the middle seam of the clothes, due to the narrow width of the cloth in ancient times, will be seamed in the middle of the back, called the Zhong Feng (中缝, middle seam). 5. Lacing: The rope belt used to fix the clothes. 6. Ge (袼, gē): refers to the sleeve root, which…- 5
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Hanfu Accessory: Wrapped Flower History and Chan Hua Basic DIY Steps
Vocab of Wrapped Flower Wrapped flower - 缠花 (chán huā) - a name used to called artificially made flower using the techniques of wrapping colored silk thread around cut-out pieces and combining each parts together to make flowers, animals, insects, etc. Spring Flower - 春仔花 (chūn zǐ huā) or 春花 (chūn huā). Used in this situation would mean various types of flower combined into a small batch each flower symbolize for different meanings in China. In this case, the flower would be a wrapped flower rather than a real flower. History of Wrapped Flower Through ancient China, people held a profound appreciation for nature, which manifested in their beliefs of deities who governed natural forces to their interest in making poetry, music, and artworks that represented the beauty they saw. One remarkable custom in ancient China were the flower hair-pinning practice known as "簪花的习俗 (zān huā de xí sú)," where both men and women adorned their hair or hat with flowers, either fresh or artificially made. Talking about flowers, there are many artificial flower craftsmen that have passed down for centuries, including "ronghua" and "wrapped flower." The art of wrapped flowers originated during the Ming Dynasty and arrived in the…- 5
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Hanfu History | The Development of Chinese Robe System
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…- 5
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How Did Men Makeup in Ancient China?
The desire to look attractive is universal. Since ancient times, the pursuit of beauty has never stopped. Throughout traditional Chinese makeup history, not only women, but also men love beauty, and some men even know more about makeup than women, and there are many of them who are the best. The earliest archaeological discovery of makeup tools was used by men. Hubei Zaoyang Jiu Lien Dun No. 1 Chu tomb unearthed "portable" makeup box, the box is divided into bronze mirror, wooden comb, scraper, powder box, and small wooden comb. Men's make-up, although not as elaborate as women's, but their own pursuit. Today, we will introduce how men makeup in different periods in ancient times. Qin and Han Dynasties During the Qin and Han dynasties, men already began to pay attention to the elaboration of hair ornaments and clothing, like the complex and diverse hair-binding rituals of the Qin dynasty, which made it easy to distinguish the status and rank of each person in the way of hair-binding. In the Han Dynasty, many male tombs were also buried with abundant make-up appliances. In the Han Dynasty, it was recorded in the book "Han Shu • Ning Xing Zhuan (汉书•佞幸传)"…- 5
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What is Hezi Qun - Origins and Types
Hezi Qun (诃子裙), a kind of Moxiong long skirt with a big-sleeved shirt, has suddenly become a popular hanfu style for summer. Perhaps your initial impression of it is that it is one of the Tang Dynasty hanfu styles. But it's much more than that, and today we're going to introduce you to the origin and types of the Hezi Qun in more detail. Let's get started. 1. What is Hezi Let's first understand what Hezi is. Hezi(诃子) is one of the ancient Chinese women's undergarments, also known as "Waxiong (袜胸)", "Moxiong (抹胸)", "Lanqun (襕裙)", "Hehuan Lanqun (合欢襕裙)", and so on. It was popular in the Tang, Song, and Ming dynasties. From the back to the front of the bundle, the following line, can also be tied around the waist of the skirt, also known as the Dudou (肚兜) in the Qing Dynasty. Originally, Hezi had little to do with hanfu. In most of the ancient literature, Hezi is a kind of traditional Chinese medicine. The earliest documentary record about Hezi and hanfu is found in the Song Dynasty. Song dynasty Zeng Zao in his book "Lei Shuo (类说)" has recorded: one day, Yang Guifei and An Lushan had a…- 4
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Stunning! How Fashion Magazine Revives Ancient Chinese Costume
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…- 4
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4 Important Customs of Duanwu Festival in Ancient China
The Duanwu Festival (端午节, Dragon Boat Festival) has long been transformed into a concrete and profound contemporary cultural symbol in the annual ritualistic repetition of the action. As the fifth day of the fifth lunar month approaches, various flavors of Zongzi are marketed, many traditional villages begin preparing for dragon boat races, and Chinese office workers and students await the holiday with great anticipation. Are there any other traditional Duanwu customs that have continued from ancient times? And how did the ancient people prepare for the Duanwu Festival? Let's search the Duanwu Festival in the classic paintings that have been passed down through the ages. Eat Zongzi Whenever the Duanwu is mentioned, Qu Yuan is the most familiar to people. In order to commemorate Qu Yuan, who committed himself to the Miluo River, on every fifth day of May, people throw Zongzi into the river; at the same time, they make dragon boats to expel the augur dragon so that Qu Yuan's flesh will not be robbed. This is also the most widespread source of Zongzi and dragon boat racing. As the most ritualistic necessity of the Duanwu Festival, eating Zongzi has long been a popular habit for all Chinese. Many…- 4
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History of Traditional Chinese Fan
When was the traditional Chinese fan born and what did it first look like? These are no longer available in kind. According to the speculation of Mr. Shen Congwen, the traditional Chinese fan was used at least not later than after the appearance of pottery in the Neolithic period. Pre Qin Dynasty In ancient times, human beings picked a leaf of a plant or a feather of a bird in the hot summer, and simply processed it to fan the wind and take shade from the sun, which is the prototype of the original fan. In the initial era, the fan was called "箑(shà)" or "萐(shà)", and also "翣(shà)”", and only in the later development was it unified and called "扇(shàn)". The above-mentioned different fan of the ancient name, but also reflects the material of the fan at that time are bulrush, feathers, bamboo, and so on. The oldest fan excavation artifact at present is a short-handled bamboo fan, also known as Bian Mian (便面), unearthed from an ancient tomb of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty in Jing'an County, Jiangxi. As the earliest image of a fan, it appears on a bronze pot unearthed in Chengdu, which belongs to the…- 4
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