Phenomenon

By the year 2024, the inaugural year of costume drama has long passed, yet the unexpected success of "The Legend of Shen Li" has truly surpassed all expectations. Whether it be the pairing of Zhao Liying and Lin Gengxin, reviving the regrets of the fans of "Princess Agents," or the ethereal configuration of the female and male in the early stages of "The Legend of Shen Li," every element has struck a chord with everyone's nostalgia. For a moment, it turned this pair of middle-aged ancient costume role, initially mocked by many before the premiere, into a phenomenon where they dominated various popularity charts. Looking back over the past few years, many young actors and actresses have risen to fame through costume dramas. Ancient costume dramas have become a well-known place for grooming stars and have consequently transformed into an exclusive domain for the new generation of actors. Hence, as soon as the trailer for "The Legend of Shen Li" was released, it became a focal point for public criticism: the combined age of the leads exceeds 70 years; post-85 actors spent half their lives elsewhere, only to return to the world of costume dramas; or the excessive soft lighting…

Originally published in China Youth Magazine, Issue 10, 2021 @Correspondent: Fan Tuan (饭团) In recent years, there is a phenomenon that people can easily notice: more and more people in "ancient costumes" walking in the streets, they have wide robes and large sleeves, fluttering clothes, forming a landscape of their own, and most of them are young people. Their clothing is called Hanfu (汉服), and they call each other "Tongpao (同袍)" "Paozi (袍子)". So, what is Hanfu? Why are young people so keen on the Hanfu revival? How can ordinary people become Hanfu Tongpao? In this article, we interviewed 10 Hanfu Tongpao. Among them, there are ordinary people, leaders of Hanfu societies, Hanfu models, businessmen, and social media celebrities. Let's get closer to Hanfu in the stories of Tongpao.   Which Hanfu styles does Tongpao prefer? Hanfu, also known as Han Yi Guan, Han Zhuang, and Hua Fu, is a unique Han style and accessory system that was formed through a natural evolution from the reign of the Yellow Emperor to the middle of the 17th century AD (late Ming and early Qing dynasties) in the main areas where the Han people lived, with the "Huaxia-Han" culture as the background…

Have you noticed the weather doesn’t cool down right away when the fall season starts? It’s a phenomenon sometimes referred to as the “Indian summer” if you live in North America, or "old women's summer" if you live in Europe, and in China, people call it “Autumn Tiger”. It can get really hot during the day but quite chilly at night, so this is a time when people can catch a cold easily. In ancient China, there’s a history of people wearing vests to keep warm during this time of the year, it was believed that the vest was first developed around 2,000 years ago, and later doubled as a fashion statement as time went on. Now let’s take a look at the history of this hanfu and How to wear it.   The history of Hanfu vest Short sleeves or sleeveless garments have been around for a long time. The earliest artifacts found in China were from the Warring States Period (475–221 BC). During the Han Dynasty, the terms were coined in one of the oldest dictionaries - The Shiming or "Explanation of Names", sleeveless vests were called Liang Dang (裲裆), half sleeves were called Ban Xiu(半袖) or Xiu…

In recent years, the phenomenon of "live-action adaptations of Chinese comics" has surged in popularity, captivating audiences with its unique blend of comic book narratives brought to life on screen. This burgeoning market offers a diverse range of themes and holds immense potential, attracting significant attention and investment from major platforms in China. However, the journey to success in this realm seems fraught with challenges, with the specter of difficulties in adapting comics to live-action looming over many productions. How can creators navigate the complexities of bridging the gap between two distinct mediums, ensuring a balance between the essence of the original comics and the demands of live-action storytelling? The answer to this question remains elusive, requiring ongoing exploration and innovation. The anticipation surrounding the release of Fox Spirit Matchmaker: "Red-Haired Girl" was palpable, with high expectations from various quarters. Fans of Chinese comics eagerly awaited to see how a beloved IP would transition to the small screen, while aficionados of historical dramas rejoiced at the prospect of encountering the "ancient costume beauty ceiling" once again. Moreover, the production team's announcement of utilizing virtual production technology for the first time in a domestic long-form drama only served to deepen the…

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…

The Chinese ancient armor protecting the head was called Zhou (胄, helmet) in the pre-Qin period. In oracle bone inscriptions, the helmet is painted as a shield with a vertical tube at the top. And many of the bronzes excavated from the Yinxu tomb in Anyang are fully consistent with this phenomenon. However, there is a lack of a standard for the definition of other ancient helmets without vertical tubes in Western Zhou and Spring and Autumn Warring States. Therefore, the emergence of iron head armor as the dividing line, before that, regardless of whether they had vertical tubes or not, they were called Zhou regardless of whether the material specifically leather or bronze, after that, they were divided into two categories: Dou Mou (兜鍪, helmet) and Kui (盔, helmet). But those with vertical tubes with feathers as decoration were still called Zhou, such as the unified style of the Qing Dynasty.   Ancient helmets from the pre-Qin period Bronze Zhou (胄) of the pre-Qin period is bounded by the Shang and Zhou (周) dynasties. The surface of Zhou in the Shang Dynasty is generally cast with Taotie, round sunflowers, and other patterns, and the unearthed objects in Xingan County,…