On the afternoon of February 17, 2023, local time in Venice, the Venice Carnival Hanfu Parade was held in St. Marks Square. This event was organized by the Foreign Affairs Office of the Suzhou Municipal People Government, the Suzhou Culture and Tourism Bureau, the Festival Department of the City of Venice, the Confucius Institute of the University of Venice, and the Venice Carnival Organizing Committee, and hosted by the Suzhou Silk Museum.
In the midst of the continuing atmosphere of the Venice Carnival, the models recruited by the Confucius Institute of the University of Venice, dressed in different styles of hanfu, walked through the streets of the city and arrived at St. Mark's Square, attracting the attention of citizens and tourists alike along the way. In St. Mark's Square, the “Hanfu Parade” became the focus of the day, with tourists and Venetians from all over the world enjoying it, taking pictures, and sharing them.
The elegant shape of Han Dynasty costumes, the richness and beauty of Tang Dynasty costumes, the simplicity and grace of Song Dynasty costumes, the dignity and splendor of Ming Dynasty costumes, from the Silk Road to the aesthetics of Su-style life, Suzhou and Venice met once again through the culture of costumes, continuing the story of the long cultural exchange between Italy and China.
Massimiliano De Martin, vice mayor of Venice, said: thanks to Suzhou city and friends from Suzhou for bringing such a wonderful costume show. These costumes are brilliantly colored and well-made, bringing not only a visual pleasure to the audience, but also elegance to the people wearing them. Massimo Andreoli, representative of the carnival organizing committee, expressed his thoughts: Venice and Suzhou are inextricably linked, and because of Marco Polo, we Venetians will often talk about Suzhou. It is a great honor for the carnival to host a hanfu show from Suzhou.
Venice is the first international friendship city of Suzhou, and the two cities have achieved fruitful results in the fields of economy, trade, humanities, education, sports, health care, and so on. This hanfu parade is another important cultural exchange activity in the framework of the friendship city between Suzhou and Venice, and another innovative plan to bring the culture of Jiangnan to the world.
