Benefiting from the growing popularity of social media and a craze for traditional culture, hanfu, a traditional style of clothing once worn by the Han people, has enjoyed a fresh lease of life thanks to a new wave of young Chinese devotees, including Liu and Yang.
The 1980s-born rocket scientist Liu is also a cofounder of a hanfu community in Beijing called Hua Yan Hui. The community was founded in 2011 following a hanfu revival movement that emerged from the desire to express national identity and growing cultural confidence. "At first, people who wore hanfu in public felt occasionally uneasy, including me, while more passers-by asked about their clothing style", says Liu. It was not the looks from others but her limited knowledge on the traditional Chinese clothing that had terrified her.
Another person, Yang Kunning, was born in the 1990 s and works in public relations. She is fond of sharing her love for hanfu online. She opened an account on the video-sharing platform Bilibili and posted videos featuring herself wearing the traditional attire. Thousands of comments and likes pour into her channel as viewers find her videos attractive and creative — blending traditional culture with modern dance movements.
"Social media has made hanfu culture popular in China and abroad, which contributes to the rapid development of China's economy" says Yang. The hanfu market in China was estimated to reach 12.54 billion yuan ($1.81 billion) in 2022 and is expected to rise to 19.11 billion yuan by 2025, according to research firm iMedia Research.
"It will be a rewarding experience to participate in events in the Forbidden City and other historical palaces in the capital city," says Yang. She believes that classics will never go out of style as the popularity of sprouts increases around the world.
