What is Hanfu?

Hanfu, the full name of "Han traditional costume", is also called Han traditional costume, Hanfu and Chinese costume. From the late Ming Dynasty to the early Qing Dynasty, when the Yellow Emperor ascended the throne, with the culture of "from Huaxia to Han" as the background and the leading thought, it naturally evolved into a traditional clothing system with unique Han style and personality, which was obviously different from other nationalities. To some extent, Hanfu is the cultural symbol of China and Han nationality.

The word "Han" in Hanfu is consistent with the word "Han" in Han nationality, and the meaning extension of this word has also expanded from Han dynasty to the whole national reference. Hanfu, the full name of "Han traditional costume", is also called Han traditional costume, Hanfu and Chinese costume. Since the Yellow Emperor ascended the throne in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties, with the culture of "from Huaxia to Han nationality" as the background and the leading thought, and the etiquette of Huaxia and Han nationality as the core, a traditional costume system with unique Han style and characteristics has been formed, which is obviously different from other nationalities. It not only inherits the excellent weaving, dyeing, embroidery and engraving techniques of the Han nationality, but also embodies China's "country of etiquette" and "dressing for the country".

In the later Han dynasty, it was a national event to inherit Zhou Zong's Han law with Hanfu. In Zhouyi, "The Yellow Emperor and Yao Shun govern the world by hanging down their clothes, and their benefits are derived from Gan Kun", that is to say, the shape of the coat is an act of God, which is sacred and inviolable. Hanfu has also influenced the whole Chinese cultural circle through the Huaxia legal system, and some ethnic groups in Asian countries, such as Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Mongolia and Bhutan, have or learn from the characteristics of Hanfu.

From the Han Dynasty to the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, and then to the Tang, Song and Ming Dynasties, the style of Hanfu has been constantly updated and evolved, but what remains unchanged is the cultural connotation and etiquette system of the Han nationality represented by Hanfu.

In the Manuscript of Mawangdui Tomb No.3, there is the earliest record about Hanfu: "Jane 44' four beauties, two in Chufu, two in Hanfu'." Among them, "Hanfu" refers to the clothes worn by people in the Han Dynasty and the etiquette system behind them, that is, the crown service system recorded in Zhou Li, Yi Li, Li Ji and other places. "New Tang Shu Schumann" records: "Businessmen are Han people born and raised. The tribe is in the north of Tieqiao, and I don't know the migration date. First attack Hanfu, then join Zhu Rong customs. So far, the morning glow has wrapped my head, and the rest are no different. " "Hanfu" here refers to clothes worn by Han people.

"Liao History": "After Emperor Taizong of Liao entered Jin, both the emperor and the Nanban Han officials used Hanfu; The empress dowager and the courtiers in northern Khitan used national clothes, and their Hanfu was a legacy of the Five Dynasties and the Jin Dynasty. Hanfu, the Yellow Emperor began to make a coronation badge, and the later emperor used it as a sacrifice to enjoy. Huitong, Empress Dowager and Northern Courtiers are all national clothes; Emperor, Hanfu, a courtier in the south. After Ganheng, Libei also used Hanfu. After celebrating Xi, gifts are accompanied by Hanfu. "On the one hand, it shows that Hanfu, as a costume of the Han nationality, changed and developed in the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties after the Han Dynasty, on the other hand, it shows that the Liao emperors attached importance to Hanfu etiquette culture.

"Qing Bei Chao": "The golden destiny has its own destiny, and Taizong banned the people from Hanfu, making everyone bald." 1626, six years tomorrow, eleven years of Qing dynasty. After Nurhachi's death, his son Huang Taiji succeeded to the throne, forbidding people to wear Hanfu in the areas he ruled, and strictly requiring them to cut off their hair and change it into a braid of the late Jin Dynasty. In other words, the Qing dynasty banned the popularity of Hanfu before the witness, providing a governance sample for its future reunification of the Central Plains. It can be seen that Hanfu is a spiritual and cultural symbol of the Han nationality to a certain extent. On August 29th, A.D. 1645 (the ninth day of July in the second year of Qing Shunzhi), the Manchu regime issued an order to change clothes, stipulating that "since the officials and the people shaved their hair, they should wear clothes according to the system of the dynasty." Since then, the traditional costumes of the Han nationality, which experienced the founding of the Han Dynasty, the development of the Tang and Song Dynasties and the restoration of the Ming Dynasty, have gradually faded out of people's sight.

More interestingly, before Yuan Shikai proclaimed himself emperor, he and the people around him held ceremonies in Hanfu. Aside from Yuan Shikai's political conspiracy, on the other hand, it shows that during the more than 200 years of Manchu rule, Hanfu's influence on the Chinese nation has weakened, but it has never really withdrawn from the historical stage as a national spiritual and cultural symbol.

Hanfu movement existed for a period of time after the demise of Qing Dynasty, but it was more a cultural revival movement with intellectuals and young people as the main body, the return of Hanfu as the starting point and the goal of reviving Chinese culture at the beginning of this century, with the rise of China's national strength and the awakening of some people's sense of great power. Since the revival of Hanfu in 2003, skilled craftsmen have imitated and innovated a number of "modern" Hanfu in strict accordance with the Hanfu left by the ancients. Hanfu movement, as an important part of Chinese cultural renaissance, has developed from a minority group at the beginning to a large number of groups working together now. All walks of life, whether doctors, teachers, civil servants, student groups or businessmen, have "colleagues" who love Hanfu (now specifically refer to participants in Hanfu activities) and store them in major cities in China, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Wuhan and Xi 'an.

Now, not only is the national consciousness of Han people in the same robe awakened, but even people around them are deeply influenced and begin to accept and love their traditional costumes. They began to walk bravely in Hanfu, not afraid of strangers' eyes, just like Japanese walking in the street in kimono. Not only the Han people love Hanfu, but also many ethnic minorities know Hanfu and become its companions, which at least shows that the Chinese culture is very inclusive.

The ideal country of culture gives every poetic soul a place to live.