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  A new cdrama, Royal Feast, recently aired! This culinary and palace drama set in the Ming Dynasty stars the original cast of the hit drama Story of Yanxi Palace. As the name implies, Royal Feast (尚食, Shang Shi) is a historical drama that focuses on the palace cuisine of the Ming Dynasty. The story takes place during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, where the young cook Yao Zijin, played by Wu Jinyan, enters the palace and shows her "culinary talent" step by step, and eventually becomes a female official of the Food Bureau of the Imperial Palace. Royal Feast not only presents many court food, but also the sweet palace love between Yao Zijin and Zhu Zhanji, the imperial grandson. In this article, we will share the highlights of Royal Feast from food, costumes, and props.   Palace cuisine in Royal Feast The cuisine is the most important part of the drama! For the important Food Bureau of the Imperial Palace scene design, the team carefully drew a detailed structural model drawing, and made a detailed restoration of each place. In order to restore the menu of the Forbidden City in the Ming Dynasty, the non-heritage team…

In terms of clothing: the color representation may not conform to the official regulations: officials up to the fourth rank use dark red, those from the fifth to seventh rank use light green, and those below the eighth rank use green. Generally, civilian clothes of officials are mostly dark blue or sky green, with some green. The official robes worn with official hats are commonly seen in dark red, as we see in ancient costume dramas where people who have passed the imperial examination or become the top scholar wear dark red official robes. However, according to their ranks, those who have passed the imperial examination or become the top scholar are officials of the seventh rank, and should wear light green official robes. It is probably because Chinese people prefer the festive atmosphere of red that they do not follow the regulations completely. Female officials also wear more red official robes, hence, we call women's embroidery and handicrafts "female red", which has unique cultural characteristics. Everyone knows that in many roles in ancient costume dramas, the fresh feeling relies on simple and elegant costumes to highlight it. It's not hard to see that Liu Yaowen's dark blue attire caters…

Chapter One: The Beauty of Hanfu As is well known, the Han nationality is the main ethnic group in China, possessing a long history and splendid culture. Among them, Hanfu, as the representative of traditional Han clothing, has always carried the cultural emotions and aesthetic pursuits of the Han people. The Hanfu of the Ming Dynasty, in particular, is an important chapter in the entire development history of Hanfu. Hanfu of the Ming Dynasty is renowned for its rigorous system of rituals and magnificent styles. Since the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, according to the status and social position of individuals, Ming Dynasty Hanfu has presented diverse forms. In this era of ruling by rites and emphasizing hierarchical distinctions, the design of Ming Dynasty Hanfu was particularly meticulous and refined. Chapter Two: Creek and Jingming The Hanfu of the Ming Dynasty is generally divided into official robes (ceremonial attire for officials of the sixth rank and above) and civilian attire. As for official robes, they can be further categorized into court robes, scholar's robes, and spring-autumn ceremonial attire. Among these, scholar's robes were widely accepted as the dress code for the Han intellectual elite at that time. Therefore, this…

The Ming Dynasty, a luminous chapter in Chinese history, shines brightly not only for its political and economic milestones but also for its captivating fashion legacy. This era's sartorial splendor can be credited to the visionary Ming Taizu, Zhu Yuanzhang. He masterfully melded Zhou and Han dynasty traditions with the artistic flair of the Tang and Song dynasties, laying the groundwork for a unique Ming Dynasty hanfu. Timeless Innovations in Men's Hanfu In the Ming Dynasty, government officials’ attire was a visual testament to the era's strict social hierarchy. They donned black gauze hats and round-collared robes, which were color-coded and embellished with patches indicating their rank. These robes were complemented by belts of varying quality, symbolizing their societal status. Scholars, or “shusheng,” favored straight-cut or flowing robes paired with distinctive headpieces. Conversely, commoners opted for shorter garments, paired with small hats or netted scarves. Beauty of Ming Women’s Apparel Noblewomen of the Ming Dynasty were often draped in voluminous robes with striking red sleeves, while common women gravitated towards lighter hues like peach, purple, and green. Their everyday wear comprised short jackets, wide skirts adorned with silk sashes, and intricate gold and jade pendants. Accessories like cloud-shaped shoulder coverings…

Hanfu, Chinese clothes, we can also see more and more young people wearing Hanfu in our daily life. The significance of Hanfu lies in the combination of tradition and modernity, the combination of classics and popularity, the combination of rationality and the world, and the embracing of diversified aesthetics. As we all know, ancient society has strict social hierarchy and rules, and one of the important points used to distinguish class superiority and inferiority from the nature of occasions is clothing. From texture to style, from color and pattern patterns, there are strict differentiation limits. We must never put the cart before the horse. So in ancient China, what are the styles of Hanfu in different occasions? 1. Sacrificial Costume The sacrificial costume is the dress worn in sacrifice, which is the most solemn dress among all kinds of crown clothes. The following picture shows the sacrificial clothes of the Ming Dynasty. 2. Court Dress According to many ancient books, sacrificial and court clothes are often used. Although it can be used for sacrifice instead of sacrificial service, its main use is still in the court meeting. It is the clothes of ancient monarchs, ministers, and officials. 3. Official Uniform…

In terms of the cultural and economic development of Chinese feudal society, the Tang Dynasty was undoubtedly an apogee in the development of human civilization. The Tang government not only opened its country to the outside world, allowing foreigners to enter for business or study, but even allowed them to participate in the selection examinations for government officials. It was tolerant, and often appreciative of religions, art and culture of the outside world. Chang'an, the Tang capital, became the center of exchanges between different cultures. It deserves special mention that women of the Tang dynasty did not have to obey traditional dress codes, but were allowed to wear clothing that exposed their arms and chest, or dress with exotic elements. They could also wear riding clothes if they wanted to and enjoyed the freedom to choose their marriage and to divorce. The abundance of materials and a relatively relaxed social environment gave the Tang dynasty an unprecedented opportunity to develop culture, reaching new heights in such fields as poetry, painting, music and dance. Based on the development of the textile industry in the Sui Dynasty, and progress achieved in reeling and dyeing, the variety, quality and quantity of textile materials…

Chinese Palace drama (宫斗剧, Gongdou, harem drama, or palace scheming dramas) refers to a drama set in ancient China's feudal dynasties. Female characters, such as concubines or female officials, are the main subjects of the story. The main plotline is the emotional entanglement of the characters or political power struggle. Palace dramas focus on entertainment and dramatization, and are somewhat different from historical dramas. The first hit palace drama was "War and Beauty" in 2004, then "Schemes of a Beauty" in 2010, and "Empresses in the Palace" in 2011 generated outstanding ratings and brought widespread attention to palace dramas. Almost all of the stories in the palace dramas occur in the isolated harem, where the "scheming" is the core plot and narrative focus. A group of originally delicate aristocratic women, fighting on this battlefield of deceit, with only one goal in mind: the emperor's favor. All the characters in the harem drama have no distinction between right and wrong, good and evil, but only the success or failure of their tactics and schemes, and the consequent differences in their fates. Therefore, the women in the situation have a strong sense of crisis and high sensitivity to their difficult situation. All…

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.…

In modern society, everyone is equal. There is no difference in clothing. What you want to wear is optional. But in ancient times, there was a very strict hierarchy, which clearly stipulated that emperors, nobles, officials, rich people, ordinary people, servants, people of different identities had relevant dress regulations on different occasions. So what are the Chinese peasants wear? As early as the Xia and Shang Dynasties, the hierarchy of clothing has been initially established. In the Zhou Dynasty, a set of the more complete hierarchical system was established, and the form, texture, color, pattern, and ornament of clothing were specified in detail, which became an important part of the etiquette system of the Zhou Dynasty. Peasants, as the largest part of the ancient Chinese common people, mostly wore Duan Da (短打) clothes that could do farm work. Duan Da is a kind of ancient Chinese Hanfu, made of coarse cloth, include with top and lower trousers, the length of the coat is generally above and below the hips and knees. Duan Da is also called "Shu He (短褐, 裋褐)", the word "He (褐)" refers to clothing woven from hemp fabric or animal hair. So, the original meaning of the…