History & Culture

Tea set and tea-drinking are tightly connected. Many historical records and materials have proved that tea-drinking hasn’t appeared until the turn of Qin Dynasty and Han Dynasty. Chinese tea culture sprouted during the Wei and Jin Dynasties, during which the usages of tea existed in various ways, including food, medication, beverages, and so on. Among all, tea has been mostly taken as a kind of beverage. According to the "Guangling Xiaolao Zhuan", there has already elderly women who sold tea for a living on the markets in the Jin Dynasty. It was quite a competitive business with numerous pedlars as well as customers. From such phenomenon, it can be seen that drinking tea was highly prevalent at that time. At the time under the governance of Emperor Xuan of the Han Dynasty, Wangbao has written "武阳买茶 (buy tea in Wuyang)" and "烹茶尽具 (cook tea and prepare clean tea sets)" in his book "Tong Yue (僮约)", this is the earliest record of tea drinking and buying in China. In modern times, a celadon urn, carved with the character of "Cha (茶, tea)", with a height of 33.5 centimeters was found in a tomb in Huzhou, Zhejiang Province, which was built in…

The lapel, as an essential component of the cheongsam dress, serves as a critical dividing line in the layout of its style, possessing both functional and ornamental purposes. It complements the collar, buttons, or overlapping pieces in a harmonious manner, thus showcasing the overall beauty of the Qipao. The lapel (Jin, 襟), also known as the opening of the garment, is the unfastening of the Qipao's garment. Changes in the lapel are one of the primary way in which the Qipao's style evolves. Today, let us appreciate the modern styles of Qipao's lapels and savor the charm of Eastern women.   Without Lapel One of the most concise ways of opening a cheongsam is the "Without lapel, 无襟, Wu Jin" style. This kind of lapel style is directly derived from traditional Chinese clothing, appearing dignified and traditional.   Pleated & Without Lapel "Pleated without lapel, 褶皱无襟, Zhezhou & Wu Jin" style adds decorative pleats to the front chest, simple yet sophisticated, enhancing the sense of fashion.   Round Lapel "Round lapel, 圆襟, Yuan Jin" is the most common style of modern cheongsam lapel, with smooth lines from the neckline to the armpits. Depending on the size of the arc, it can…

With the revival of traditional culture, traditional Chinese outfits, Hanfu, is also more and more popular. However, there are still many readers who have some confusion about the structure of Hanfu. This article will introduce you to a complete set of structural details of Hanfu. "Hanfu", in general, refers to the traditional costumes of the Han nationality. It does not just refer to the clothing of the Han Dynasty. The traditional costume of the Han nationality can be traced back to the Zhou Dynasty. After the development of the Qin Dynasty, it gradually reached maturity in the Han Dynasty. Hanfu contains a complete set of clothing systems, including headwear, clothes, shoes, accessories, etc. 1. Hanfu Headwear (Shoufu, 首服) Shoufu is the headwear, which is an important part of traditional Chinese outfits. We know that the traditional Han people, both men, and women, should have their hair tied. When men and women grow up, they will wind their hair into a bun and put it on their head, and fix it with a hairpin. The main headdress is Mao (hat, 帽), Jin (scarf, 巾), etc. The headwear of adult men is often Guan (crown, 冠) Bian (弁), Futou (幞头), etc. Of…

Our previous articles have covered the costume components of the Song emperors, but today we focus on the composition and details of the Song empress costumes, using the Empress Cao's costume from the Qing Ping Yue TV series as a reference for comparison with museum collections. From the makeup poster of Empress Cao's character, Jiang Shuying, the cast still referenced the costumes in the "Axis of the Seated Portrait of empress Song Renzong (宋仁宗皇后坐像轴)" which is now in the National Palace Museum in Taipei, and perhaps due to the poor detail definition of the phoenix crown in the portrait, the phoenix crown was restored with reference to Liu E's phoenix crown in the similar era of Empress Zhenzong (真宗皇后). It's also worth noting that this empress costumes are of a higher class and therefore more elaborate, so let's start with a brief dissection of what Empress Cao is wearing. "Axis of the Seated Portrait of empress Song Renzong"   Dragon & Phoenix Flower Hairpin Crown In today's context, we are accustomed to referring to the Empress's ceremonial crown as a "phoenix crown" and sometimes the bride's jewelry as a "phoenix crown", but for a long time in ancient China, jewelry…

Today is the second day of the second month of the lunar calendar, a traditional Chinese folk festival: Dragon Headraising Day (龙抬头), since ancient times, people also take the Dragon Headraising Day as a day to pray for wind and rain, to drive away evil spirits and disasters, and to transfer good fortune. The dragon is a divine creature that lives in the sea in Chinese mythology, and is often used to symbolize good fortune. Since ancient times, people in mid-spring "Dragon Headraising Day" to pray for the dragon to eliminate disasters and blessings, wind and rain, harvest. The dragon, initially used as a totem emblem, later evolved into a decorative pattern. It was widely used on royal buildings, flags, and clothing. A list of 13 traditional Chinese dragon patterns that are often found in Hanfu fabrics for you. Zheng Dragon Zhenglong(正龙), also known as "sitting dragon", is characterized by a positive dragon head, a curved dragon body, and a well-distributed four feet (one on four sides). There are also walking dragons patterns with sloping sides. It is generally embroidered on the back of the chest and the end of the sleeves of clothes. If it is used for table surrounds…

Chinese skirts have a long history in China. As we all know, in ancient times, ancestors joined together with leaves or hides to keep out the cold, and became the rudiments of skirts. Chinese Skirts in Pre Qin Period It is said that more than four thousand years ago, the Yellow Emperor established the system of "Shangyi Xiachang (上衣下裳, upper garment, and lower skirt)", stipulating that people of different status wear different colors of clothes. The "Chang" at that time were skirts. Shenyi The statues unearthed in Anyang, Henan Province, are wearing flat hats, collars, skirts, belts, and pointed shoes. It generally reflects the situation of clothing in the Shang Dynasty. In the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, people generally wore Shenyi, and the upper top was connected with the lower skirt. Shenyi is similar to a dress, but it's slightly different. Han Dynasty In the Han Dynasty, skirts spread, with short tops and long skirts. The clothes of the existing terracotta figures of the Han Dynasty and those of Kabuki have such a clear reflection. At that time, the skirts all had folds, which were called "pleated skirts". According to the literature, Zhao Feiyan, the…

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. Tang Dynasty beauty pictures 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…

Hanfu & Traditional Chinese Dress for Kids Hanfu is becoming more and more popular among young people, and traditional clothing has also attracted more attention. And children have always been cute pronouns, but what kind of surprises will there be for children to wear traditional Chinese clothes. This issue brings traditional Chinese dress for kids, so that they can also wear Chinese clothes and feel the power of traditional culture together. What kind of clothes did children wear in ancient China? It is generally believed that children in the history of China do not have their own clothes, and children have been wearing a reduced version of adult clothes, but in fact, but it's not all that. Ancient Chinese Dress for Kids Qiangbao (襁褓, swaddling) The clothing of newborn babies is more common: Qiangbao. Qiangbao was widely used in ancient China from the court down to the people. According to the literature, Qiangbao as an ancient child care product has been widely used as early as the Shang and Zhou dynasties. The term "Qiangbao" was later used to refer to babies under the age of one year. Doudu (兜肚) Doudu, with naked back when wearing, has the function of heat…

In terms of the cultural and economic development of Chinese feudal society, the Tang Dynasty was undoubtedly an apogee in the development of human civilization. The Tang government not only opened its country to the outside world, allowing foreigners to enter for business or study, but even allowed them to participate in the selection examinations for government officials. It was tolerant, and often appreciative of religions, art and culture of the outside world. Chang'an, the Tang capital, became the center of exchanges between different cultures. It deserves special mention that women of the Tang dynasty did not have to obey traditional dress codes, but were allowed to wear clothing that exposed their arms and chest, or dress with exotic elements. They could also wear riding clothes if they wanted to and enjoyed the freedom to choose their marriage and to divorce. The abundance of materials and a relatively relaxed social environment gave the Tang dynasty an unprecedented opportunity to develop culture, reaching new heights in such fields as poetry, painting, music and dance. Based on the development of the textile industry in the Sui Dynasty, and progress achieved in reeling and dyeing, the variety, quality and quantity of textile materials…

The documentary genre in China, particularly in the realm of traditional culture, continues to produce outstanding works. Today, I would like to introduce a documentary film about porcelain titled "I Am Your Porcelain (我是你的瓷儿, Wo Shi Ni De Ci Er)". It is well known that in English, the term "china" refers to both "porcelain" and "China", highlighting China as the true homeland of porcelain. Centuries before Europe mastered the technique of porcelain production, China was already creating exquisitely crafted porcelain. Chinese porcelain was once a high-end luxury item exported overseas. The documentary "I Am Your Porcelain" not only fills in our knowledge gap about porcelain but also elevates our aesthetic appreciation, allowing modern individuals to experience traditional aesthetics and craftsmanship through the magnificent Chinese porcelain. "I Am Your Porcelain" features narrator Yu Entai, unfolding a thousand-year-old porcelain scroll. Unlike traditional documentaries that tend to be serious and dull, this film adopts a humorous and witty overall style. In Beijing dialect, "Ci Er" means "good friend, buddy", likening porcelain to an friend we interact with daily, a material object embodying Chinese traditional aesthetics and craftsmanship. Seemingly ordinary yet deeply mysterious, emerging from clay and fire yet as lustrous as jade, it…

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,…

In the early Tang Dynasty, with the unification of society and the revival of the economy, the Tang Dynasty exhibited a confident and open cultural atmosphere. This spirit was reflected not only in politics and economics but also deeply influenced the clothing and social customs of the time. The Tang Dynasty women’s clothing, in particular, showcased an unprecedented elegance and confidence. Clothing In the early Tang Dynasty, women’s clothing primarily featured slender garments. Narrow-sleeved tops paired with high-waisted long dresses were the mainstream. The high-waisted design of the dresses appeared elegant and dignified. This design not only accentuated the women’s body curves but also added a touch of grace. Makeup The makeup of early Tang Dynasty women was relatively simple, inheriting the style of the previous era, but gradually evolving towards a brighter look. The women’s eyebrow shapes were diverse, ranging from thin willow-leaf eyebrows to bold moth eyebrows, with various styles being popular. Flower ornaments and rouge spots were still favored decorations, these small and delicate facial ornaments not only added charm to their faces but also reflected the sophistication of makeup art at the time. Hairstyles Hairstyles played a significant role in the attire of early Tang Dynasty…

The air-conditioning, cold drinks and ice cream seem to be the standard of modern summer. But in ancient times, how did people spend the long summer? In this article, we will peek at the ancient summer time through a large number of ancient paintings.   Summer Festival July 4 is the sixth day of the sixth month of the lunar calendar, which has been officially designated as Tian Kuang Festival (天贶节) since the Song Dynasty, with the custom of offering sacrifices to ancestors and prohibiting slaughtering. At this time of the year, ancient people would expose grain, clothes and books to the sun to prevent them from getting moldy and being moth-eaten, so the sixth day of the sixth month was also called the Shai Xi Festival (晒洗节). In the Ming and Qing dynasties, people would take their pets to the river to give them a bath, officials would conduct bathing ceremonies for pets owned by the imperial family, such as elephants brought in from other countries. They are often performed during grand celebrations to show the royal majesty. During the Tian Kuang Festival, ancient people also used to store some well water for brewing sauce and vinegar, and for…

We often say that China is a country of etiquette, and when it comes to etiquette, the most direct presentation is clothing. So dress and etiquette are closely related. Hanfu is a traditional Chinese dress, with big sleeves and long hem. It stresses pure nature, shows the national characteristics of soft, quiet, and calm, and embodies the Chinese people’s life realm of peaceful coexistence with nature, keeping aloof from the world, and being generous and benevolent. The elaborate tailoring and exquisite embroidery of Hanfu show the vitality and aesthetics of the Chinese nation. What’s the relationship between Hanfu and Chinese culture? What is the significance of Hanfu to Chinese culture? Let’s talk about Chinese culture in Hanfu. 1. Hanfu is the continuation of Chinese culture From ancient times to the present, the styles of Hanfu are changeable, but the basic results of Hanfu are always the same. The inheritance of Hanfu’s shape and the system is the witness of the continuation of Chinese culture. 2. The plane cutting of Hanfu follows the rules of etiquette and nature Hanfu adopts the plane cutting method and simple clothing outline, which makes people get along with the clothing comfortable and natural without any…

Male models of Hanfu in 2020, which one do you like best, welcome to leave your comments in the comments section. No.1 Ghan No.2 Jiuke No.3 Lucha Bai No.4 Roya No.5 Coser No.6 Qianye No.7 Hechuan No.8 Jumang No.9 Hjing No.10 Ada Which one do you like best, welcome to leave your comments in the comments section.

Hanfu is the traditional costume of the Chinese nation. In addition to the shape, color matching, and pattern, the fabric also plays an important role and is closely related to our wearing experience. According to textile technology, the fabric of traditional Hanfu can be divided into brocade, damask, silk, silk, gauze, crepe, silk, and satin. Most of the traditional fabrics are mainly silk fabrics, supplemented by cotton and hemp. There are many kinds of traditional fabrics with exquisite styles, but the cost is usually very high. Now, with the development of modern technology, there are many kinds of fabrics for the public to choose from. Next, we will introduce several common Hanfu fabrics in the market. 1. Cotton Cotton is a huge fabric system. By blending the cotton fiber with other materials in modern textile technology, cotton fabric has many new characteristics, such as wrinkle resistance, wear resistance, gloss, and so on. Now common in the Hanfu market are pure cotton, cotton hemp, jacquard cotton, burnt cotton, slubbed cotton, etc. Cotton and linen garments have a history of 4000 years. They are natural and simple in color and texture, giving people a soft impression of returning to simplicity. Using it…

Hanfu is the traditional dress of the Han nationality, which contains the beauty of traditional culture and is a part of Chinese national culture. It has been 18 years since Mr. Wang Letian went out wearing Hanfu in 2003, which caused media reports. For more than ten years, Hanfu has attracted extensive attention, and Chinese traditional culture has been paid more and more attention. Nowadays, Hanfu appears more and more on media or social platforms, and more and more Chinese stars like to wear Hanfu. Xu Jiao When it comes to Chinese stars who like Hanfu, Xu Jiao must be involved. In an interview, she mentioned that she began to pay attention to Hanfu under the influence of Xiada comics in junior high school. As a student in a foreign country, she had a deeper understanding of her national culture. Xu Jiao began to publicize Chinese traditional culture such as Hanfu and Guqin to her surrounding students. After returning home, she often wore Hanfu to participate in activities and spared no effort to publicize Hanfu. Xu Jiao is committed to the wearing of modern Hanfu. In her opinion, wearing Hanfu does not necessarily have to wear gorgeous hairstyles and embroidered…

Tang suit (唐装, Tang Zhuang), also known as Chinese jacket. A newer form of Qing Dynasty Magua (马褂), is a modern costume with traditional elements, based on the prototype of a Chinese traditional lapel jacket, with the addition of stand collar and western-style three-dimensional cutting.   Origin of the name of Tang suit Perhaps you may be puzzled, since Tang suit is a new form of Magua in the Qing Dynasty, why is there Tang in the name? Is it directly related to the Tang Dynasty costume? The reason is that the Tang Dynasty was a powerful dynasty in Chinese history and had a great influence on overseas countries, and in the Song Dynasty, "Tang" had become the pronoun of the overseas countries in the southeast for China. Throughout the Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties, things related to China were called "Tang", and not only "Tang" was used as a proxy for the land of "China", but also the Chinese were called "Tang", overseas Chinese often call themselves "Tang people", they live in places called "Tangren Jie (唐人街, Chinatown)", so this Qing-style costume is also called "Tang suit". In modern times, the Tang suit has more diverse names, such as…

Two weeks ago, at a significant meeting on the "Archaeology of China" project, held in Huainan, Anhui Province, a major discovery was announced. Archaeologists revealed that a bronze Ding unearthed from the "Wu Wangdun" site, the largest and most intricate high-status Chu tomb excavated to date, set a new record for the largest Chu cultural Ding found in China. Measuring 88.3 cm in diameter and about 1.2 m in height, this vessel surpasses the renowned Zhuke Dading (or "Chu Dading"), a prized artifact of the Anhui Museum. Although it doesn't rival the monumental Houmuwu Ding, its discovery has still sparked great excitement. As China national treasure, each bronze vessel is not only a marvel to craft but also a supreme symbol of power. Historically, the Ding size indicated one's status and authority. Records show that ancient nobles cooked various meats separately in different vessel, directly serving from them. Later, the Zhou Li stipulated a hierarchy of Dings: nine for the emperor, seven for lords, five for ministers, and three for officials. Thus, their size and weight took on special meaning, remaining a point of fascination even today. We know the largest and heaviest Ding in China is the Houmuwu Ding,…

Embroidery, known as needle embroidery in ancient times, is a kind of technology that uses an embroidery needle to guide color thread, embroiders and transports the designed patterns on textiles, and forms patterns with embroidery traces.Because embroidery is mostly made by women, it belongs to an important part of “needlework”. According to the records of the book of history, the system of Zhang Fu, which was more than 4000 years ago, stipulated that “clothes should be painted while clothes should be embroidered.” Today, let’s take a look at the embroidery features of different dynasties! (only partial pattern and process reference are provided in the following drawings) Han Dynasty The motifs of embroidery are mostly wavy cloud patterns, flying birds, and animals, as well as ribbon patterns and geometric patterns commonly seen in Han mirror patterns. Tang Dynasty In the Tang Dynasty, besides the Buddha figures, the landscape flowers and birds also gradually flourished, and the composition was lively and the colors were bright. The use of gold and silver thread to coil the outline of the pattern and strengthen the three-dimensional sense of objects is an innovation of embroidery in Tang Dynasty at that time. Song Dynasty In order to…

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…

As in all countries, clothing plays an important role in Chinese culture. Chinese culture has existed for over 5000 years, and during this time some traditional clothing has been created. Traditional Chinese clothes are often based on the religion and social status of the person wearing them. Traditional Chinese clothes usually have a straight cut that is not too tight. This makes the clothes comfortable to wear. Light colors are most popular, but you can also find red, yellow, and purple clothes surprisingly often. White is considered the color of mourning in China and is therefore rarely worn in everyday life. In imperial times, the colors red, yellow, and purple were reserved for the ruler, his family, and high nobles. Today, red clothes are particularly popular, because the color stands for happiness and prosperity. This is the reason why many Chinese wear red clothes, especially on Chinese New Year. Chinese women's clothing is often more detailed and decorated with more embroidery than men's clothing. Everyday clothing is usually made of cotton or linen. On special occasions, people wear traditional clothing made of silk. To this day, there are four traditional Chinese garments that are still worn by many Chinese people:…

In recent years, Hanfu culture has formed a new trend among Chinese young people, such as Hanfu parades, Hanfu dances, Hanfu fashion shows,s and so on. Recently, the theme forum of “culture Tianfu, fashion Chengdu” and the Hanfu culture festival held in Chengdu have had a great impact. At the event site of the Hanfu Culture Festival, various Hanfu shows were staged in turn, including Hanfu of the Tang Dynasty – Qixiong Ruqun, Beizi Hanfu of the Song Dynasty, Jiaoling Ruqun of the Jin Dynasty, etc. Everyone put on their favorite traditional Hanfu. Walking in this street, it seems that they have a feeling of crossing time and space, and also shows the charm of “The first city of Hanfu” in Chengdu. At the event site, the planning of “Hanfu characteristic street”, one of the characteristic projects of Manjusri square, was officially released – it is planned to introduce 20 brand Hanfu institutions. This will be China’s first Hanfu characteristic cultural street integrating “R & D, design, display, sales, leasing, makeup photos, and experience”. Why did China’s first Hanfu characteristic cultural street settle in Chengdu? Historically, Chengdu has been known as the “Land of silkworm clusters” since ancient times. Sichuan…

1. The Picture of the Ode of the River Goddess The Picture of the Ode of the River Goddess, The Palace Museum in Beijing The Wei and Jin dynasties, the most elegant era in Chinese history, were full of poems and famous scholars, leaving behind countless brilliant literary works. Cao Zhi's Luo Shen Fu (洛神赋) is one of the most brilliant pieces. This long poem, about a traveler who meets a goddess on the shores of the Luo River, but who eventually parts from her because of the difference between the gods and the people, has its roots in the great poetic tradition of the Chinese people, but also contains the romance of Chinese native mythology. The poem Luo Shen Fu was depicted by another legend of the Wei and Jin dynasties, the painter Gu Kaizhi (348-406), in the form of painting: "The Picture of the Ode of the River Goddess". Since then, from poetry to painting, "The Picture of the Ode of the River Goddess" has been permanently engraved in the memory of Chinese people and sublimated into an immortal cultural symbol.   2. Emperor Taizong Receiving the Tibetan Envoy Emperor Taizong Receiving the Tibetan Envoy, The Palace Museum…