Hairpins, earrings, brooches, bracelets, and other antique jewelry in a wide range, tweezers, wire drawing board, spitfire, and other tools filled the workbench. In the studio of "Jia Xu Zao Wu (甲戌造物)" located in Jinan, Shandong Province, "post-90s" young man Lü Jikai is using the millennium-old filigree inlay craft to process custom traditional jewelry for customers. Among the popular culture in China in recent years, the ancient trend represented by hanfu, cheongsam and traditional jewelry is especially sought after by young people like Lü Jikai. More and more "post-90s" and "post-00s" have turned their love for Chinese costumes and traditional jewelry into a career, becoming the promoters of the Chinoiserie culture. "8 years ago, when I first joined the industry, the demand for traditional jewelry is not high, and few people do it, like the old craft of filigree inlay, but few people know." Lü Jikai said. But in recent years, traditional Chinoiserie culture is receiving more and more attention, oriental aesthetics get more young people like, traditional Chinese jewelry also began to capture the hearts of more consumers. "In the past, only a few orders a month, now the orders are basically scheduled to three months later.Some people specify…

I have received a lot of PMs recently, all of them asking me the same question. Do you know or like Li Ziqi or not? Do you think that she can be counted as a sort of Chinese culture export? Of course, before that, I have thought about this for a long time. I started to perceive Li Ziqi from 2017. So I think I have my own perspective of what she's doing, and it's worth sharing. On-screen, Li Ziqi’s life seems to defy the rules of reality. With more than 60 million fans worldwide, the Chinese internet celebrity is famous for her videos, where she performs the work of a farmer with the grace of a fairy. In one video, she picks flowers on horseback in a red cape, invoking the image of Red Riding Hood. In another, she builds an item of bamboo furniture set using traditional Chinese techniques. Li Ziqi rode on a horse Actually, I remember that back in the summer of 2017, she had a lot of haters who were doubting the real intention behind her videos. And then she put out an article that explains how many of the materials she does herself and how much hard work she puts in it…

No matter what field, red and black is a classic pairing, and we can often see red and black items in our daily life. In fact, this color scheme is the most used in the field of clothing, even in the Hanfu will often see red and black suits. Today we will look at a few exquisite red and black Chinese costume sets to see what it is like to be paired with an exuberant red and a dignified black. Among all the styles of Chinese costume, the U-collar Hanfu is among the best in terms of its thin effect. It is generally composed of three pieces of clothes, with a U-shaped collar on the upper body, a long sleeve inside, and a Banbi outside. The interior is usually a solid color, and the color of the upper Banbi (半臂) will be more abundant. Most of the embroidery or printing decoration will be concentrated on the upper Banbi. In this way, the upper body of two pieces of clothing together will appear very hierarchical. This kind of red and black U-collar Hanfu has a mysterious and profound color, and it also has a warm feeling. The U-collar design can show…

There is such magic to Hanfu fans - when you buy a Chinese costume, you'll not only want to buy headwear but also want to buy a bunch of accessories to go with it and then go out and show off to other enthusiasts. Today, we're going to take a look at some of the accessories commonly used by girls who wear Chinese costumes. In ancient times, these hanfu accessories were worn according to the occasion, status, and so on, but in modern society that we are free to wear them without having to adhere to the old rules. Neckpiece of Chinese Costume Accessories Collars A ring made of gold, silver, copper, and other metal materials is the main body, which can be inlaid with jewelry and jade ornaments and can be a pendant with gold and stones, locks, and other ornaments. Nowadays, many people also call it "pearl necklace", but strictly speaking, there is a difference between the same two. Pearl Necklace Jeweled beads linked together in a mesh with pendants underneath, mostly jeweled jade, often carved with auspicious patterns. It is usually worn as a necklace, but can also be worn on the head. A pure Chinese costume…

As we know, Chinese costume needs to be cleaned when it gets dirty, and it's very common for many people to get stained when cleaning Chinese costume. When the color of the dark Chinese costume has stained on the white Chinese costume, how do we clean it? What Should I Do If Hanfu is Faded and Dyed to the White Part? When washing your Chinese costume, the white inside tends to stain or turn yellow easily. In this case, you can soak and then wash the clothes with diluted white vinegar, it will make the clothes very easy to clean and the stains will come off quickly. You can also use some bright white laundry detergents that can make your clothes bright and white, such as some bright white laundry detergent and strong laundry detergent. Usually, this type of laundry detergent will contain breakthrough and efficient cleaning particles that will remove more stains than regular laundry detergent, making white clothes whiter and cleaner. It's important to note that a typical bright white laundry detergent will have a higher concentration than regular laundry detergent, so don't use a laundry detergent containing the original liquid directly with your clothes when you wash…

Cultural variety shows and historical dramas have opened up a new trend of Chinese celebrities' traditional costume styling. Starting with "National Treasure" in 2017, celebrities frequently time travel to various dynasties to experience the life of ancient people. Yang Zi acted in many Xianxia dramas (such as Ashes of Love, and Immortal Samsara), but in "National Treasure", she had the opportunity to talk with Princess Wencheng across time and space. The appropriate gold ornaments, together with the flower inlay between her eyebrows, highlight her dignified and luxurious side. Zhang Zifeng, transformed into a Qing Dynasty astronomer, Wang Zhen Yi. With her plain attire and calm and quiet temperament, you seem to be able to see the majestic universe in her heart. The 2019 suspense drama "The Longest Day In Chang'an", the thrilling investigation process, with a rich display of Tang Dynasty styling, adds a lot of features to this drama. In the show "Meet the temple of heaven" 2019, has a number of actresses changing into Qing Dynasty attire, which combined with the scenery of the Temple of Heaven, really gives a feeling of history shining into reality. Compared to Xianxia and Wuxia dramas, cultural shows and historical dramas usually…

As we all know, the Tang Dynasty had unprecedented national power, strong economic strength, people lived in peace and happiness, and the people's pursuit of fashion is also increasing. Today for you to introduce the women fashion items in the Tang Dynasty, let's take a look at Chinese historical fashion together.   The Essential Diexie Belt (蹀躞带) for Tang Dynasty Women The movie "The Assassin" released in 2015, in which the female protagonist Nie Yinniang is dressed in a black robe, wearing a very fashionable belt at the waist, which is a popular "Diexie belt" in the Tang Dynasty. Diexie belt was originally a kind of waist belt of the Hu people, since the Wei and Jin Dynasty, introduced into the Central Plains, to the Tang Dynasty was once set as civil and military officials must wear something. An antique Tang dynasty Diexie belt, now in the Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology. It is 1.5 meters long and 1.2 centimeters thick and is made of white jade, some of which is light green. The jade belt is made of using traditional decorative techniques, inlaid gold in Hetian white jade, and the quality of the jade is warm, luxurious, and beautiful.…

When you browse through the tutorials of hanfu hairstyles, you will find that the use of wigs is widespread. Is it true that girls had long and dense hair in ancient China? modern hanfu wigs The eternal problem of thinning hair is not only a problem for modern people, but ancient beauties also needed to rely on wigs to complete the look. The application of wigs has a history of thousands of years. Today we briefly introduce the history of wigs.   Di (髢, dí) and Bi (髲, bì) were the original names for traditional Chinese wigs. However, not everyone had access to wigs in ancient China. At the beginning of the wig's birth, it was not an ordinary accessory. The Rites of Zhou records that Zhuishi (追师), a kind of palace official in charge of the empress' headdress, made wigs and headdresses. 追师掌王后之首服，为副编次追衡笄…… ——《周礼》 Fu (副), Bian (编), Ci (次) are three different levels of wig types, only worn during critical events such as rituals, and only for the exclusive use of noblewomen such as empress and madam. The famous Mawangdui Han tomb has unearthed a well-preserved "Fu" wig. This set of wigs is thick and black, and Lady…

The Han Dynasty was the longest feudal dynasty in ancient China after the great unification of the Qin Dynasty. More than four hundred years of the Han Dynasty laid a solid foundation for Han, Hanzi, and Han culture. The same is naturally true in traditional Chinese makeup history. Overall, the core ideas that influenced women's aesthetics during the Han Dynasty were the ideas of Taoism and New Confucianism. The former had the greatest impact on the early and mid-Han Dynasty. The policy of "Recover from a Social Upheaval and Restore Production and Develop" was implemented by the rulers in the early Han Dynasty. Taoism's "Huang–Lao political ideology" responded to this social demand. Focused on the development of natural and "Wu Is the Origin ideas", while advocating an open, positive atmosphere, had a profound impact on the aesthetics of female makeup in this period.   01 Han Dynasty Makeup powder Compared with the pre-Qin dynasty, makeup powder in the Han dynasty had a great development. The powder for the face was based on rice powder, and with the rise of alchemy in the Qin and Han dynasties and the improvement of smelting technology in the Han dynasty, lead powder appeared and became…

Vocabulary Ji, 笄 (jī) - the most simplistic hair accessories to secure updos used by ancient Chinese.  Zan, 簪 (zān) - a more complex version of Ji. What hanfu hairpins are now called. On one end are accessories, and the other is a pin that is inserted into a hair bun. Chai, 钗 (chāi) - also a hairpin quite similar to Zan. Chāi have two split pins on one end. The two pins will get pushed into the hair bun and stay much more securely than one pin in Zan and Ji. Guan, 冠 (guān) - literal translation is "crown". The crown in ancient China looked more like a net hat that encompassed hair buns within. Based on the crown, any sort of hairpin can be used to further secure the hat to the head.   Materials and Purpose Ji are considered the earliest and plainest hair accessories. It takes on the shape of a stick with or without a simple carved out design on one end and a single stick on the other. It is often carved out of a single piece of material or cut out separately then assembled at the end. This accessory is said to exist even…

Ancient Chinese Costume Culture ExhibitionLaunch date: February 6, 2021Venue: North 18 Exhibition Hall, National Museum of China (Beijing) Clothing is not only a necessity for people's life, with the practical function of "sheltering from the cold and heat, protecting from the wind and rain, covering the body", but also an important carrier of ancient culture, with the cultural function of "distinguishing between superiority and inferiority, distinguishing between nobility and inferiority, and distinguishing between affinity and alienation". The development of Chinese clothing culture over the past thousands of years not only reflects the development trajectory of ancient material and spiritual civilization, but also outlines the continuous life of the Chinese people. On February 6, 2021, the "Ancient Chinese Costume Culture Exhibition" was officially opened at the National Museum of China. The exhibition is based on decades of academic research by Mr. Sun Ji and other scholars, divided into six sections according to historical periods, the exhibition features nearly 130 artifacts (sets) covering jade and stone, bone, pottery, costumes, gold and silver accessories, and calligraphy and paintings, with more than 40 auxiliary exhibits, about 170 pictures, and multimedia facilities, making it an extraordinary exhibition. If you are interested in ancient Chinese costumes,…

Whenever it comes to an important Chinese holiday, the National Day of China or the Chinese New Year. You would always see red color in various places in China. Besides adding to the festive atmosphere, the color red is also an important part of the world's perception of China. Why does red represent China? How did red become the favorite color of the Chinese people? Today we will talk about the China-red!   How much do Chinese people like red? China-red, as the underlying color of Chinese culture, is everywhere, all the time. Such as the vermilion gate, red walls and pillars of the Forbidden City, or the redwood furniture and red quilts of people's homes. From the bride's red veil, red wedding dress, red embroidered shoes, etc., to the red Dudou (肚兜) worn by children. And red Fai Chun, red lanterns, red paper cutting, red envelope, red seals ...... There are too many objects off red in China to count. The Chinese can be said to have applied the color red to an extreme. Chinese directors also like to apply red in their films, such as Zhang Yimou. The films "Hong Gao Liang (红高粱)", "Ju Dou (菊豆)", "House of…

What Are “Irons” Irons is a kind of tool that irons wrinkled clothes and cloth with heat. In modern times, iron is one of the common household appliances, which is used to iron clothes. Nowadays, irons are of various types according to different designs. However, in ancient times, the irons were originally made of stones, pottery, copper and iron pieces, which were heated on the fire and pressed on the clothes to make them flat. The Origin Of The Name “Irons” On the origin of the name “irons”, there are two explanations in ancient Chinese. One is to take the meaning of Beidou, and the other is that the shape of iron is very similar to that of an ancient cooking utensil “dou”. According to research, the ancient Chinese iron was invented earlier than the electric iron in the West in 1880, and it was the first country in the world to invent and use iron. The Development History Of Irons Shang Dynasty The earliest prototype of the iron appeared in the Shang Dynasty, when it was used as a tool of torture, specially used to burn prisoners’ skin. Until the late Qin and early Han Dynasty, its function was…

Brief history describing the purpose of yunjian, history, and changes overtime between modern period and past. I've been doing some researches into differnt styles of hanfu worn in various Dynasties and what they look like. I came upon Ming Dynasty and the description of yunjian being one of the clothing that's is often worn by the citizens. I find them interesting and decided to share them here as a brief history to leanring how yunjian came to be.   What is yunjian? Yunjian (云肩), also known as a shawl (披肩) is a type of clothing decoration that developed after the Sui Dynasty. It is mainly made from materials such as silk and satin brocade, taking on shapes such as clouds or having clouds embroidered onto a cloth. Its purpose when first integrated into everyday wear isn't simply just for decorations. But with time and as the popularity of yunjian rose in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it gradually became a part that added depth to what is being worn, like pendants or necklaces - and added decorations to the overall looks.  If laid out on a flat surface, yunjian's shape is quite similar to a donut. Only the part facing…

Structure and History Horse Face Skirt(马面裙), in the “General History of Chinese Clothing”, the horse face skirt is described as follows: “there are folds on both sides, the skirt door and back are decorated with patterns, and there are skirt waist and lace upon it.” Horse face skirt was very popular in the Ming Dynasty, from empress to ordinary people. However, according to different classes and occasions, the material, pattern, and color of horse face skirts are also different. The horse face skirt in the Ming Dynasty was simple in color and simple in pattern. In the Qing Dynasty, the horse face skirt gradually changed to elegance. The colors and patterns become more and more colorful, especially the outer skirt door. People have added many auspicious patterns on the outer skirt door, such as auspicious eight treasures, flowers, birds, insects, and butterflies. Occasion and Collocation In modern times, horse face skirts can be worn on any occasion, but need to pay attention to the requirements of color, material, and pattern of horse face skirts on different occasions. For example, you can wear a light plain horse face skirt in your daily life, which is convenient for daily action. At the…

The image of Qin Shi Huang as a tyrant has been stuck for over two thousand years. However, in recent years, a discovery of the "Yunmeng Qin Bamboo Slips" in a tomb in Hubei has provided an opportunity for Emperor Qin Shi Huang, who has faced criticism for over two thousand years, to potentially redeem his reputation. In 2015, an archaeological team made a significant discovery in an ancient tomb located in Hubei. They unearthed a collection of two hundred thousand bamboo slips dating back to the Qin Dynasty. These bamboo slips, attributed to a low-ranking official named "Xi," were revealed to contain records of laws and regulations from that era.  Figure 1 - "Xi" Figurine  The recently unearthed Qin Dynasty bamboo slips have provided valuable insights that challenge long-standing perceptions. Among the content, there is a specific passage that documents the military regulations of the Qin Dynasty. This discovery sheds new light on our understanding of the military practices during that time. Figure 2 - Qin Dynasty Bamboo Slips According to the records, the recently discovered Qin Dynasty bamboo slips outline the consequences for being late on duty. If an individual arrives late within three to five days, they would…

The history of Chinese women's make-up is very long. After the rotation of dynasties, the traditional Chinese makeup has changed with the development of the times, reflecting the changes in customs and thoughts in each era. We will prepare a series of articles to introduce traditional Chinese makeup.   Ancient traditional Chinese makeup Throughout the ages, women have different ways and methods to make themselves more beautiful. Compared with the modern, ancient women are more conservative and implicit, but they also have their own set of "secret weapons". As early as in the cultural relics unearthed in the Warring States period, it can be seen from them that at that time, women had the habit of thrushing and use rouge. That is to say, more than 2000 years ago in China, cosmetics had appeared. Of course, ancient China was an agricultural society, always in a state of self-sufficiency, and cosmetics were no exception. At that time, cosmetics were mainly made of pure natural plant and animal oils, and some natural spices were added. The general production process includes boiling, fermentation, filtration, etc. compared with the modern cosmetics production process, it is still relatively simple. Therefore, compared with modern women, ancient…

As the old saying goes, "Men are willing to die for those who appreciate them, and women are willing to makeup for those who appreciate them". From ancient times to the present, women have always been the trendsetters in the pursuit of beauty. From Chinese traditional clothing to Hanfu makeup to various accessories, each item has passed through history and left a strong mark in the history of women's lives, becoming a classic art appreciation. Previous articles on traditional Chinese earrings have already done some telling about women's earrings and their culture from ancient times to the present, but today we're going to talk about the history of another type of ornaments - traditional Chinese hair accessories.   Derivation of the traditional Chinese hair accessories In ancient China, Confucianism was the orthodox idea of the society, emphasizing "ritual". Hair, as part of the body, is considered unclean and rude if it is disheveled. Therefore, men at the age of 15 years need to tie the hair as a bun, women at the age of 15 years need tie hair as a bun and wear Ji (笄), already a kind of "ritual" custom in ancient time. As to when the custom…