The emperor Tang Gaozu in his yuanlingshan and putou hat

Han Chinese clothing or Hanfu (traditional Chinese: 漢服; simplified Chinese: 汉服; Hanyu Pinyin: hànfú; Wade-Giles: han4fu2), also known as Hanzhuang (漢裝) or Huafu (華服) (the layperson almost always use the term guzhuang (古裝) which means "ancient clothing") refers to the historical clothing of the Han Chinese people, that was typically worn before conquest by the Manchus and the establishment of the Qing Dynasty in 1644. The term Hanfu derives from the Book of Han, which says, "then many came to the Court to pay homage and were delighted at the clothing style of the Han [Chinese]." ^[1] This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Categories: China-related stubs | Tang Dynasty emperors ... Traditional Chinese characters refers to one of two standard sets of printed Chinese characters. ... Simplified Chinese character (Simplified Chinese: or ; traditional Chinese: or ; pinyin: or ) is one of two standard sets of Chinese characters of the contemporary Chinese written language. ... Pinyin (拼音, Pīnyīn) literally means join (together) sounds (a less literal translation being phoneticize, spell or transcription) in Chinese and usually refers to Hànyǔ Pīnyīn (汉语拼音, literal meaning: Han language pinyin), which is a system of... Wade-Giles, sometimes abbreviated Wade, is a Romanization (phonetic notation and transliteration) system for the Chinese language based on Mandarin. ... A layperson is someone who is not a clergyman/clergywoman or (other meaning) who is not a professional person. ... Clothing protects the vulnerable nude human body from the extremes of weather, other features of our environment, and for safety reasons. ... Language(s) Chinese languages Religion(s) Predominantly Taoism, Mahayana Buddhism, traditional Chinese religions, and atheism. ... The Manchu people (Manchu: Manju; Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: , Mongolian: Манж) are a Tungusic people who originated in Manchuria (todays Northeastern China). ... Flag (1890-1912) Anthem Gong Jinou (1911) Qing China at its greatest extent. ... // Events February to August - Explorer Abel Tasmans second expedition for the Dutch East India Company maps the north coast of Australia. ... The Book of Han (Chinese: 漢書/汉书) is a classic Chinese historical writing covering the history of Western Han from 206 BC to 25. ...

Han Chinese clothing is presently worn only as a part of historical reenactment, hobby, coming of age/rite of passage ceremonies, ceremonial clothing worn by religious priests, or cultural exercise and can be frequently seen on Chinese television series, films and other forms of media entertainment. However, there is currently a movement in China and overseas Chinese communities to revive Han Chinese clothing in everyday life and incorporate in Chinese festivals or celebration. For other uses, see Coming of Age (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Rite of passage (disambiguation). ... A television program is the content of television broadcasting. ... Film may refer to: photographic film a motion picture in academics, the study of motion pictures as an art form a thin skin or membrane, or any covering or coating, whether transparent or opaque a thin layer of liquid, either on a solid or liquid surface or free-standing Film... A stilt-walker entertaining shoppers at a shopping centre in Swindon, England Entertainment is an event, performance, or activity designed to give pleasure or relaxation to an audience (although, for example, in the case of a computer game the audience may be only one person). ... A group of Hanfu enthusiasts on a busy street in China. ...

Some costumes commonly thought of as typically Chinese, such as the qipao, are the result of influence by brutal laws (Queue Order) imposed by Manchurian rulers of the Qing Dynasty, and are regarded by some advocates as not being "traditionally" Han. Technically, the Qing dynasty and afterwards would be considered modern China, so the qipao would be modern clothing and not traditional. Today, most Han Chinese wear western-style clothing in everyday life. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Queue Order (Traditional Chinese: 剃髮令; Simplified Chinese: 剃发令; Pinyin: Tī Fà Lìng) was a series of laws violently imposed by the Manchu invaders of China. ... Flag (1890-1912) Anthem Gong Jinou (1911) Qing China at its greatest extent. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Many East Asian and Southeast Asian national costumes, like the Japanese kimono, the Korean hanbok and the Vietnamese áo dài and áo tứ thân, all show influences from Hanfu, as historically these countries were part of the Sinosphere. East Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... Faroese folk dance club with some members in national costumes National costume, also known as national dress, regional costume or folk dress, expresses an identity through costume which usually relates to a geographic area, but can also indicate social, marital and/or religious status. ... A traditional wedding kimono The kimono literally something worn) is the national costume of Japan. ... Hanbok (한복) (South Korea) or chosŏn-ot (조선옷) (North Korea) is the traditional Korean dress. ... World Leaders attending the APEC 2006 Summit in Hanoi dressed in áo dài. ... 1800s Northern Vietnamese woman dressed in Áo tứ thân, with the Non Quai Thao hat characteristic of North Vietnam The Áo tứ thân or “4-part dress” is one out of several traditional Vietnamese costumes. ... Greater China, Singapore, and countries culturally linked to Chinese culture. ...

History

An early portrait of Confucius showing him in Hanfu of the Spring and Autumn Period of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty.

Taoist priests celebrating a ritual. Although rarely wore in everyday life, Hanfu remains an important part of the religions of China and its culture, such as Taoism (Daoism).

Taoist priests and priestesses

Hanfu has a history of more than three millennia, and is said to have been worn by the legendary Yellow Emperor. From the beginning of its history, Hanfu (especially in elite circles) was inseparable from silk, supposedly discovered by the Yellow Emperor’s consort, Leozu. The first solidly historical dynasty known of in China, the Shang Dynasty (c.1600 BC-1000 BC), developed the rudiments of Hanfu; it consisted of a yi, a narrow-cuffed, knee-length tunic tied with a sash, and a narrow, ankle-length skirt, called shang, worn with a bixi, a length of fabric that reached the knees. Vivid primary colours and green were used, due to the degree of technology at the time. Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Confucius (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Kung-fu-tzu), lit. ... The Spring and Autumn Period (Chinese: ; Pinyin: ) was a period in Chinese history, which roughly corresponds to the first half of the Eastern Zhou dynasty (from the second half of the 8th century BC to the first half of the 5th century). ... Alternative meaning: Zhou Dynasty (690 CE - 705 CE) The Zhou Dynasty (周朝; Wade-Giles: Chou Dynasty) (late 10th century BC to late 9th century BC - 256 BC) followed the Shang (Yin) Dynasty and preceded the Qin Dynasty in China. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Taoism (or Daoism) is the English name referring to a variety of related Chinese philosophical traditions and concepts. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (768 × 1,024 pixels, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (768 × 1,024 pixels, file size: 1. ... Yellow Emperor The Yellow Emperor or Huang Di (Traditional Chinese: , Simplified Chinese: , pinyin: huángdì) is a legendary Chinese sovereign and cultural hero who is said to be the ancestor of all Han Chinese. ... For other uses of this word, see Silk (disambiguation). ... // For other uses, see Dynasty (disambiguation). ... Remnants of advanced, stratified societies dating back to the Shang period have been found in the Yellow River Valley. ...

The dynasty to follow the Shang, the Western Zhou Dynasty, established a strict hierarchical society that used clothing as a status meridian, and inevitably, the height of one’s rank influenced the ornateness of a costume. Such markers included the length of a skirt, the wideness of a sleeve and the degree of ornamentation. In addition to these class-oriented developments, the Hanfu became looser, with the introduction of wide sleeves and jade decorations hung from the sash which served to keep the yi closed. The yi was essentially wrapped over, in a style known as jiaoling youren, or wrapping the right side over before the left, because of the initially greater challenge to the right-handed wearer (the Chinese discouraged left-handedness like many other historical cultures, considering it unnatural and unfortunate). Alternative meaning: Zhou Dynasty (690 CE - 705 CE) The Zhou Dynasty (周朝; Wade-Giles: Chou Dynasty) (late 10th century BC to late 9th century BC - 256 BC) followed the Shang (Yin) Dynasty and preceded the Qin Dynasty in China. ...

In the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, the "deep robe" (shenyi) appeared a combination of tunic and skirt. The upper and lower halves were cut separately but sewn as a single unit. An additional change was the shaping of the left side of the costume into a corner, fastened on the chest. Perhaps because of Confucian influence, disapproving of a hierarchical society in favour of social mobility based on personal merit, the shenyi was swiftly adopted. There still existed an elite however, and they monopolised the more ornate fabrics and grandiose details. Alternative meaning: Zhou Dynasty (690 CE - 705 CE) The Zhou Dynasty (周朝; Wade-Giles: Chou Dynasty) (late 10th century BC to late 9th century BC - 256 BC) followed the Shang (Yin) Dynasty and preceded the Qin Dynasty in China. ...

Garments

The style of Han Chinese clothing can be summarized as containing garment elements that are arranged in distinctive and sometime specific ways. This maybe different from the traditional garment of other ethnic groups in China, most notably the Manchurian influenced Chinese clothes, the qipao, which is popularily considered to be the sole style of tradition Chinese garb. A comparison of the two styles can be seen as follows: Approximate extent Northeast China (Simplified Chinese: 东北; Traditional Chinese: 東北; pinyin: Dōngběi; literally east-north), historically known as Manchuria, is the name of a region (ca. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Shenyi (深衣) a type of Han Chinese clothing commonly worn from the pre-Shang periods to the Han Dynasty. This form is known as the quju (曲裾) and worn primarily by women.

A group of older Chinese Taoist priests

A complete Hanfu garment is assembled from several pieces of clothing into an attire: Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

• Yi (衣): Any open cross-collar garment, and worn by both sexes
• Pao (袍): Any closed full-body garment, worn only by men in Hanfu
• Ru (襦): Open cross-collar shirt
• Shan (衫): Open cross-collar shirt or jacket that is worn over the yi
• Qun (裙) or shang (裳): Skirt for women and men, respectively
• Ku (褲): Trousers or pants

People are also able to accessorize with tassels and jade pendants or various ornaments hung from the belt or sash, known as pei (珮).

Hats and headwear

On top of the garments, hats (for men) or hairpieces (for women) maybe worn. One can often tell the profession or social rank of someone by what they wear on their heads. The typical male hat or cap is called a jin (巾) for commoners and guan (冠) for the privileged. Officials and academics have a separate set of hats for them, typically the putou (幞頭), the wushamao (烏紗帽) and the si-fang pingding jin (四方平定巾; or simply, fangjin: 方巾). A typical hairpiece for women is a ji (笄) but there are more elaborate hairpieces.

Style

Another type of Han Chinese Shenyi (深衣) commonly worn from the pre-Shang periods to the Han Dynasty. This form is known as the zhiju (直裾) and worn primarily by men

Han-Chinese clothing had changed and evolved with the fashion of the days since its commonly assumed beginnings in the Shang dynasty. Many of the earlier designs are more gender-neutral and simple in cuttings. Later garments incorporate multiple pieces with men commonly wearing pants and women commonly wearing skirts. Clothing for women usually accentuates the body's natural curves through wrapping of upper garment lapels or binding with sashes at the waist. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 354 pixelsFull resolution (2626 × 1162 pixel, file size: 171 KB, MIME type: image/png) Author: User:Sjschen, Source: Self-created, Free for all to use, on the condition of acknowledgement. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 354 pixelsFull resolution (2626 × 1162 pixel, file size: 171 KB, MIME type: image/png) Author: User:Sjschen, Source: Self-created, Free for all to use, on the condition of acknowledgement. ... Remnants of advanced, stratified societies dating back to the Shang period have been found in the Yellow River Valley. ...

Informal wear

Types include tops (yi) and bottoms (divided further into pants and skirts for both genders, with different terminologies qun for females and shang for males), and one-piece robes that wrap around the body once or several times (shenyi).

• Shenyi (深衣): a long full body garment

• Quju (曲裾): diagonal body wrapping
• Zhiju (直裾): straight lapels

• Zhongyi (中衣) or zhongdan (中單): inner garments
• Shanqun (衫裙): a short coat with a long skirt
• Ruqun (襦裙): a top garment with a separate lower garment or skirt
• Kuzhe (褲褶): a short coat with trousers

Two traditional forms of ruqun (襦裙), a type of Han Chinese clothing worn by women. Cuffs and sleeves on the upper garment may be tighter or looser depending on style. A short skirt or a weighted braid (with weight provided by a jade or gold pendant) is sometimes worn to improve aesthetics or comfort of the basic ruqun.

A typical set of Hanfu can consist of two or three layers. The first layer of clothing is mostly the zhongyi (中衣) which is typical the inner garment much like the Western sense of a T-shirt and pants. The next layer is the main layer of clothing which is mostly closed at the front. There can be an optional third layer which is often an overcoat called a zhaoshan which is open at the front. More complicated sets of Hanfu can have many more layers. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 258 pixelsFull resolution (3608 × 1162 pixel, file size: 281 KB, MIME type: image/png) Author: User:Sjschen, Source: Self-created, Free for all to use, on the condition of acknowledgement. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 258 pixelsFull resolution (3608 × 1162 pixel, file size: 281 KB, MIME type: image/png) Author: User:Sjschen, Source: Self-created, Free for all to use, on the condition of acknowledgement. ...

For footwear, white socks and black cloth shoes (with white soles) are the norm, but in the past, shoes may have a front face panel attached to the tip of the shoes. Daoists, Buddhists and Confucians may have white stripe chevrons. Look up Socks in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... shoe for right foot A shoe is a piece of footwear for humans, less than a boot and more than a slipper. ... For other uses of the words tao and dao, see Dao (disambiguation). ... A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. It had subsequently been accepted by... Confucianism (儒家 Pinyin: rújiā The School of the Scholars), sometimes translated as the School of Literati, is an East Asian ethical, religious and philosophical system originally developed from the teachings of Confucius. ... Chevron may refer to: Chevron, a V-shaped pattern seen in military or police insigna, heraldry, flag design, and architectural frets Chevron, a series of bones on the underside of the tail of reptiles Chevron Corporation, a petrochemical company Chevron Cars, an advertising campaign of the Chevron Corporation including stylized...

Semi-formal wear

A piece of Hanfu can be "made semi-formal" by the addition of the following appropriate items:

• Bixi (蔽膝): long front cloth panel attached from the waist belt
• Zhaoshan (罩衫): long open fronted coat
• Guan or any formal hats

Generally, this form of wear is suitable for meeting guests or going to meetings and other special cultural days.

Men and women in xuanduan formal wear at a Confucian ceremony in China.

Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A Confucian temple in Wuwei, Peoples Republic of China. ...

Formal wear

In addition to informal and semi-formal wear, there is a form of dress that is worn only at certain special occasions (like important sacrifices or religious activities) or by special people who are entitled to wear them (such as officials and emperors).

Formal garments may include:

• Xuanduan (玄端): a very formal dark robe; equivalent to the Western black tie or white tie
• Daopao/Fusha (道袍/彿裟): Taoist/Buddhist priests' full dress ceremonial robes
• Yuanlingshan (圓領衫), lanshan (襴衫) or panlingpao (盤領袍): closed, round collared robe; mostly used for official or academical dress
• Mianfu (冕服): official dress for emperors

The most formal Hanfu that one can wear is the xuanduan (sometimes called yuanduan 元端 ^[2]), which consists of a black top garment that runs to the knees with long sleeve (often with white piping), a bottom red chang, a red bixi (which can have a motif and/or be edged in black), an optional white belt with two white streamers hanging from the side or slightly to the front called peishou (佩綬) (like adding a white bow tie on a Western dinner suit to convert it to a full evening suit), and a long black guan. Additionally, wearers may carry a jade gui (圭) or a long wooden tablet (used when greeting royalty). This form of dress is mostly used in sacrificial ceremonies such as Ji Tian (祭天) and Ji Zu (祭祖), etc. Formal wear (more often in the United States) or formal dress (in the United Kingdom) is a general fashion term used to describe clothing suitable for formal events, including weddings, debutante cotillions, etc. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Formal evening dress is more strictly regulated than other forms of dress, and properly consists of: Black tailcoat with silk (ribbed or satin) facings, sharply cut-away at the front Black trousers with a single stripe of satin or braid in the US or two stripes in Europe White stiff... One option to tie a bowtie The bowtie is a mens fashion accessory, popularly worn with other formal attire, such as suits. ... Roger Moore as James Bond in his trademark dinner jacket. ... Prince Phillip and President George W. Bush in white tie, in company of Laura Bush and Queen Elizabeth II, during the Queens 2007 U.S. visit. ... Tian (Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: tien; literally heaven, heavens; god, gods) is one of the oldest Chinese terms for God and a keyword in Chinese mythology, philosophy, and religion. ... Ancestor worship, also ancestor veneration, is a religious practice based on the belief that ones ancestors possess supernatural powers. ...

Ethnic identity

According to Tang Dynasty scholar Kong Yingda's official commentary to Zuo Zhuan and Shang Shu, Chinese clothing plays an important role in the Chinese ethnic identity. It says, "In China, there is the grandeur of rites and social conduct; that is why it is called Xia (夏). There is the beauty of dress and decoration; this is called Hua (華) ^[3]." The words Hua and Xia combine to form the word Huaxia (華夏), which is a name that is often used to represent the Chinese civilisation. ^{[4] [5]} For the band, see Tang Dynasty (band). ... The Zuo Zhuan (Chinese: ; Wade-Giles: Tso Chuan) is the earliest Chinese work of narrative history and covers the period from 722 BCE to 468 BCE. It was traditionally attributed to Zuo Qiuming, as a commentary to the Spring and Autumn Annals, although many scholars believe it was an independent... The Classic of History (Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Shuching) is a compilation of documentary records related to events in ancient history of China. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

Gallery

See also

• Hanfu movement
• Culture of China
• Chinese academic dress
• Qipao
• Kimono
• National costume
• Guan Li
• Ming official headwear
• Mandarin square
• Hanbok
• Áo dài, Áo gấm, Áo tứ thân (and other Vietnamese traditional dress)
• Queue Order

A group of Hanfu enthusiasts on a busy street in China. ... For contemporary culture after 1949, see Culture of the Peoples Republic of China. ... The academic dress of China has a long history. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A traditional wedding kimono The kimono literally something worn) is the national costume of Japan. ... Faroese folk dance club with some members in national costumes National costume, also known as national dress, regional costume or folk dress, expresses an identity through costume which usually relates to a geographic area, but can also indicate social, marital and/or religious status. ... The Guan Li (冠禮) is the Chinese coming of age ceremony. ... The headwear of a Han Chinese official during Ming Dynasty China consisted of a black hat with two wing-like flaps (small thin oval boards) on each side. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... Hanbok (한복) (South Korea) or chosŏn-ot (조선옷) (North Korea) is the traditional Korean dress. ... World Leaders attending the APEC 2006 Summit in Hanoi dressed in áo dài. ... 1800s Northern Vietnamese woman dressed in Áo tứ thân, with the Non Quai Thao hat characteristic of North Vietnam The Áo tứ thân or “4-part dress” is one out of several traditional Vietnamese costumes. ... Actor Jet Li wearing the Imperial Queue hairstyle in a movie The queue (or cue) was a specific hairstyle worn by the Manchus of central Manchuria and later the Chinese, in China. ...

Notes

1. ^ 《漢書》云：『後數來朝賀，樂漢衣服制度。』
2. ^ Xu, Zhongguo Gudai Lisu Cidian, p. 7.
3. ^ 孔穎達 《春秋左傳正義‧定公‧卷五十六‧傳十年》注疏云：『中國有禮儀之大，故稱夏；有服章之美，謂之華。』
4. ^ 孔穎達 《尚書正義》注疏云：『冕服華章曰華，大國曰夏。華夏，謂中國也。』
5. ^ 《唐律名例疏義釋義》有言：『中華者，中國也，親被正教，自屬中國，衣冠威儀，習俗孝悌，居身禮義，故謂之中華。』

References

• Zhou Xibao (1984), 【中國古代服飾史】 Zhongguo Gudai Fushi Shi (History of Ancient Chinese Costume), Beijing: Zhongguo Xiju.
• Zhou, Xun; Gao, Chunming; The Chinese Costumes Research Group (1984), 5000 Years of Chinese Costume, Hong Kong: The Commercial Press. ISBN 9620750217
• 許嘉璐 Xu Jialu (1991), 【中國古代禮俗辭典】 Zhongguo Gudai Lisu Cidian (Dictionary of Rituals and Customs of Ancient China).
• 沈從文 Shen Congwen (1999, 2006), 【中國古代服飾研究】 Zhongguo Gudai Fushi Yanjiu (Researches on Ancient Chinese Costumes), Shanghai: Shanghai Century Publishing Group. ISBN 7-80678-329-6
• 黃能馥, 陳娟娟 Huang Nengfu and Chen Juanjuan (1999), 【中華歷代服飾藝術】 Zhonghua Lidai Fushi Yishu (The Art of Chinese Clothing Through the Ages), Beijing.
• 華梅 Hua, Mei (2004), 【古代服飾】 Gudai Fushi (Ancient Costume), Beijing: Wenmu Chubanshe. ISBN 7-5010-1472-8

External links

• History of Hanfu (Chinese)
• CCTV-10 [探索‧发现(穿在身上的历史)]: History of Chinese Clothing. part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6. (Chinese)
• Additional info
• Large Gallery of Hanfu
• Samples of Han Fu (Traditional Chinese Clothing)
• The distinction between Hanfu and Japanese kimono (Chinese)
• Toronto Association for the Revival of Hanfu (Chinese)
• Phoenix TV: Submission for a Proposal on Hanfu dress for the 2008 Chinese Olympics to the China Olympics Committee (Chinese)
• [開講天下] Television debate on whether the Western suit, Tangzhuang or Hanfu is to be appropriate for the Chinese Olympics. part 1, part 2, part 3 (Chinese)
• Phases of Han Fu through different dynasties[1]