The awareness of Hanfu is as follows: 60% of people are clear that the traditional attire of the Han nationality is Hanfu, which is favorable for the promotion of Hanfu. However, 23% still mistakenly believe that Han Chinese clothing is Tang suit, Qipao, or Magua, indicating this misconception. Additionally, 5% think that the Han nationality has no traditional clothing, suggesting there is significant room for the promotion of Hanfu. In understanding Hanfu, 60% know it is the traditional attire of the Han nationality, showing that most students can differentiate traditional Chinese attire well. Yet, 36% of college students regard Hanfu as ancient costumes or attire from the Han Dynasty, while a small 4% are unclear about the concept of Hanfu, indicating that clear definitions need to be improved.
In the campus of Qingdao Agricultural University, it's common to see several female students dressed in wide-sleeved robes, decorated with twining lotus patterns, exuding an ancient charm. However, this scene is not from a historical drama but rather from a group of students at Qingdao Agricultural University who love Hanfu. They wear traditional Han Chinese clothing. To these students, wearing their ethnic attire on the street is entirely normal, and they hope that their daily wearing of Hanfu will help more people understand Hanfu culture.
Hanfu is the cultural essence of our nation. Despite many people still not understanding it in today's society and even mistaking it for strange costumes, theatrical outfits, or even Japanese kimonos, how can this not evoke indignation? We cannot forget our traditional cultural essence due to historical reasons. Therefore, both I and the students hope to showcase as much content as possible in class to let more people learn about and love Hanfu. However, as a new curriculum standard art class, it lacks student autonomy, which is a significant question I have during this lesson—how to balance it?
Next, attention should be paid to checking product names for inappropriate words. Authentic Hanfu shops will never use terms like “ancient costume,” “fairy dress,” “studio,” “theatrical costume,” “emperor's concubine,” etc., though some merchants prefer to add “not ancient costume” to increase search volume. Looking at the two examples below, seeing such names, is it Hanfu or Han elements? Ancient costume or fairy? Or student attire? This is peculiar indeed, essentially indicating counterfeit products.
Currently, ancient costumes are quite popular. Taking Hanfu as an example, previously, out of a hundred people, hardly anyone liked Hanfu. Now, even elementary school students know about Hanfu. Moreover, nowadays, encountering a lady or gentleman in Hanfu on the street is not uncommon. Besides, ancient costume dramas are also very popular. Flipping through channels, one can easily find an ancient drama, and many have become classics, cherished by many. Today, let's review some classic lines from ancient costume dramas.
Subsequently, volunteer Xiao Yang explained Hanfu knowledge to the students. Starting from everyday matters, she asked the students about their usual attention to their clothing and appearance before explaining the essence of Hanfu. As one of China's traditional attires, Hanfu is not just clothing but also embodies classical etiquette. She then patiently explained various parts of Hanfu and their significance, including the correct way to wear Hanfu and different classifications. During her lecture, Xiao Yang displayed numerous examples and used game characters or ancient costume drama characters' attire to assist analysis. Midway, she showcased her hand-drawn Hanfu designs to the students and encouraged them to create their own after the explanation.
China is an ancient civilization with countless beautiful things that once existed, and clothing culture is one of them. In various ancient costume dramas, we can see that the clothing of ancient people, especially noble women, was very beautiful, and men's clothing appeared dignified and elegant. Moreover, an increasing number of college students like to take graduation photos in ancient costumes. This indicates their love for ancient costumes, particularly Hanfu.
With the concept of Hanfu gaining a wider audience, ten years after the start of the Hanfu movement, the first phase's achievements have had clear effects, with society changing the term “ancient costume” to Hanfu. News reports often appear in the media such as “Which celebrity looks best in Hanfu?” or “College students taking graduation photos in Hanfu.” However, upon opening the articles, it can be found that what people wear is actually what netizens perceive as “ancient costume” or studio attire. This change can be seen as a result of the first phase of the Hanfu movement, which renamed “ancient costume” as Hanfu, thereby rapidly expanding the audience for the concept of Hanfu.
Looking at the product titles, counterfeit stores pile up many elements to increase exposure, such as adding a series of terms like “Chinese style,” “ancient style,” “ancient costume,” “studio,” “Han elements,” “modernized,” “Wei-Jin style,” “student,” “airy,” “flowing,” “TikTok,” etc. Genuine Hanfu merchants would never write titles like this. To distinguish themselves from ancient costumes and ancient styles, genuine Hanfu merchants often add the word “not ancient costume.” Counterfeit stores, however, do the opposite, using these tags purely for marketing purposes.
A math teacher having the entire class wear ancient costumes for a math class aims to allow students to gain a deeper understanding of the ancient Chinese approach to mathematics and the academic mysteries of ancient mathematical culture. When a math teacher uses the innovative teaching method of wearing Hanfu, students will experience a new learning environment, enhancing the classroom culture, making the once monotonous learning atmosphere richer and improving students' learning outcomes.