The magic of traditional clothes, found down a rabbit hole
The traditional attire of the Han ethnic group in China, hanfu, boasts a history spanning nearly 4,000 years. In recent times there has been a resurgence of interest in hanfu in China and elsewhere as more people are drawn to wearing and analyzing it.
Rachel Yu, of Boston, said her introduction to hanfu came unexpectedly one day as she was browsing art documentaries online. It was a chance encounter with a hanfu video that captivated her.
“I was like, well, this is very cool, but I didn’t think that much about it,” she said, noting that the clothing stands out from many fashions she had seen.
Yu said she developed her interest in hanfu after marrying, her Chinese husband giving her first set of hanfu and teaching her about the traditional clothing.
“Then I was looking online at all the pictures, trying to learn, is this from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)?” Yu said. “Is this from the Tang Dynasty (618-907)? How do you style it? What hairstyle matches? How did they do their makeup? It’s just like going down the internet rabbit hole and never coming back out.”
Yu said she has accumulated a lot of knowledge about hanfu, but at first the research was difficult.
“It was very hard to research because there is almost nothing about hanfu in English to teach people about (the attire).”
Yu is now learning Chinese. “As someone in America who wears hanfu, I think that shines a great positive light on Chinese culture, because a lot of people in America don’t know much about China,” she said, and her interest in hanfu brought her friendships with other lovers of the traditional Chinese attire after she joined a hanfu club in Boston.
Yu wore hanfu for her wedding, and also wears it with her husband and friends during Chinese festivals and other important events, she said. She also likes to incorporate hanfu-related elements into her daily life.
“I just find it very interesting and also often functional as well. For example, the horseface dress is very convenient for daily use. I could just wear the skirt or just wear the vest and add it to your everyday outfit.”
Yu said she has felt warmly welcomed by the hanfu community and believes that the “magic clothing” has helped her build many personal connections and friendships.
While bridging the peopleto-people interest in the traditional dress, the hanfu community has become a global network.
Ming Liang, president of the New York Hanfu Corporation, said there is a large hanfu club network across the U.S., with more than a dozen clubs in different states that operate independently but maintain regular connections.
Ming, studying folklore and having previously taught Chinese, has devoted herself to operating the club. The board of the hanfu nonprofit is made up of people from many different backgrounds, but they are brought together by a common interest.
Ming said the first time she took part in activities for Tomb Sweeping Day, which this year fell on April 4, was a memorable experience. This traditional festival is devoted to remembering and honoring the dead, but it also signifies the arrival of spring, during which people typically go on outings.
She was attracted to an activity organized by the hanfu club in Central Park, Manhattan, she said, eager to see what it would be like.
“In their tiny space I felt a sense of sanctity. It’s the reverence for ancestors, that mindset, which really moved me. And the ceremony was done so meticulously, using traditional rituals,” she said.
For the group, hanfu is a hobby that brings people together, but individuals with similar backgrounds and interests get the chance to sit together and have deep, meaningful conversations about Chinese culture, beyond just taking photos.
Ming said that members of the club also share their interests in other aspects of Chinese culture. For example, they have a member who is an aficionado of Chinese tea culture and food culture, one who loves ancient Chinese poetry, and one who is interested in analyzing the pronunciation of ancient Chinese.
In California the Northern California Hanfu Association recently hosted Huazhao festival to celebrate the flower goddess’ birthday, holding an event at the Filoli Historic House and Garden in the Bay Area of the town of Woodside.
The association is devoted to hanfu and cultural analysis, preparing an illustrated handbook to introduce the attire with pictures and English introductions to cater to more international admirers.
From artifacts and attire to detailed accessories and literature, they have gathered knowledge of hanfu, from the pre-Qin period (pre-221 B.C.) to the Ming Dynasty. They use easily understandable English to present the evolution and development of clothing and culture, documenting every detail and providing explanations for Chinese pinyin names of the garments to aid understanding.