A brief history of waist fan (yaoshan) and steps to DIY one for anyone interested. Vocab Tuan Shan: moon-shaped fan, 团扇, tuánshàn; Zhe Shan: folding fan, 折扇, zhéshàn; Yao Shan: waist fan, 腰扇, yāo shàn; Ping Feng: screen, 屏风, píngfēng.   Introduction When it comes to hanfu, one accessory that it is paired with is a fan. Well-known types of fans are moon-shaped fan and folding fan. But there is another type of fan known as Yao Shan, which translates as "waist fan." The reason why it is called a waist fan is that it can easily be secured at the waist when not used. When the fan is needed, you can just slip it out of the belt and open it up by twisting. It's unlike others where you will either have to constantly hold or unable to close it to take up less space. Waist fans contain characteristics from both moon-shaped fans and folding fans. It took the common round surface of a moon-shaped fan and the ability to close and open when needed from a folding fan. But the round shape is just a common shape everyone goes by. Moon-shaped fans have expanded from simply using a circle…

In the realm of television, Chinese historical dramas stand as towering monuments to the country's rich heritage and storytelling prowess. As we step into 2024, the anticipation for new narratives that intertwine historical intricacies with the art of modern filmmaking has never been higher. With leading platforms like iQIYI and Mango TV at the helm of broadcasting, viewers worldwide are on the edge of their seats, waiting to be transported back in time through the lens of these forthcoming masterpieces. This article aims to shed light on the most anticipated Chinese historical dramas of 2024, promising a blend of majestic settings, intricate plotlines, and characters that embody the depth of China's historical tapestry.   1-iQiyi: The Trend is Unstoppable Unexpectedly, iQiyi is the platform with the most upcoming period dramas among the four major platforms, reaching a whopping 30. With rich themes and a powerful cast, it can be said that most highly discussed period dramas are here.   "Fox Spirit Matchmaker" Series First is the "Fox Spirit Matchmaker" series. Adapted from the manga of the same name, it tells the love story between humans and spirits in a episodic format. As of now, the original manga has a popularity…

Wearing incense sachets in daily life, or burning the incense burner when reading or sipping tea, the pursuit of fragrance by the ancient Chinese surpassed even modern times. The combination of form and spirit is the ancients revered spiritual states. Clothing provided the form of the real state, while the flavor implied in the air gave the spirit part. The documentary "The Flavor of History" features a unique perspective that brings hanfu and flavor together again.   Tang Dynasty Ruilongnao (瑞龙脑) is produced in the country of Brahma (now Brunei). In addition to growing in hot places, it needs to be smoked to release its aroma. But its flavor is as cool and pure as its appearance, like a contradictory combination of noisy and silent, entwined and moving. In the clothing system of the Tang Dynasty, color was an important clue to distinguish the superior and inferior. According to the Book of Tang - Records of Yufu, the emperor's regular clothes are Chi Huang (赤黄, a color between yellow and red, #F8CE00) robes, Fu Tou (幞头), nine rings belt, and Liu He boots (六合靴)". At the time of Emperor Gaozu of the Tang Dynasty, it was officially stipulated that Chi Huang…

As one of the main composition elements of hanfu tops and robes, sleeves can have a lot of variation. They mostly fall into a couple categories that we have recovered historical artifacts from, though a lot of manufacturers end up with some variation in their patterns. Today we’ll go over a whole ten sleeve types, a bit of historical context, and some of the variations they can go through. Before we get into that, though, let’s go over a little basic information that applies to (almost) all hanfu sleeves. One of the defining characteristics of the hanfu is the sleeve connection. What this means is that the sleeve is not connected to the body of the top or robe at the shoulder, but at a point partway down the upper arm, with the body of the clothing and part of the arm being made up of one piece of fabric, and the rest of the sleeve of another. These are stitched together to create the whole sleeve. The rest of the sleeve is also made of one piece of fabric both front and back, folded over the top and stitched together at the bottom. Some exceptions to this are half-sleeves,…

Fashion fades, style lasts forever. Floral patterns have been alive and fragrant on the costume stage for hundreds of years, but the Floral patterns with Chinese elements and Hanfu are also shining on the ornaments of some small objects. There are two main types of floral pattern, one is a large flower print and the other is a cluster of small flowers, both of which can be widely used in the fabric or local, even if it is just a touch of trim on the edge of the Hanfu, can make the summer a little longer, but most of them can be used in the selection of the single material. The most widely used is the solid color top + floral pattern skirt. In Chinese style, the application of floral patterns is more likely to be brushstrokes of flowers and birds, bamboo, curly grass, grape patterns, and other colorful patterns cascaded with ink strokes. Elements of the Tang style Hanfu may be applied more often. There are also ways to liven up the floral patterns: adding patchwork lace elements or putting together more floral patterns, which can also be achieved with a lace-trimmed petticoat. In particular, it is important to…

As winter approaches, more and more Hanfu enthusiasts are focusing their attention on the Ming style Hanfu. Whereas in the Ming style Hanfu costume, the combination of an Ao (袄, jacket) on top and a Qun (裙, skirt) on the bottom is especially popular. Ao has several types of collars, and today we are focusing on the standing collar today, briefly introduce the history and how to wear it.   History of the standing collar  Some of you might recognize the standing collar as the mandarin collar, most people think the standing collar is derived from Qing Dynasty Manchurian dress, also known as the cheongsam or qipao, but it is actually originally invented and passed down from the Ming Dynasty, the dynasty before the Qing Dynasty, it is a part of the hanfu system and was later on adapted into Manchurian dresses, and today it’s widely known in the world as the mandarin collar, and recognized as one of the most distinctive features of Chinese clothing. Painting of The Chenghua Emperor in Lantern Festival Do you remember this Ming Dynasty painting? Almost every woman and child are wearing the cross collared Aoqun, showing how popular this style was at that…

The movie "Chang An (长安三万里, Chang An San Wan Li)" is a film brimming with talent and charm. Describing it as such is perfectly appropriate, for no other word captures its essence accurately. Its romance belongs to the youth rather than the grand palace banquets, and its richness belongs to the ambitious and talented individuals from all corners of the nation rather than mere material wealth. And yet, all of this is influenced by the ebb and flow of political affairs in the court. When it comes to flourishing Tang Dynasty, we have seen countless depictions of prosperous Chang'an - from theatrical novels to well-made commercial films, showcasing scenes like wine in Hua Qing Chi and open exchange with foreign countries. However, "Chang An San Wan Li" extends the panorama of Great Tang beyond that magnificent city: west Chang'an, south Yangzhou, Shangqiu & Liangtian, and Xiangyang. It strips away the mystique surrounding Chang'an City itself and even almost dispels any illusion about an era of prosperity. The starting point lies in two young men living far from courtly life: Jiangxia (present-day Wuchang area) near Huanghe Tower where they first met on a deserted piece of land - Li Bai and…

Haha so I lied in the last article, we’re actually doing the Tang Dynasty next! This is for sure going to be a favorite of everyone—after all, who can resist the flamboyant, vibrant beauty of the Tang Dynasty? Let’s get right to it and see where some of our favorite Tang Dynasty hanfu comes from. The Tang Dynasty was a period of time (618–907CE) preceded by the Wei/Jin Northern and Southern Dynasties and proceeded by the Five Dynasties Ten Kingdoms period, and then the Song Dynasty (the Five Dynasties Ten Kingdoms period is often regarded as part of the Tang fashion period for hanfu purposes because the fashion trends followed pretty closely). A flourishing golden age for China, the Tang Dynasty saw leaps and bounds in art, poetry, and exchange of culture—the most open-minded society that has existed in the world in a very long time. People freely exchanged cultural norms, aesthetics, and ideas between nations from the Silk Road and beyond, resulting in a blossoming of the world of clothing as well, and a rich collection of art for us to reference our hanfu off of.   Astana Cemetery Interestingly, not a lot of clothing of the Tang Dynasty…

As we enter June, dramas with female-centric themes are making a strong impact. Both "The Double" and "The Tale of Rose" have delivered impressive performances since their premieres, with steadily rising viewership and discussion heat. Interestingly, both shows are narrated from a "great female lead" perspective, focusing on themes of growth, revenge, and even vengeance. If "being a woman is a condition," these two dramas, set in different backgrounds, illustrate this condition through the characters Xue Fangfei and Huang Yimei. By examining the protagonists' settings and fate, we can see the next iteration of the great female lead theme and trace the common issues present in female-centric dramas. So, will the future model for great female leads be Xue Fangfei or Huang Yimei? The plots of "The Double" and "The Tale of Rose" are not overly complex. The former depicts a tragic wife who pseudo-reborn and seeks revenge, while the latter revolves around a woman's love story with four men. Both protagonists' stories follow the narrative pattern of female-centric novels: clear character growth, with their pains mainly caused by men. As they grow, the presence of men in their lives diminishes. Additionally, Xue Fangfei and Huang Yimei share some overpowered…

There is such a Chinese original animation, which has only been updated for 6 episodes since its broadcast in 2017, but has collected 30 million views. It is Choir of Chinese Poems (中国唱诗班), the first Chinese short animation production, with classic ancient poetry as the main theme of the story and the historical allusions of the scholars as the outline. The animation is entirely original and hand-drawn by a team of Chinese youths, and each episode is less than 25 minutes. The images are beautiful and moody, with strong Chinese colours and a moving storyline that brings to life traditional Chinese ancient poetry. 1 Love Seeds Released on 23 December, 2016. The most popular of all Choir of Chinese Poems episodes is "Love Seeds", about a red bean and a tragic love affair. The young scholar Wang Chutong has been secretly in love with Liuniang since childhood. Hearing that red beans could express love, he sneaked up to the door of the Liuniang and presented a red bean. "This is the red bean from Wang Wei's poems 'Xiang Si'." Liuniang knew exactly what the Wang Chutong was thinking but did not say anything. But after joking, she cooked a bowl…

Songku (宋裤) is a kind of traditional Chinese clothing, popular during the Song Dynasty, from year 960 to 1279. Let’s look at the different pieces and how to wear Hanfu - Songku.   1: Wear the undershirt for Songku This is a modern version of a Chinese women’s undershirt with beautiful lotus embroidery, it looks and functions just like a camisole, the adjustable straps make it more comfortable and easier to put on.   2: Wear the Songku This is called Songku, literally meaning Song Dynasty trousers, women generally wore a full-length skirt in ancient China, but during the Song Dynasty, these trousers were very popular. The original version consists of two separate pieces and is more complicated to put on and off, so there's an improved modern version.Original version Songku: The two layers are sewed together and have a zipper on the side, but there was no zipper in ancient China, and also adding this belt as an accessory. And to tie it, make a knot in the center, and then wrap it around each side several more times, then pull it through again while making a small loop and make it tight. Do the same for the other…

Many of the first time Hanfu wearers may be confused about the layers of Hanfu wear, because we usually focus more on the outermost layer of clothing, so how do you choose the inside of the Hanfu skirt? Is it a Zhongku (中裤)? In this article, Han Time will introduce several styles that are suitable for matching inside Hanfu skirts to dispel your worries. Chen Qun (衬裙) The Chen Qun can be understood as the bottom version of the hanfu skirt, and the shape is the same as the outer skirt, but it can also be inconsistent. The Chen Qun that we see nowadays are mainly Ma Mian Qun style, pleated skirt style, and Po Qun style (破裙款). Chen Qun is worn for three purposes. The first role: is to increase the skirt's sense of fluff, play the role of skirt support. Another role: can be used as decoration, generally, now the Hanfu Chen Qun also has a decorative lace edge pattern, can reveal some of the lightness of the skirt under the outer skirt. The last role: the most important avoid being seen inside your skirt, in general, light-colored thinner fabric if there is no lining (i.e., single layer)…

The mythological narrative in current Chinese animation is not simply a repetition of classic mythological stories, but a new form of creation. Whether it is a contemporary revision of a specific mythological story, or a new narrative after mixing, collaging, grafting, and transforming various non-homologous mythological stories, contemporary concepts are injected while retaining the typical visual symbols of mythology, and drawing heavily from traditional Chinese art styles, providing a new way of thinking for the development of Chinese animation. Mythology has an open interpretation space and interdisciplinary nature. Over the years, based on disciplines such as anthropology, history, religion, folklore, literature, psychology, etc., different research methods and schools of thought have gradually formed around issues such as origin, function, characteristics, and structure. For example, the natural mythology school believes that mythology originated from the worship of natural phenomena such as wind, rain, thunder, and lightning by early humans. From a structuralist perspective, understanding mythology is key to grasping its deep structure: although mythological narratives from different ethnic groups and regions are not exactly the same, they have universal structures and rules within them. From a psychological perspective, myths are often seen as the product of common psychological projections of various ethnic…