History & Culture

Thousands of years of Eastern civilization, aesthetics, anecdotes, and legends, as well as ingenuity and divine skills collected between the lines, have traveled through time and space and come before us. While artifacts have no voice, traditional motifs burst out with color: Floral, flying crane, white egret, dragon and phoenix, plum blossom, and persimmon calyx motifs. Unfortunately, due to limitations in craftsmanship and inheritance, many motifs are gradually disappearing or being ignored. The Team Wen Zang (纹藏) has long been dedicated to translating Chinese traditional motifs. With love and exploration, more than 60 team members have designed and recreated thousands of motif data texts throughout more than 1000 days and nights, compiling them in the book, "The Motifs of The Imperial Palace", to allow more people to see and remember the motifs of the Forbidden City. Selected from among millions of cultural relics, classified into five major mediums -- woven embroidery, porcelain, tapestries, enamelware, and architecture -- the book selects and features 117 of the most classic and beautiful motifs, providing a 5000-year visual feast. The Team Wen Zang has long been dedicated to translating traditional Chinese motifs. With love and exploration, more than 60 team members have designed and…

The short drama "Escape from the British Museum" has become popular. This three-episode short video series, co-created by online media personalities Jianbing Guozai and Xiatian Meimei, is the most anticipated work in the film and television industry recently. It not only generated a lot of buzz on major online platforms but also received recognition and encouragement from numerous media outlets. Using personification as a narrative technique, it tells a sophisticated story: a delicate Chinese jade pot escapes from the British Museum and encounters a Chinese journalist named Zhang Yong'an, who is working overseas. They then embark on a journey back home together, fulfilling the task entrusted to her by the Chinese artifacts in the British Museum. With a total duration of less than 20 minutes, despite the insufficient maturity of its production elements such as scenes and props, the storytelling logic is complete, the emotions are abundant and solid, and the conveyed values are positioned at a very high level. It serves as a low-cost, high-level Chinese short drama model. After the release of the final episode, it directly sparked an explosive wave of praise. Many netizens were deeply moved by the scene where overseas cultural relics read letters to…

The program "Nian Jin" at the 2024 CCTV Spring Festival Gala showcased the beauty of traditional Hanfu from various dynasties to billions of viewers. Among them, the exquisite patterns connected the vision of a prosperous new year and allowed more people to understand the essence of traditional Hanfu, which is supported by classical patterns and traditional fabrics. From the grandeur of the Warring States period to the elegance of the Ming Dynasty, this stage performance passed down the beauty of China's thousands of years. Liu Tao, Liu Shishi, Li Qin, and Guan Xiaotong led the singing of "Nian Jin", and they represented the splendor of the Han, Tang, Song, and Ming dynasties, HANTIME will share the highlights in detail with us. Liu Tao's outfit consists of a Zhiju robe and a Gui Yi, with yellow as the main color, representing a solemn and grand emotional meaning. The pattern combines the patterns of the Chinese flowering crabapple and clouds, with a cape made of swallowtail gauze. The hem of the robe is made of Changle Mingguang brocade, a Han dynasty brocade discovered in Loulan, Xinjiang. The pattern mainly features animal motifs, with the words "Changle Mingguang" symbolizing auspiciousness, intricately woven with…

Hanfu (汉服, hàn fú), Chinese traditional costume, the full name of which is "traditional costume of Han nationality". It is also known as Han Yiguan(汉衣冠), Han Zhuang (汉装), and Huafu (华服), which was formed from the reign of the Yellow Emperor to the middle of the 17th century (late Ming and early Qing dynasties), in the main residential areas of the Han nationality, with "Huaxia-Han" culture as the background and the dominant idea. With the Chinese ceremonial culture as the center, through natural evolution, formed the unique style and character of the Han nationality, obviously different from the traditional clothing and accessories system of other nationalities. This guide is classified according to the 1: basic feature of the Hanfu, 2: Hanfu shape & style, 3: Hanfu in different wearing scenes, 4: Hanfu in different dynasties, and the 5: related contents of Hanfu, so as to facilitate readers to understand and query.   Basic Feature of the Hanfu 1.1: Basic Structure Hanfu is cut from 50cm wide cloth and divided into parts: Ling (领, lǐng, collar), Jin(襟, jīn, placket), Ren (衽, rèn, overlapping part), Jin (衿, jīn or jìn), Ju (裾, jū), Xiu (袖, xiù, sleeves), Mei (袂, mèi), Dai (带, dài,…

China is home to some of the world's most magnificent palaces, many of which have been converted into museums. The five Palace Museums (Gu Gong, 故宫) in China are a treasure trove of ancient artifacts and cultural heritage from different dynasties. These museums showcase China's rich history, revealing the grandeur of its past emperors and imperial courts. Each museum offers unique insights into Chinese culture and history, from the majestic Palace Museum in Beijing to the lesser-known Mukden Palace in Shenyang. Whether you're a history buff or just looking for an unforgettable travel experience, these five Palace Museums should be on your must-visit list.   Ming Palace The Nanjing Ming Palace (Nan Jing Gu Gong, 南京故宫) was built during the Ming Dynasty in 1368 when Zhu Yuanzhang established the Ming Dynasty and set the capital in Nanjing. The construction of the palace began on a large scale, and by 1392, this magnificent palace was finally completed. The palace set a precedent for the integration of the palace and the city axis, covering an area of over 1.0125 million square meters, making it the largest palace complex in the world at that time. Restoration of the Ming Palace The Ming Palace…

History of Winter Clothing Festival Winter Clothing Festival (寒衣节,  hányī jié), also known as "十月朝, shí yuè cháo," "祭祖节, jì zǔ jié," "冥阴节, míng yīn jié," "鬼头日, guǐ tóu rì," and "秋祭, qiū jì" is a holiday that occurred on October 1st on the lunar calendar. It emerged in the Zhou Dynasty but does not have any physical written records of it until the Song Dynasty.  Winter Clothing Festival goes along with "Qīngmíng Festival (清明节)" and "Zhōng yuán Festival (中元节)" and get categorized as the top three "Ghost Festivals" in China. The reason is because the three festivals all focused on the living paying their respects and providing their sacrifice offerings to their ancestors on that day. While Winter Clothing Festival Is grouped under the top three Ghost Festival, it is the festival among the others that have the least presence. The other two have a strong focus on people going grave sweeping or doing something unique for this festival, but Winter Clothing Festival it’s more about people expressing the idea of; "The weather is cooling. Winter is approaching soon. We need to start sewing up warm and thick outfits for winter." If you look at China’s cultural belief development,…

Traditional Chinese colors come from nature and from the imagination of the ancient Chinese civilization. Traditional Chinese colors pursue the color concept of giving colors according to types and conveying consciousness through colors. In ancient times in China, there are positive colors and inter colors, with the distinction of respect, and lowly; righteous, and evil. Positive color refers to the color that promote each other, that is, the original color. Ancient primary colors to "Yin Yang Five Phases" doctrine in the five elements, water, fire, wood, metal, and earth, respectively, corresponding to black, red, cyan, white, and yellow as color symbols, known as the five-color system. Traditional Chinese clothing colors are also mainly primary colors. With the development of the times, different dynasties revered different colors, and these popular colors also reflected the material and spiritual civilization of their dynasties to a certain extent. Hanfu Shi Dai has compiled a summary of the traditional hanfu color schemes through dynasties, let's explore together.   Han Dynasty The Han Dynasty was influenced by the Taoist philosophy of Huanglao and Confucianism, and its costumes often pursued the essential beauty of the whole. At the same time, by the previous Qin dynasty, the concept of black…

With the movement and innovation of Hanfu, more and more new styles of Hanfu have appeared in our eyes, but those who are new to Hanfu may not know much about its style, so they don't know where to start to understand Hanfu style. Today, we have collected some basic styles of Hanfu and their corresponding historical prototypes, so let's experience the ancient Chinese fashion together. The Hanfu costume "began in Huangdi (黄帝) and was perfected in Yao (尧) and Shun (舜) ", and was styled in the Zhou Dynasty, and through the Han Dynasty, a complete system of headwear and costume was formed based on the Four Books and Five Classics. Duijin Ruqun (对襟襦裙, parallel collar) Ruqun is a top garment and skirt in Chinese, it is one of the earliest and most basic forms of Hanfu. "Ru", is a short garment, with collar style with parallel collar, crossed collar, or shawl collar (U-shaped collar). "Qun", is a skirt, is usually a one-piece or two-piece. The term "Duijin" refers to the symmetry of the left and right lapels of the Ruqun, and need wearing of an inner Moxiong(camisole). Duijin Ruqun was mainly popular in the Song Dynasty. Compared to other…

The oldest Chinese embroideries found date back to the Zhou dynasty (1027-221 B.C.) and may well be the earliest that ever existed. However, very early embroideries have also been found in Egypt and Northern Europe, so it is not clear in which part of the world the art of embroidery actually originated - it may also have appeared in several parts of the world at about the same time. It is, however, accepted that the Chinese invented sericulture and mastered the art of reeling the cocoons of the bombyx and spinning the silk from very early times. It is therefore not surprising that the ancient Chinese embroideries were made of silk. Strangely enough, embroidery in China was at first reserved for men, before they entrusted this task to the more delicate fingers of their women. The earliest surviving example of Chinese silk embroidery is a ritual garment found in a tomb in Mashan, now Hubei Province, in the fourth century BC, during the early Taoism period (before the appearance of Buddhism in China). However, if we are to believe the patterns drawn on this garment, it could just as well have been used to perform the rituals of a religion…

The Definition of Auspicious Costume Ji Fu (吉服, auspicious costume) was a new classification of clothing formed in the Ming Dynasty, referring to the clothing used for various auspicious occasions such as seasonal festivals, weddings, birthdays, and banquets. In the Qing Dynasty, it became a specialized category within the clothing system. Traditional Ji Fu refers to the clothing used for auspicious ceremonies (major rituals, etc.). With the development of the times and the increase in festivals and celebrations, there was a need for a special auspicious costume for all kinds of festive occasions, so the Ming dynasty referred to a more formal dress than the everyday casual dress for rituals and all kinds of auspicious occasions as the auspicious costume. Although not found in the system, the term "Ji Fu" was repeatedly used in various political books and literary works. During the Ming dynasty, the auspicious costume was not a single standard style, but the same style as the regular and casual hanfu costumes, such as Yuan Ling Pao, Zhi Shen, Yi San, Tie Li, Dao Pao, Ao Qun, etc. The color was mostly in festive colors such as red, for example, the officials used to wear a red round…

Hanfu wedding, which is wearing traditional Chinese clothing: Hanfu, and taking the traditional Chinese wedding system as the prototype. Modern people restore the traditional Chinese wedding, they roughly sum it up as follows The Zhou Hanfu wedding (周制婚礼), represented by the pre-Qin and Han Dynasties. Tang Hanfu wedding (唐制婚礼) represented by Wei, Jin, and Tang Dynasties. Ming Hanfu wedding (明制婚礼) represented by song and Ming Dynasties. The traditional Chinese Hanfu wedding ceremony is generally divided into three parts: pre-wedding ceremony, formal wedding ceremony, and post-wedding ceremony. As we all know, culture is the life of a nation, and etiquette is one of the main signs of all civilized nations and an important window of national culture. As the Chinese nation with a long civilization of 5000 years, attach great importance to marriage. The book of Zhouyi said: Only when there are heaven and earth can there be everything. Only when there is everything can there be men and women. Only when there are men and women can there be couples. Only when there are couples can there be fathers and sons. Only when there are fathers and sons can there be princes and ministers. Only when there are princes and…

The Dragon Boat Festival (Duan Wu Festival, 端午节) is considered one of the oldest traditional folk festivals in China, alongside the Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, and Mid-Autumn Festival. According to records, the Dragon Boat Festival originated from the worship of celestial phenomena and evolved from ancient dragon rituals. The Dragon Boat Festival is an auspicious day associated with this imagery of a soaring dragon; thus, both dragons and dragon boat culture have always been an integral part of its historical legacy. The term "Duan Wu" itself first appeared in Fengtu Ji during the Jin Dynasty. However, nowadays when most people mention the Dragon Boat Festival, they often associate it with Qu Yuan's legend. Legend has it that on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar, Qu Yuan tragically sacrificed himself by plunging into Miluo River out of loyalty to his country. Upon hearing this news, local villagers rushed to their boats to rescue him. Worried about their speed not being fast enough, they vigorously rowed while also fearing that fish would devour Qu Yuan's body, hence throwing rice dumplings into the river. Later on, people designated the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar…

Recently, the female characters in the historical drama "The Double" have sparked much discussion with their pearl makeup. Not only do their hair accessories feature pearls, but their faces are adorned with numerous pearls, too, placed on their foreheads, cheeks, and corners of their mouths. Attentive viewers have counted up to 25 pearls on one face, with the least adorned having 8 pearls. This leads to the question: why do they put pearls on their faces? The Trend of Pearl Makeup The practice of applying pearls on the face dates back to the Song Dynasty and was quite popular at that time. Ancient women used rouge and other pigments to decorate their faces or created various patterns with materials like gold, jade, pearls, and colored paper, which they adhered to their cheeks. This practice was known as "Mian Ye (面靥)," with pearl makeup specifically called "Zhenzhu Mianye." Pearl makeup was actually a form of the ornate makeup from the Tang Dynasty, which became fashionable in the Song Dynasty. This trend persisted partly because the Song Dynasty carried on the traditions of the Tang and Five Dynasties periods, where facial decorations were highly regarded. Additionally, influenced by Zhu Xi's Neo-Confucianism, which…

In recent years, the trend of female-centric dramas, including ensemble cast dramas and strong female lead dramas, has become prominent. This trend has extended into historical dramas, leading to new narratives where female protagonists build their fortunes and conquer the business world through their own efforts. For instance, "Blossoms in Adversity," which concluded in early May, tells the story of the noblewoman Huazhi who, along with her family, overcomes adversity by starting a business. This wave of female protagonists navigating the business world in historical dramas shows no signs of slowing down. Numerous dramas wrapped filming from last year to this year, featuring female leads as businesswomen. According to official synopses, the female lead in "Liu Zhou Story," Liu Miantang, opens a porcelain shop; the protagonist in "Brocade Odyssey," Ji Yingying, is involved in the Shu brocade business; and the lead in "The Story of Pearl Girl," Duanwu, deals in jewelry. Moreover, the ongoing production "Flourished Peony" will narrate the story of He Weifang, who starts a flower business. Adding to this, "A Dream of Splendor," which aired last year, centers on the tea house owner Zhao Pan'er, who expands her small tea house into the largest restaurant in Dongjing.…

Silk is one of the symbols of Chinese civilization, China due to the abundance of silk, has been named the "Silk Country" known, the use of silk is also with the development of the times are also changing, from the initial production of clothing, to later become a popular commodity and to some extent, instead of currency, all of these changes have highlighted its unique status. Today begins through a precious Chinese silk robe, discover how the Han dynasty textile industry developed in ancient China. Precious Chinese silk robe: Sucha Danyi In the winter of 1951, while conducting archaeological work in Changsha, archaeologists discovered two connected grave at Wulipai in the eastern suburbs of Changsha. After several difficult excavations until 1974, the Mawangdui Han tombs, which had been dormant for thousands of years, was unveiled. Among the many precious artifacts unearthed, the most notable is the Zhiju Susha Danyi (直裾素纱襌衣, plain yarn garment). "Thin as a cicada's wing, light as floating smoke", this Chinese silk robe was especially valuable because it was 128cm long, with 190cm sleeves, but weighed a mere 49 grams and could even fit in a matchbox when folded. It was hailed by archaeologists as a milestone…

Daxiushan (大袖衫, big sleeves shirt) were originally men's clothing in the Wei and Jin dynasties, but in the Tang dynasty it referred to women's extra wide big sleeves outfits. The shape of the Daxiushan is straight collar, symmetrical lapels, long sleeves, large cuffs, mostly long clothing body and with splitting and lacing.   Daxiushan in Tang Dynasty During the Tang Dynasty, the society was open and Hu clothing was prevalent. Women were free-spirited and often wore men's or Hu clothing. After the flourishing Tang period, the style of women's clothing became wider and wider, and this feature became more obvious in the middle and late Tang period, with general women's clothing, the sleeve width was often more than four feet. Wide sleeve shirts, long skirts and Pibo were worn as the noble dresses at that time, and usually worn on important occasions, such as court meetings, ceremonial, and marriages. The Daxiushan costume is recorded in Zhou Fang's painting "Court Ladies Adorning Their Hair With Flowers" records the Daxiushan costume. The beauty in the painting wears a long dress with a large-sleeved sarong shirt draped directly. The artist's realistic approach not only portrays the delicate clothing materials of the Tang Dynasty,…

The hanfu culture is no longer just a celebration for a small group of people; an increasing number of ordinary individuals are now sharing their hanfu experiences through creative short videos, integrating hanfu into their daily lives. At the same time, the seemingly unrelated realms of hanfu and fashion have also begun to merge. Hanfu covers in fashion magazines have sparked discussions within the hanfu community, fashion circles, and academic circles alike. Among them, we can find replicas, traditional designs, and fusion styles of hanfu. Dongjin Shangyu has compiled a collection of fashionable magazine spreads featuring hanfu throughout the years for you.   Hanfu in 2013 "FHM" Ten years ago, social networks were not as active as they are today. However, even at that time these three photos broke through the aesthetic norms of the hanfu community and even attracted attention from the media industry. One of these works was used as a cover photo in Issue 112 of "CHINESE HERITAGE" magazine. At that time, Yu Lingyuan was responsible for this photoshoot and said: "The structure of Western suits is similar to Western sculpture - it is very complex in terms of craftsmanship and has a three-dimensional quality. However, what…

As the chill of winter melts away, spring brings with it a sense of rejuvenation and new beginnings. In ancient China, this feeling was often celebrated through the tradition of spring excursions. For many, the new season signaled a time for renewal, rejuvenation, and adventure. While modern-day excursions may look vastly different, there are still traces of ancient springtime traditions that can be observed throughout China. From blossoming gardens to vibrant festivals, join us on a journey through the rich cultural history of spring in ancient China. Spring excursion in the pre-Qin period was romantic and charming. There are many love poems in the "Classic of Poetry", all of which took place during spring excursions. 《郑风·出其东门》：出其东门，有女如云。It means that the people of Zheng like to spring excursions, and when they leave the east gate of the city, they can see many girls on their spring trips, which is a good opportunity for the men of Zheng to meet love. 《郑风·溱洧》：士与女, 殷其盈矣。It means that at the River Zhen and the River Wei, the men and women of Zheng were seen everywhere on their spring excursions. Many men and women fell in love with each other during the spring excursions and became engaged…

Have you ever wondered about the animal motifs on your hanfu and what they stand for? Why are there so many dragons in traditional Chinese art? And what’s up with the monkey statues everywhere? Let's delve into the symbolism of animal motifs. It will only take about 5 minutes of your time, and hopefully, you'll learn something new or revise what you already know! Each hanfu garment is unique. It has various styles and designs, that reflects different historical periods and regional influences. Although the differences are significant, many of them include similar animal embroidery and motifs. Animals that have been deeply intertwined with Chinese culture from its earliest days. Animals in Chinese culture are thought to be symbolic representations of various aspects of life. Understanding the symbolic meaning of an animal will lead to grasping the hidden message of the art. It is not only an important decorative element but also adds meaning, symbolism, and cultural significance to the art, particularly in the context of Hanfu garments.   Most commonly used animal motifs are: Birds: Birds are often associated with the sun and allegorical folk-tales. Each bird carries its own unique symbolism, though most are connected to happiness and…

This article introduces you to the components of the Hanfu upper garment. Use the most common cross-collar shirt for demonstration. original picture 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…

The program of "Eight Masters of the Tang and Song" unveils the magnificent and dramatic life story of a generation of grandmasters through the mode of "immersive real-life performance + cinematic filming + XR innovative presentation", and explores the moments of the birth of "Tang and Song masterpieces". Immersive real-life performance: The "Cultural Exploration Team" personally experiences the plot, with scenes built on real-life settings. Cinematic filming: Through techniques such as plot rhythm and camera movement, the visuals are crafted to have a cinematic texture, enhancing the artistic and aesthetic qualities of the work. XR innovative presentation: By combining reality and virtuality through computers, it brings the participants a seamless immersion between the virtual world and the real world. Let us follow the "Cultural Exploration Team" of the program "Eight Masters of the Tang and Song" and step into the depths of history to take a look at the experience of Han Yu in the great Tang Dynasty. Han Yu lost his parents at a young age. At the age of 12, his older brother Han He passed away in Shaozhou, and Han Yu returned to Heyang with his sister-in-law to bury his brother. Since then, the burden of supporting…

Music in Ancient Chinese society Music was always a part of chinese culture. It was used in many things such as dance, ceremonies, banquets, rituals, entertainment, and more. Music along with other things was molded into ancient society. Today, many people still play these instruments and dedicate their lives to study them. 1. Pipa 琵琶 The pipa (琵琶) is one of the most played Chinese instruments today. It is commonly described as a four stringed plucked lute shaped like a pear and played vertically. It is named by how it is played; pi (琵) meaning played forward, and pa (琶) meaning played backward. A lute that looked like the pipa was seen in the Indian Kusana scriptures in the first century ad. That is why it is likely that the pipa may have been introduced to China from India or Central Asia. The pipa has more than 2000 years of history in China. Because of its beauty, the pipa is used in many wuxia dramas and hanfu photo shoots. One of the historical four beauties of China is always drawn with a pipa. The pipa became known in China by the second century ad. Pipa is usually made of rosewood…

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; Adjust…

So maybe you’ve been interested in hanfu for a while, and you’ve vaguely started to pick out the differences between Ming Dynasty aoqun and Tang Dynasty heziqun, but you still have no clue what the order of the time periods are or even what they were characterized by. Upon a quick sift through Wikipedia, there’s just wayyyyy too much information to process, and you don’t even know what information to look for—what matters to your understanding of hanfu culture. Fear not! Here’s a compendium of what you need to know about the historical context of hanfu. The Structure of Ancient Chinese History There’s a phenomenon in Chinese history that we call the Dynastic Cycle. Ancient China was ruled over by many different time periods called Dynasties, each with a family of rulers, and most of these follow the same general scheme: the central ruling power is established, the population goes up and the country flourishes, corruption starts affecting the political scheme, people revolt, and the country either dissolves into several warring states or gets conquered by another group of people. Then one state emerges victorious over the other ones or the invaders, the next dynasty is established, and the cycle…