Hanfu is not just the costume of the Han Dynasty, as many people understand. Rather, it refers to the clothing system developed over the past 4,000 years from the Yellow Emperor to the end of the Ming Dynasty, with Chinese civilization as the center. It represents China's national character of harmony, elegance, and gentleness, which is dignified but not too gorgeous. Hanfu is not only a simple clothing representative, but also the embodiment of Chinese national etiquette and culture. Hanfu styles are diverse, or gentle and dynamic, or comfortable and leisurely, and this article mainly introduces you to the "Gorgeous Style" Chinese formal dress for female, which symbolizes wealth and dignity.   Highlights of Gorgeous Style Hanfu Dressing The Gorgeous Xiapei Xiapei (霞帔) is one of the most common decorative parts of gorgeous hanfu, similar in form and function to a modern shawl. It is also a symbol of status for different classes and has strict rules on texture, color, and pattern. Although the Xiapei does not account for a large percentage of the entire hanfu set, it is indeed the most eye-catching part. The Xiapei is often the same color as the hanfu, and is embellished with gold embroideries…

The recently released new Chinese drama "Song of Youth" attracted a lot of people's attention. The drama tells the story of Lin Shaochun, the daughter of an official family, who maintains the relationship between her mother-in-law and sisters-in-law within the Sun family and solves various crises outside to finally achieve a happy and successful life. Many viewers are attracted by the exquisite costume modeling in the drama, praising its detailed and elegant beauty. Then let's take a look at the beauty of Ming Dynasty costumes by referring to the costumes in Song of Youth.   I. Ming Style Hanfu The dress and skirt attire of women in the Ming Dynasty was similar to that of the Song and Yuan Dynasties, mainly the upper Shan (衫, shirt) and lower Qun (裙, skirt), but with more attention to details. Its main features are the use of buttons as decoration in the front lapel, small round collars in the inner wear, the standing collars at the neck, and the use of Yunjian (云肩, cloud shoulders), Bijia (比甲) and Xiapei (霞帔), etc. The Ming Dynasty had strict hierarchical requirements for all classes of dress, and although the dress of the commoner women and the…

In fact, while making this list today I found out there are so many upcoming costumed dramas that I'm waiting for.  This post is dedicated to my favorite upcoming costumed series, from historical to fantasy. Anyways, I hope you all are ready, today we will be going over the Top 14 Most Anticipated Upcoming Chinese Dramas in 2021. 1. Novoland - Pearl Eclipse This is definitely one of my favorite upcoming dramas. Yang Mi & William Chan lead this fantasy drama whose filming was completed last year on September 20, 2020. It's safe to assume that most of the post-production work is completed now and the drama is just waiting for a premiere date. Novoland Pearl Eclipse revolves around the story of a mermaid living together among her people in a small coastal village which gets raided and its inhabitants were slain. Pearl Eclipse referring to the tears of a young mermaid,  which becomes a magical pearl and is sought after by poachers of the time.  Yang Mi plays the part of the mermaid who is saved by the royal court official William Chan. I think the cinematography looks great and the storyline sounds interesting. You can never go wrong…

A lot of people on blog website including me have made posts about top wuxia dramas to watch but we always end up adding Xianxia dramas to the list. So in today's video,  I am only gonna include wuxia dramas on this list. Wuxia literary translates to Martial Heroes and it's set in Jiang Hu. Jiang Hu means lakes and rivers. In the west, Superman and Batman can be considered martial heroes but in Chinese drama land, wuxia dramas are set in ancient China. Wuxia dramas contest of Jiang hu, martial arts, swordsman,  and the characters must know some form of martial arts.   1. Nirvana In Fire 瑯琊榜 Starring Hu Ge, Tamia Liu & Wang Kai, Nirvana In Fire is a 54 episode drama that tells the story of a brilliant strategist who helps an uncovered prince battle for the throne. The screenplay is well-written and the storyline is well-paced as plots get revealed. You know how most shows are pretty boring in the beginning and only get interesting around episode 15 or so,  well Nirvana In Fire is amazing and it’ll hook you in right from the 1st episode. The drama has also got an amazing cast but…

In 1987, the TV version of "Dream of the Red Chamber (红楼梦)" was broadcast. Since then, this work has become a classic that can never be surpassed in the hearts of many people. And it has also become the most impossible to be remade classic masterpiece in the history of Chinese TV dramas. The costumes of "Dream of the Red Chamber" are exquisitely crafted and are a masterpiece. Costume designer Shi Yanqin, in order to shape the temperament of the era belonging to the Dream of the Red Chamber, extracted the most beautiful and most essential costume elements of each Chinese dynasty, fused them to design a unique costume meaning of the Red Chamber era, and finally designed more than 2,700 sets of exquisite costumes. Let's experience this classic work through photos. "Dream of the Red Chamber" (1987), episode 1: https://youtu.be/3jnWNLWgCyc

Chinese tea culture originated in the Tang Dynasty and flourished in the Song Dynasty. In the Song Dynasty, tea had become a necessity in people's daily life. With the overall prosperity of the Song dynasty's social commodity economy, tribute tea, tea sets, tea art, tea workshops, etc., but also flourished. The traditional Dian Cha (点茶, whisking tea) in the Song Dynasty had an extremely important position in the history of the Chinese tea ceremony. In this article, we will introduce the history and steps of whisking tea in the Song Dynasty, and let's feel the elegance of the literati in the Song Dynasty.   China's Tea Culture Chinese tea culture has a long history, the earliest written record is: "Shennong tasted hundred herbs, the day encountered seventy-two poisons, and got the Tu (荼) and solve", where the "Tu" is tea. Tea (茶) in the history of the five had used the name: Tu (荼), Jia (槚), She (蔎), Ming (茗), Chuan (荈). In five thousand years of Chinese civilization, people have accumulated a deep tea culture. In history, the application process of tea is roughly medicinal, edible, drinking. The way of tea drinking has also gone through several stages of…

Originally published in China Youth Magazine, Issue 10, 2021 @Correspondent: Fan Tuan (饭团) In recent years, there is a phenomenon that people can easily notice: more and more people in "ancient costumes" walking in the streets, they have wide robes and large sleeves, fluttering clothes, forming a landscape of their own, and most of them are young people. Their clothing is called Hanfu (汉服), and they call each other "Tongpao (同袍)" "Paozi (袍子)". So, what is Hanfu? Why are young people so keen on the Hanfu revival? How can ordinary people become Hanfu Tongpao? In this article, we interviewed 10 Hanfu Tongpao. Among them, there are ordinary people, leaders of Hanfu societies, Hanfu models, businessmen, and social media celebrities. Let's get closer to Hanfu in the stories of Tongpao.   Which Hanfu styles does Tongpao prefer? Hanfu, also known as Han Yi Guan, Han Zhuang, and Hua Fu, is a unique Han style and accessory system that was formed through a natural evolution from the reign of the Yellow Emperor to the middle of the 17th century AD (late Ming and early Qing dynasties) in the main areas where the Han people lived, with the "Huaxia-Han" culture as the background…

Traditional Chinese nail guards (Zhi Jia Tao, 指甲套), also known as "Hu Zhi (护指, finger protection)". The ancient palace noblewomen used gold and silver to make nail guards to protect their nails and show their status, were extremely fine and gorgeous, with a wide variety. If you have watched the wonderful historical TV drama Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace, you may have noticed that the concubines in the drama have long nails on their slender hands and wear nail guards on their end fingers, showing their nobility and elegance. Such luxurious Chinese nail guards, in addition to showing the identity status characteristics, what is its role, today let's explore it!   History of keeping long fingernails Everyone has a love of beauty. Since ancient times, it has been every woman's wish to have a pair of delicate hands, and the ancient Chinese had three main aesthetic standards for women's fingers: pointed, long, and white. The direct purpose of keeping long nails for women in ancient times was to make the nails extend the fingers, making the hand shape look sharp and long. And in ancient times, both men and women pursued long nails for beauty, many noble families and literati,…

Source: China Daily According to data from people.cn, Chinese hanfu consumers surpassed 2 million in 2018, tripling the level of 2017. A recent report from Guangzhou-based consultancy iiMedia Research estimated that by 2021, China’s hanfu fans will reach 6.89 million, and the hanfu sales volume will total 10.16 billion yuan ($1.58 billion). Popular Hanfu Currently, there were more than 3,000 registered hanfu-related enterprises in China, among which over 60 percent were registered in the past five years, data from business information provider Tianyancha showed. Guangzhou-based bespoke hanfu manufacturer, Minghuatang, is known as the “Hermes of hanfu.” Data from Minghuatang’s official website on May 17 showed that the customer service is busy handling orders submitted on May 11, and the tailoring period has been scheduled to mid-March 2022. Apart from high-end markets, inexpensive hanfu is also popular. Data from Alibaba’s Taobao platform showed that hanfu that are priced between 100 yuan and 300 yuan took up over 60 percent of sales, while those over 500 yuan accounted for roughly 30 percent of sales.   Why Hanfu became popular Zhang Yi, the chief analyst at iiMedia Research, said during an interview with online fashion media Vogue Business, that from a niche hobby…

Just in time for the spring flower viewing season, you can always find many videos on social media of girls wearing hanfu on spring tours during this May Day holiday. Nowadays, it's not normal to go to major scenic spots and events in China without encountering young people wearing hanfu instead. Hanfu is no longer a niche hobby, but it has a long way to go to achieve true industrialization. This wave of hanfu popularity is mostly crowded by young people under the age of 24. Some of them will buy more than 30 pieces of hanfu a year and wear them all the time except for sleeping; some are willing to spend half a year to make a treasured hanfu by hand, and some spend all their spare time on hanfu promotion activities. Has Hanfu still considered a niche hobby? From the 2019 Xi'an Datang Everbright City's "Tumblers show", to this year's Spring Festival's “Tang Palace Night Banquet” all received unanimous praise, the rise of traditional culture boom, and so has the attention to Hanfu. And this "hanfu popularity" is the first to attract young people. Hui, a designer by profession, was initially attracted by the "classical beauty" of…

Original Author: Huafeng Mozhu (华风墨逐) Hanfu Cutting & Sewing Patterns Detail Zhongyi (中衣) Aoqun (袄裙) Ruqun (襦裙) Beizi (褙子) Pan collar Aoqun (盘领袄) Quju (曲裾) Banbi (半臂) Shuhe (裋褐) Zhiduo/Zhishen/Daopao (直裰/直身/道袍) Panling Pao/Lanshan (盘领袍/襕衫) Shenyi (深衣) Yisan (曳撒) Inspired Hanfu (改良汉服) Updating   Preface Ethnic costumes are different from ordinary clothes that only play the role of warmth and decoration, but they are one of the elements of the appearance of a nation and an important carrier of its traditional culture. It is also an important carrier of the traditional culture of a nation. The cultural connotation of traditional costumes of different nationalities is different, and it can naturally show the spiritual civilization and aesthetics of the nation. Hanfu is the traditional costume of the Han people, also known as "Han Zhuang" or "Hua Fu".Since the time of the Yellow Emperor, Yao and Shun, hanfu has taken a basic form, and after the inheritance of the rituals of the Zhou Dynasty, it has formed a perfect system of clothing and crown and spread to the people in the Han Dynasty. The hanfu had been developed for thousands of years until the fall of the Ming Dynasty, when it was temporarily stopped.…

Like Chinese Hanfu costumes, ancient Chinese hairstyles also have a long history. The hair is placed at the head of the body, and it is the key to showing the beauty of the human body. The ancient Chinese hairstyles culture is diverse and gorgeous, a special and wonderful part of Chinese culture, and likewise, it shows the unique aesthetics of China that has rich content. This article contains female ancient Chinese hairstyles and male ancient Chinese hairstyles, and introduces the traditional hairstyle characteristics of different historical periods through the order of dynasties. We hope that you can have a new understanding of Chinese hairstyles through the article. Let's get started!   Female Ancient Chinese Hairstyles Although there are many styles of historical hair bun, depending on the person, the part of the bun is different and can be divided into two categories: one is the hanging bun located at the back of the neck, mainly in the Warring States and Qin and Han dynasties. The other is the high bun on the top of the head, popular in the Eastern Han Dynasty, Wei, and Jin Dynasty, and reached its peak in the Tang and Song Dynasties, with many variations that…

If you often watch Chinese historical dramas, certainly have an impression of the ancient Chinese official hats, especially the Wu Sha Mao, people are still accustomed to the "Wu Sha Mao" as a symbol of the official, "lost the Wu Sha Mao" means be dismissed from office. Today to introduce the history and characteristics of the Wu Sha Mao and other periods in the history of the Chinese official hats. Wu Sha Mao (乌纱帽, black gauze cap) is an ancient official hat, the original is a common civilian cap, the official wear Wu Sha Mao originated in the East Jin Dynasty, but as a component of the official uniform, began in the Sui dynasty, flourished in the Tang dynasty, to the Song dynasty, plus the "double wing", after the Ming dynasty, Wu Sha Mao only formally become a synonym for officials.   The origin and shape of the Wu Sha Mao Wu Sha Mao is evolved from the Futou (幞头) in Sui and Tang Dynasty, and it is also directly called "Zhe Shang Jin (折上巾)" in the official literature of Song Dynasty. The Futou was originally a black square fabric with four corners, and after covering the top of the…

Everyone has a martial arts dream in their heart, especially when watching Chinese historical dramas, many people even want to take the place of the main characters in the dramas to go into the world. If you still love martial arts to this day, you can try these martial arts style Hanfu suits (Wuxia clothing), which are very handsome, let them satisfy your martial arts dreams.   The first set consists of a straight collar and lapel jacket with a graduated color pleated skirt, the outermost layer of which can be added to the Hewei (合围). The embroidery is derived from bamboo leaves, garden window frames, and the leather cuffs with buttons emphasize the feminine capable, and easily master the martial arts temperament.   The second set belongs to the Hanfu-inspired clothing, which can be called Wei Jin style, is composed of a large-sleeved shirt with a cross-collar lining, the overall presentation is an elegant style, often seen in martial arts film and dramas such dress. Light green color scheme, no complicated embroidery, wearing such an outfit, gently leaning on the bow, away from worldly strife, converge into a quiet painting.   The third set is a Ming-style round neck robe,…

The modern hanfu is an improved version of traditional Chinese clothing, also called as new hanfu. The modern hanfu is on the basis of Western-style clothing, formed by integrating the basic elements of traditional hanfu outfit. The new hanfu is split into several varieties based on its features that can be part of the form characteristics, patterns, or aesthetic. If you take the word "Hanfu" back to its roots, it simply was the Chinese word for “Han People's Clothing.” Later on, it evolved to mean specifically, traditional Chinese clothing. As they came into popularity in the ancient period, manufacturers began producing these pieces of hanfu with many cutting methods, and they’d cut various lines of fabric, sew them together. It's usually a very loose design that meant they wouldn’t have to have multiple sizes and fits. Eventually, hanfu style developed and people began wearing on a large scale, integrated into their everyday style. Hanfu designers improved their craft to such an extent that it became an art form and not simply as apparel. Traditional hanfu became more valuable and more collectible as pieces of art. That’s not to say that an appreciation of the hanfu today has to be all…

Many girls like to take a set of Hanfu photos as a memory when they buy a new Hanfu. When we take portraits, besides paying attention to our hairstyle and makeup, there is also a very important aspect, which is the decoration we hold in our hands when taking pictures. Now there are many ancient style decorations available for us to choose from, which can make our look more exquisite, and we can choose according to demand. Today, I would like to introduce you to the four props commonly used in Hanfu photography, and hope that they will be helpful for your next photography. The first is similar to the lantern decorations, the name is called Jiangsha Deng (绛纱灯), which is used as a lantern in the Tang and Song dynasties , and now slowly become a decorative piece. Nowadays, the classic color scheme of the Jiangsha Deng is red and blue, which can give people a dignified and stable feeling, and is perfect to match with the Ming-style Hanfu, such as stand collar long Shan and Mamian Skirt. The color combination of the whole look can be a combination of sweetness and steadiness if it is paired with the…

The Rebel Princess (上阳赋, Shang Yang Fu) is a recent Chinese fictional costume drama that receives more attention, based on the background of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, starring Zhang Ziyi and Zhou YiWei. Although the costumes and props in "The Rebel Princess" are exquisite, but they are not fully restored according to history, so we will not discuss them too much and just enjoy them in the plot. But let's take this opportunity to review what the costumes in the Wei and Jin dynasties were like. The basic situation of the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern dynasties periods First of all, let us briefly introduce the basic situation of that period: "Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern dynasties (魏晋南北朝)", which is a compound term for several dynasties collectively, but the dynasties or countries included in it can be as many as dozens. The period before the Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern dynasties periods was the Three Kingdoms period (Wei, Shu, and Wu), with "Wei" referring to the state of Wei in the Three Kingdoms, and "Jin" mainly referring to the Western Jin dynasty built by the Sima clan after the demise of the Three Kingdoms, and the Eastern Jin dynasty…

Some time ago, the Ancient Chinese drama "Qin Dynasty Epic (大秦赋)" attracted a lot of attention. The drama tells the story of Qin Shi Huang Ying Zheng (秦始皇 嬴政), who with the support of ministers such as Lǚ Bu Wei (吕不韦), Li Si (李斯) and Wang Jian (王翦), in the late Warring States period, destroyed the six kingdoms, and established the first centralized state in Chinese history. The crew's skillful production of scenery and props and costumes, the details of which are highly restored to historical facts, bring a sense of "high class" rarely seen on the screen. Today we put aside the plot, to enjoy the "Qin Dynasty Epic" in the restoration of the ancient Qin dynasty costume and makeup look. About Military Costume Compared with the previous series, "Qin Dynasty Epic" has made a lot of efforts in costumes, props, and make-up, with more than 11,000 sets of costumes and 4,000 sets of armor for different characters, more than 80 chariots, siege chariots, and other large props, more than 10,000 pieces of swords, shields, spears and other weapons, more than 1,000 internal and external scenes and props, and many indoor appliances are modeled after archaeological objects, almost none…

Putting on the Chinese Hanfu costume, she is the king of the daughter kingdom in "Journey to the West (西游记)" and the sister of Baochai (宝钗) in "Dream of the Red Chamber (红楼梦)", with the classical charm flowing between her eyebrows and smiles, as if the characters from the Four Great Masterpieces (also includes: Romance of the Three Kingdoms (三国演义) and Water Margin (水浒传)) came to her eyes. The young Hanfu girl named Wu Chen (吴晨), who became popular online for a set of Hanfu photos. It is her interpretation of the beautiful women in the Four Great Masterpieces that has made many young people fall in love with Hanfu. In fact, she has a more special identity - the seventh generation inheritor of Changzhou Xiju (锡剧, also know as Wuxi Opera) Troupe. In Wu Chen's opinion, meeting Xiju and Hanfu are both wonderful encounters in life, and she also hopes to drive more young people to understand the traditional culture and inherit Chinese beauty through her creation. Accidentally Popular: Siyue Wu Chen was born in 2001, grew up in Jiangyin, Wuxi, and is now studying Xiju at the Jiangsu Drama School. She has long black hair with big watery…

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…