Duration: June 21, 2024 - September 22, 2025Location: Jiade Art Center The exhibition titled "National Colors and Palace Splendor — Colors of Qing Dynasty Court Textiles" intricately weaves together the concepts of "采" (cǎi) and "彩" (cǎi), both of which historically denote multicolored silks and vibrant spirits. Through the tapestries, embroideries, and colors of Qing dynasty court garments, the exhibition aims to illuminate not only the visual grandeur but also the profound cultural and symbolic significance embedded in each fabric. Patterns and Imperial Authority: A Cloak with Motifs In Qing dynasty rule, while maintaining the Manchu ethnic identity through surnames, hairstyles, and clothing, the imperial court adopted Han Chinese motifs, symbols, and patterns. One remarkable piece on display is the Changfu with dragon motifs in various poses: frontal sitting dragons, walking dragons on all fours, and intertwined dragons forming floral patterns. These designs, meticulously carved like relief sculptures, exude a vibrant vitality akin to the famous Nine-Dragon Screen at the Palace Museum and Beihai Park in Beijing. The Exhibition Sections The exhibition unfolds through five thematic units: Celestial Elements, Majestic Illumination, Magnificent Sophistication, Seasonal Splendors, and Clouds of Elegance. Of particular interest is the "Seasonal Splendors" unit, showcasing garments such…

Fairy tales are our sweetest childhood memories. “What is your favorite fairy tale role”? When I was a child, I always dreamed of dancing with Cinderella, joining the army with Mulan, and singing with snow-white in the jungle. I also like to imitate their make-up. The princesses not only have their own personalities and stories but also have their own characteristics in dressing up. They are so beautiful that people can envy them! However, have you ever thought about what Disney Princesses will look like when they wear traditional clothes from other countries? 1. Japanese Style Elsa and Anna sisters in Frozen are classical and beautiful after wearing traditional Japanese clothes. Cinderella, compared with the image in the fairy tale, is more plump, feeling particularly soft. Although changing a style, the color matching of Snow White’s dress is still very similar to that in animation. The little mermaid, Ariel, not only has the painting style of Japanese Geisha but also looks like the beautiful image of the Tang Dynasty in China. 2. Korean literary style Nayoung Wooh, a Korean illustrator, puts on Korean traditional clothes for the Disney Princesses in fairy tales. For example, in the picture below, can you…

This article focuses on the changes in the popularity of traditional Chinese women's clothing from the Ming and Qing dynasties to the early Republic of China. Please read in conjunction with "Ming-style Hanfu collar types diagram" The early Ming dress continues the style of the Yuan dynasty Duanyi (短衣, short clothes), inherited the style of dressing with Duijin (对襟, symmetrical lapels) worn as Jiaojin (交襟, cross lapels) in Song and Yuan Dynasty At this time, also called Dui Jiao Chuan (对交穿). There is also a Jiaoling Youren (交领右衽, wrapping the right side before the left) style. In the mid-Ming period, the sleeve type and skirt door gradually widened, and there was a Tao sleeve (裪袖, sleeve edge protruding from the cuff) structure. According to cultural relics, the stand collar Duijin Shan appeared in the palace system during this period, and was fixed with metal sub-buttons. The style of Dui Jiao Chuan (对交穿) was also excavated in this period, and the more special one is the Mamian skirt with narrow sleeves and thin pleats. Regarding the style of the Mamian skirt, according to the research of excavated cultural relics, the structure of [trapezoidal pleat] and [wide sleeve door] was popular in the…

I don't know if you've noticed, but in recent years, the number of people wearing ancient Chinese traditional clothing (Hanfu) has increased. There are people walking around the city center in ancient Chinese traditional clothing, people traveling in scenic spots, and even classrooms are full of them. CNN, Reuters, and other media outlets have reported on this Hanfu craze. Hanfu, meaning “Han clothing,” is based on the idea of donning costumes worn in bygone eras by China’s Han ethnic group. Some of the most popular styles are from the Ming, Song, and Tang dynasties. About three-quarters of Hanfu customers are between 16 and 24 years old. Members of this generation often see it as a way to rediscover and engage with their country’s traditional culture. There are also many styles of Han clothing. Its main elements include belts, intricately designed collars, and more. The main features of Hanfu include collars, upper garments in the style of a skirt, jade ornaments, and a sash, according to Wen Run, professor of textile design and industrial economics at Donghua University. Materials such as brocade and yarn, along with traditional craftwork, including embroidery, are also hallmarks of the attire.   Chinese Han Clothing Makes A…

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…

Everyone probably has a dream of martial arts, mastering the "Wave-like Subtle Steps", bringing the sword alone, and travel around the world. For most, such a situation exists more only in the Wuxia drama. However, in reality, there really is a girl who did. Her name, Yang Liu (杨柳). She is 24 years old this year and has spent 17 years practicing the stunt of crossing the river with a bamboo. On the bamboo, doing various difficult movements, dancing ballet and traditional Chinese dance. Come and listen to her story. Learn Du Zhu Piao for the first time Yang Liu, born in Zunyi, Guizhou, likes to dance since she was a child, and her dream was to be a dancer. However, she was born with a weak and petite body. In order to keep her fit, her grandmother, who is a member of the local Du Zhu Piao Association, started to take her to practice this skill. Du Zhu Piao (独竹漂, single bamboo rafting) is a folk skill in northern Guizhou. The ancestors who lived on the banks of the Chishui River learned to use bamboo to cross the river in order to overcome the inconvenience of transportation.But as the…

In museums, we can often see many female figurines from the Tang Dynasty. In this article, we will select some of the common female figurines to introduce their hairstyles.   Duo Ma Ji (堕 马 髻) Duo Ma Ji is perhaps one of the most familiar hairstyles of the Tang Dynasty. In fact, this name already appeared in the Han Dynasty, but the exact form of Duo Ma Ji in the Han Dynasty is still uncertain. The name was used during the Tang Dynasty to describe a bun that was tilted to one side. The shape of the Duo Ma Ji is the hair falls between the ears and is combed towards the face, and the bun is not located in the middle of the head, but to the side. It is also known as the "Pao Jia Ji". This kind of bun is especially common in the late Tang Dynasty. In the famous "Lady Guoguo's Spring Outing", you can see the image of woman wearing the Duo Ma Ji.   Wo Duo Ji (倭堕髻) Wo Duo Ji also has the form of double sideburns holding the face, with single or multiple buns placed on top of the head from…

The desire to look attractive is universal. Since ancient times, the pursuit of beauty has never stopped. Throughout traditional Chinese makeup history, not only women, but also men love beauty, and some men even know more about makeup than women, and there are many of them who are the best. The earliest archaeological discovery of makeup tools was used by men. Hubei Zaoyang Jiu Lien Dun No. 1 Chu tomb unearthed "portable" makeup box, the box is divided into bronze mirror, wooden comb, scraper, powder box, and small wooden comb. Men's make-up, although not as elaborate as women's, but their own pursuit. Today, we will introduce how men makeup in different periods in ancient times.   Qin and Han Dynasties During the Qin and Han dynasties, men already began to pay attention to the elaboration of hair ornaments and clothing, like the complex and diverse hair-binding rituals of the Qin dynasty, which made it easy to distinguish the status and rank of each person in the way of hair-binding. In the Han Dynasty, many male tombs were also buried with abundant make-up appliances. In the Han Dynasty, it was recorded in the book "Han Shu • Ning Xing Zhuan (汉书•佞幸传)"…

The pursuit of beauty is human nature. Beauty is not only a reflection of the mind, but also a reflection of the interest in life. Tang Dynasty women are the best representatives of beauty, because they inherited the mentality of "Dress up for those who like or admire yourself (女为悦己者容)" from ancient times, and pushed the beauty ideal realm to the highest level under the booming economy and the open and tolerant social atmosphere. Court Ladies Adorning Their Hair With Flowers Lively, dignified, noble, the endless types of Tang Dynasty female hairstyles, paired with exquisite makeup, made many literati and scholars unstinting in their talent to depict the Tang women's style. Let's follow ArtMoment to go back thousands of years ago, and enjoy the beauty of Tang female hairstyles in that remarkable era of spiritedness.   Ancient Hairstyle Tips What are Ji and Huan? The ancient Chinese women's hairstyle is commonly known as Ji Huan (髻鬟, jì huán), and according to the method of combing, there are two types of Ji (髻, jì) and Huan (鬟, huán). Ji, solid hair bun, suitable for ordinary women; Huan, ring-shaped hair bun, suitable for young girls. Court Ladies Preparing Newly Woven Silk What does…

What should I do if Qixiong Ruqun keeps dropping when you wear Hanfu? For newcomers who are new to Hanfu, Qixiong Ruqun’s style is simple and feminine, and it’s not too exaggerated. Moreover, Qixiong Ruqun is very simple to wear. Generally, it is a complete set of Hanfu suits matched by merchants. It is usually a complete set of Hanfu that is matched by the business. You don’t need to be too tangled, and you can wear them at the same time. Your favorite style. It doesn’t need to be too tangled, and can also wear the style you like. Qixong Ruqun The difficulty is that the way to wear Qixiong Ruqun is simple, but because most of the suits are made of cool upper and heavy lower ones, so the lower ones often fall down due to weight, so you have to re-tied from time to time to prevent them from falling down! Solution: find the right way to dress Generally, the reason why Ruqun frequently falls down is that when wearing Ruqun, the dressing method is wrong. Let’s talk about these dressing skills today. Skill 1: two piece Ruqun with bent waist Most of the friends will choose…

Just jumped out of the New Year's festivities and the countdown to the Chinese New Year is about to begin again, are you ready for your New Year's clothes? If you are still struggling with how to wear Chinese New Year traditional clothing in order to be successful and eye-catching when taking photos or visiting friends and relatives in the New Year, then grab a pencil and paper to take notes, let me tell you! Chinese New Year Traditional Clothing for Girls This orange Chinese tunic not only looks good on you, but it's also made for a super New Year's Eve that will definitely be the most noticeable in a crowd. The fluffy square collar is cute and good-looking, and you can absolutely get a bunch of positive feedback when visiting friends and relatives, and it can also be paired with a Mamian-skirt or a fashion skirt. For the Year of the Rat, it's obvious that you should prepare Chinese New Year traditional clothing! The cute little squirrel is holding a small golden pine cone, surrounded by grapevines, which is both cute and auspicious with the meaning of "good harvest and prosperity". A Mamian-skirt is one of the must-have…

Zhongshan suit, for many men, is a feeling and yearning. The new Chinese suit, which combines tradition with fashion, is more popular with political and business elites. Zhongshan suit (Chinese tunic suit) is also called the Mao suit, is designed by Sun Yat-sen on the basis of a widely absorbing Western-style suit and integrating the characteristics of Japanese student clothing and Chinese clothing. Zhongshan suit has four pockets, five big central buttons in the front, and three smaller buttons on each sleeve. It was very popular in the Republic of China (1911-1949). In April 1929, the Zhongshan suit was promulgated as a legal uniform by the national government. Since the 1950s, Zhongshan suit has become a formal costume from the state leaders to ordinary people. After the founding of the people's Republic of China, due to the shortage of materials and manpower, some simplification and improvement have been made to the traditional Zhongshan suit, which has been popularized nationwide. Mao Zedong (the founder of the People's Republic of China) often wears for important activities, so the Zhongshan suit is also known as the Mao suit. Mao Zedong and Mao suit The Significance of Zhongshan Suit Sun Yat-Sen also gave this…

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:…

The mere mention of the Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern Dynasties often evokes a single thought: chaos. The era was marked by relentless strife: the War of the Eight Princes, the Disaster of Yongjia, the Five Barbarian Invasions, the Six Garrison Rebellions, the Rebellion of Hou Jing... It's a time so plagued by wars that it’s hard to keep track. People lived in constant turmoil, exacerbated by the barbaric and fierce invaders. Traditionally, this period is viewed as one of the darkest in Chinese history.To truly grasp the tumultuous history of the Southern and Northern Dynasties, one must understand the six legendary families that shaped this era.The Most Prestigious Clan: The Wang Family of Langya When the Western Jin Dynasty fell, the Sima family barely escaped with their lives, famously crossing the Yangtze River with just five horses. Sima Rui, with the backing of the powerful Wang family of Langya, established the Eastern Jin Dynasty in Jiankang (modern-day Nanjing), becoming Emperor Yuan of Jin.Sima Rui’s ascent to power was inseparable from the support of the Wang family. As recorded in "Shishuo Xinyu," upon his enthronement, Emperor Yuan insisted that Prime Minister Wang Dao share the imperial bed with him…

This article focuses on the changes in the popularity of traditional Chinese women's clothing from the Ming and Qing dynasties to the early Republic of China. Please read in conjunction with "Ming-style Hanfu collar types diagram" The early Ming dress continues the style of the Yuan dynasty Duanyi (短衣, short clothes), inherited the style of dressing with Duijin (对襟, symmetrical lapels) worn as Jiaojin (交襟, cross lapels) in Song and Yuan Dynasty At this time, also called Dui Jiao Chuan (对交穿). There is also a Jiaoling Youren (交领右衽, wrapping the right side before the left) style. In the mid-Ming period, the sleeve type and skirt door gradually widened, and there was a Tao sleeve (裪袖, sleeve edge protruding from the cuff) structure. According to cultural relics, the stand collar Duijin Shan appeared in the palace system during this period, and was fixed with metal sub-buttons. The style of Dui Jiao Chuan (对交穿) was also excavated in this period, and the more special one is the Mamian skirt with narrow sleeves and thin pleats. Regarding the style of the Mamian skirt, according to the research of excavated cultural relics, the structure of [trapezoidal pleat] and [wide sleeve door] was popular in the…

Diji and Tiaopai are two magnificent pieces of traditional Chinese hair jewelry, often paired with Ming-style Hanfu. The Ming dynasty was one of the most commercialized periods in ancient Chinese history, particularly in the Jiangnan region. From the point of view of hair jewelry, the most significant change shown in gold and silver jewelry during the Ming dynasty, compared to the Song and Yuan dynasties, was an increase in the number of types and styles, and a more detailed distinction in names. Various types of traditional Chinese hair jewelry, have different names, depending on where they are worn, or on their decoration, style, and even their length. Today we will focus on the Diji and Tiaopai. Diji (䯼髻, dí jì) [History and structure] Diji is a new type of wig bun that appeared in the Ming Dynasty, generally made of gold and silver wire or horsehair, and hair, covered with soap-colored yarn and worn over the top bun. The appearance of the Diji was influenced on the one hand by the wearing of Guan by women from the Northern Song Dynasty onwards, and on the other by the popularity of the 'Baoji (包髻)' hairstyle during the Jin and Yuan Dynasties.…