I made my first real Hanfu based on patterns from this website. First outing at the beach, with dragons and all. Here is an article with much details on my sewing journey. As a Chinese born girl who grew up in Europe, I've spent my share of costume parties, historical reenactments and geeky conventions in Western historical costumes. I'v been a musketeer, a pirate, a warrior princess... but somehow it always bothered me that my asian face didn't match those European costumes.   I still wear them, but now I found something I'm so much more confident in: Hanfu! I've tried a few times before to make Chinese costumes, be it historical or fantasy. This is the first time I actuallly followed a dynasty, a pattern and so on. So here it is, at the "Cidre et Dragons" festival in the North of France in septembre 2022, I dressed up my husband and myself as Zhuge Liang (诸葛亮) and his wife Huang Yueying (黄月英). So if you are interested, here I'll try to break down my process in creating these costumes.   Fabrics As it is the Three Kingdom period, I chose Han dynasty style hanfus. I wanted to use…

Zimu Kou (子母扣, metal clasp button) is the most common accessory for making Ming-style Hanfu, and if you make a Ming Hanfu yourself, they are a must-buy material. Usually, you need about 7-10 buttons to make a Duijin Duan Shan (对襟短衫) with a stand-up collar. A good-looking Zimu Kou can become the highlight of the clothes, adding texture and a sense of sophistication, and good clothes should find a matching button to complement each other.   About Zimu Kou's selection Metal Zimu Kou is more suitable for autumn and winter Shan and Ao and other outer clothing, but sometimes too thin fabric to support too heavy Zimu Kou. Pifeng's Zimu Kou larger (only one, so need a larger one, can do embellishment, or highlight). Zimu Kou applied to the collar should choose easy to buckle on, the size of the buttons than the size of the garment is a little smaller. Gorgeous button style, more suitable for clothes with woven gold, dark pattern and so on.   About the care of Zimu Kou General copper and silver-plated material button are easier to oxidation, over time will become black. Usually to keep clean, dirty to wipe as soon as possible. If…

In the New Year when everything is reviving. There is nothing better than a wedding banquet to bring people joy. It is undoubtedly the dream of many Hanfu lovers to hold a Hanfu wedding. In a traditional Hanfu wedding, the vintage costumes and rituals, the dreamlike wedding scenes, the unchanging love, and vows, are revisited again and again in the traditional ceremony, becoming more profound and ritualistic. The blogger "Jingzhishisui (静知时岁)" spent two years preparing a Ming-style wedding for herself, from etiquette, clothing, to the process, are very attentive, rich in detail and full of ritual are breathtaking, let's take a look. 01 Costumes for Chinese Hanfu Wedding Thousands of years ago, the old ancestors gave us the main color of the Chinese wedding scene - red. In order to better prepare for this Chinese Hanfu wedding, the first thing that "Jingzhishisui" did was to choose and match the wedding costumes, the main wedding costume was a Mangpao (蟒袍) and a Dashan Xiapei (大衫霞帔) , while the groom's main wedding costume was a Douniu round neck robe (斗牛圆领袍). The headdress is also very elaborate, the bride's headdress is "Sanlongliangfengguan (three dragons and two phoenix crown)", using traditional techniques, the style…

Dunhuang's artistic heritage is the result of the collective creative labor of the ancient Chinese people, spanning nearly a thousand years from the Wei and Jin dynasties (c. 4th century AD) to its gradual decline during the Song dynasty (c. 11th century AD). Through the three forms of plastic arts: architecture, sculpture, and painting, they are interrelated and reflect each other. Pattern art, on the other hand, is a kind of decorative art between the three, with a harmonious and strong artistic style. Let's follow the footsteps of Modern Hanfu and learn about the colors and patterns of Dunhuang murals and how they are used in Hanfu.   Introduction of Dunhuang Murals Dunhuang murals refer to the paintings on the inner walls of the Dunhuang Caves in China, a world cultural heritage and a treasure of human culture and art. Dunhuang murals are a major part of Dunhuang art, and are large in scale, exquisite in skill, and colorful in content. Like other religious art, it is an art that depicts images of gods, their havoc, their relationship with each other, and their relationship with people in order to support their good intentions and soothe their hearts. Therefore, it has…

In the rich cultural heritage, Hanfu and traditional Chinese instruments are not just symbols of China's long history; they are also bridges that combine modern aesthetics with traditional charm. This article will guide you through how to integrate nine typical Chinese traditional musical instruments into the art of Hanfu photography, showcasing their unique cultural significance and visual impact. From the tranquil elegance of the Guqin to the flutes, each musical instrument can add a unique charm to Hanfu.   1 - Guqin The Guqin, also known as the Yaoqin, Yujin, or Seven-stringed zither, is a traditional Chinese plucked string instrument with a history of over three thousand years. The Guqin has a wide range of tones, deep timbre, and lingering resonance. It is recorded in ancient texts that Fu Xi made the qin, and there are legends of Shennong, the Yellow Emperor, Tang Yao, among others, being involved in the creation of the instrument. Emperor Shun set the qin to have five strings, King Wen added one string, and King Wu defeated King Zhou and added another string to make it seven strings. This demonstrates the long-standing and profound cultural heritage of the ancient Chinese Guqin. There are over 3360…

Vocab “Step ban” or “walking ban” - Jin Bu (禁步, jìn bù) - an accessory often matches with hanfu. It is an accessory that is threaded together with jade stones and hung over a hanfu dress.  Jade pendant - Yu Pei (玉佩, yù pèi) - also an accessory made of silk threads, beads, and jade stone that hung at the waist. But yùpèi are much simpler than Jin Bu, oftentimes it is just a jade with one or two beads tied together with thread. Oftentimes there will be no silk or bead tassels at the bottom like Jin Bu.   Materials Jin Bu are usually made up of colored silk threads, jade beads, and jade pendants combined together. There may or not have tassels made up of silk thread at the end of the accessory. If not, the tassels may also be made up of threaded beads.  Jin Bu in the past were made up of precious stones, and since they are threaded, they will clash together when walking making jade clash. If this is heard now people might not think much about it, but the etiquette and customs were stricter in ancient times, especially on feminine etiquette and how…

History has annihilated all the past prosperity, and we can no longer witness the traditional dress aesthetics, but can only get a glimpse from the scrolls and terracotta figurines. But the search for Chinese traditional costume culture never stops, looking back at the lost costumes of the years, restoring them and recreating the glory of today. In the first issue, Modern Hanfu collated the styles that directly applied ancient paintings to Hanfu, while in the second issue, the restored Hanfu styles that will be presented to you are those that appear in ancient paintings and ceramic figurines.   The Night Revels of Han Xizai "The Night Revels of Han Xizai" is a painting by Gu Hongzhong, a painter of the Southern Tang Dynasty during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Depicting the scene of Han Xizai, an official, holding a night banquet at his home, with songs and music. There are five scenes in the scroll, and each scene is cleverly separated by a screen. This set of restored hanfu is based on the costume of the musician girl in "Han Xizai's Night Banquet", with a dark pattern on the top, a flower pattern on the skirt, and an…

As requested by user @Wei on my Mamianqun article, here’s a little summary of all the most popular hanfu skirt (qun or types and what the difference between them is! I’m not going to go into as much detail as the previous article since my goal is to go through them all quickly and teach you the differences between them, but I’ll be including some brief details on their name, history, construction, and features so that you can better understand the huge variety of skirts in hanfu. Let’s start off with some basics rules hanfu skirts tend to follow. Skirts are made up of one or two pieces of fabric, usually, and they take the shape of a flat piece of pleated or non pleated cloth that gets wrapped around the body and tied in place by ribbons/ties. There are very few exceptions to this, except in hanyuansu, which is modified hanfu for convenience and style. The waistband of the skirt is usually 6-8cm wide and made with a different piece of fabric than the body of the skirt, which the body of the skirt is then attached to—this is referred to as the skirt head (. But even with…

Speaking of the Dragon Boat Festival customs, we can certainly think of many. In addition to delicious Zongzi, dragon boats, are also about decorating objects that symbolize good luck to drive away poisonous, as well as a variety of commemorative activities. But do you know what costume elements were used in the Dragon Boat Festival throughout history? Today, let's follow the Hanfu Culture Society and take a look!   Catering to the festive atmosphere, the ancient dressing ideas are generally based on the corresponding seasonal elements, these pattern elements decorated on clothing and accessories. Undoubtedly, in the Dragon Boat Festival, the most common of these patterns is the Wu Du (五毒, five poisons) patterns. Wu Du patterns In the ancient view, the lunar calendar in May is not a good month, that May is prone to disaster, and the fifth day of May, that is, the day of the Dragon Boat Festival is particularly dangerous. Therefore, the ancients called the lunar month of May for the "evil month (恶月)", also known as the "poison month (毒月)", and the Dragon Boat Festival this day (May 5) is called "evil day (毒日)". Therefore, the main activity of the Dragon Boat Festival is…

The Tang Dynasty was the heyday of China's feudal society, especially during the years of Zhenguan (贞观) and Kaiyuan (开元) when the political climate was relaxed and people lived and worked in peace. The typical styles of the Tang Dynasty Hanfu are Gongfu (公服, official uniform), round-necked robe, Banbi (半臂), Pei (帔, large-sleeved formal dress), and so on. From the Sui to the Tang (618-907), the development of ancient Chinese Hanfu clothing reached its heyday, political stability, economic development, advances in production and textile technology, frequent foreign exchanges, etc. contributed to the unprecedented prosperity of clothing, clothing styles, colors, patterns, etc. were the unprecedented new situation. The women's costumes of this period are one of the most exciting chapters of Hans costume, with their rich beauty and splendor, and their exotic decorations are breathtaking. Chang'an in the Tang Dynasty was the political, economic, and cultural center of the time and, at the same time, the center of East-West cultural exchange. There were more than three hundred countries that had friendly relations with the government of the Tang Dynasty. The splendid Chinese culture, spreads to the world. To this day, some countries in East Asia still use the Tang Dynasty dress…

The development of Chinese motifs has a rich history, with each era having its own unique design themes and styles. Throughout history, it has been discovered that from the graphics and symbols that emerged during the primitive era of humanity, to the present day where we classify art into different categories, some commonly used themes such as floral motifs, dragon and phoenix motifs, cloud motifs, and geometric motifs have continued to exist from ancient times to the present day, and have even remained unchanged. What has changed is that the same theme has different characteristics in different eras due to differences in the expression of artificial craftsmanship. Traditional Chinese Hanfu clothing emphasizes a harmonious blend of temperament and style, and in order to not destroy the overall effect of the clothing while also making its style versatile, changes in the motifs along the lapel edges of the clothing have become an important means of decoration. From the perspective of artistic expression, motifs can be divided into abstract, figurative, and imagery forms. In the application of clothing edges, motifs are generally divided into geometric, animal, plant, and auspicious character motifs.   Abstract form - geometric pattern The decorative motifs in the…

Hanfu vs Qipao, both are excellent representatives of traditional Chinese costumes. Hanfu (汉服), Han national traditional costume. Qipao (旗袍, cheongsam), the women's clothing of the Republican era. Whenever traditional Chinese clothing is mentioned, the cheongsam is usually the first thing that comes to mind. But with the expanding influence of Hanfu, a costume that better represents Chinese history is being preferred by more and more people. What exactly are the differences between the two costumes?   1. Hanfu vs Qipao in Different Origins Origin of Hanfu Ancient hanfu was the traditional clothing and accessory system of the Han Chinese from the time of the Yellow Emperor to the middle of the 17th century AD (late Ming and early Qing dynasties). Tang Dynasty Hanfu Origin of cheongsam Cheongsam was formed in the 1920s and later became the most common women's clothing at that time, being one of the most splendid phenomena and forms in China's long-standing dress culture. The controversy of the origin of cheongsam There are still many controversies about the definition of cheongsam and the time of its production, focusing on the following. 1. It is believed that cheongsam is developed directly from the robe of Qing Dynasty. 2.…

As one of the earliest people to wear shoes, ancient Chinese once created a very rich Hanfu shoe culture. Among them, there are many "secrets" on the shoe tip, even more unexpected. Regardless of left and right feet Shoes are divided into left and right feet, which is now known as common sense. But if time can go back to 1000 years ago, the shoes are divided into left and right feet, which is quite another phenomenon. Are left and right shoes hard to wear? No! Most of the materials used to make shoes in ancient times were very soft. For example, straw shoes, flax shoes, even with animal skin can also be handled very softly. What's more, the Hanfu shoes worn by the ancients were relatively loose and large in size, so they would not be worn or worn. Although shoes are not divided into left and right, the ancients still talked about left and right when buying shoes. When trying on shoes, usually try on the left foot first, as long as the left foot can be put on, and no need to try on the right foot. This is because the left foot is generally a little…

Chinese fashion has had an independent, complete, and comprehensive cutting system since ancient times. However, since modern society, it has gradually been replaced by Western cutting techniques. Even traditional and ethnic clothing has to use Western cutting structures in order to survive. This state persisted until the revival of Hanfu. As one of China's traditional clothing, Hanfu not only has considerable influence but also has a different cutting method from Western fashion. However, this did not stop Hanfu from exploring fashion. For the past 20 years, there have been roughly four stages of exploration.   Traditional Shape · Daily Style - The First Exploration of Hanfu Fashionization In the 20 years since the revival of Hanfu, the road to fashionization has been difficult and challenging, but it has never given up moving forward. The audience of Hanfu continues to update, but there are always a group of people who are keen to explore the styles that are more suitable for modern daily life among the historical Hanfu styles. They make subtle adjustments to the size or structure based on the aspects where the wearing experience is not very good through daily wearing practice, making these styles more suitable for daily…

The ancient Chinese were designed the clothing and crown system with distinct rank differences, to conform to the social order. Women's clothing is the same as men's, was constrained by system and etiquette. This article, centered around Ming Hua Tang's hanfu, introduce you to the detail of royal hanfu dress for noblewoman (Ming Fu, 命妇) in the late Ming Dynasty.   The Definition of Ming Fu According to Ming Dynasty regulations, officials from the first to fifth ranks are eligible for the "Gao Ming" (诰命). The title "Gao Ming" is mandated by the imperial court. It is the "sacred decree" commonly known as folklore, like the exhortation came from The emperor himself. The "Gao Ming" is all vouchers for the court to grant officials and their relatives. According to the rank of officials, obtaining a "Gao Ming" sometimes requires considerable effort. For example, have made achievements in politics or the military. Women follow the rank of their husband or son. A woman who is granted a "Gao Ming" is called a "Ming Fu" (women with imperial exhortation). According to the rank from high to low, there are titles such as Fu Ren(夫人, the Honorary), Shu Ren(淑人, the Kindness), Gong Ren…

After thousands of years of history, Chinese Hanfu styles are extremely diverse. However, the Hanfu recognized today mainly refers to the costumes of powerful dynasties such as Han, Tang, Song, and Ming, and is also the main basis for contemporary Hanfu design. There is no longer to consider the hierarchy in wearing modern Hanfu, with a richer mix of colors, patterns, and fabrics. Modern Hanfu designs are more simple and more comfortable, incorporating more fashionable elements while not losing beauty. Hanfu enthusiasts can choose and match Hanfu according to their own style and preference. However, because of its distinctive national characteristics, following certain wearing etiquette will definitely make the wearer more elegant and confident.   The Origin of Hanfu Chinese Hanfu is the traditional costume of the Han people. How did the name originate? How is it worn? What is the relationship between Han Chinese costume and Chinese culture? These questions can not be explained in a few words. First of all, we need to understand the origin of the Han Chinese, the early Han Chinese set the tone for the dress of later generations. Hua Xia The Han originated from Huaxia. The term "Huaxia (华夏)" was first used in…

Vocab Palace Belt - 宫绦, gōng tāo, is an accessory worn around the waist to prevent dresses from flowing in the wind. It is commonly paired with hanfu for a simplistic look and referred to as such in modern times. Silk Belt - 丝绦, sī tāo. An accessory that ancient Chinese people used to refer to. However, it was not only used as a fashion accessory but also on fans or flutes. Zhiduo - 直裰, zhídāo. A traditional Chinese robe worn by scholars and officials during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It has a straight-cut Mandarin collar without openings and is a formal attire reserved for special occasions. It is worn over long shirts and wide trousers. Tassels - 流苏, liúsū. In ancient China it had different names, such as 穗子 (suìzi), 缨旒 (yīng liú), and 流苏 (liúsū). Nowadays, 流苏 (liúsū) is the most commonly used name for tassels. Silk ribbon- 绶, shòu - the ribbon with a jade or officials seals at the end.   History of Gong Tao The Palace Belt, known as 宫绦 (gōng tāo), is an accessory that dates back to the Warring States Period. It is a long woven rope with tassels attached on both…

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,…

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…