Hanfu – Han People’s Traditional Dress

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Hanfu – Han People’s Traditional Dress

Since ancient times, it has been commonly used for most social occasions in China. During the Han Dynasty in China, formal Hanfu costumes with long sleeves, broad and high necklines and wide collars were fashionable. These garments were worn by Han China’s emperors, vassals, and ministers. Throughout the Han Dynasty, Hanfu garments prospered as ceremonial costumes.

What does the term Hanfu mean?

The word “Hanfu,” often spelled “Fanfu” or “Hanfu,” is derived from the Chinese phrase “Hanyu,” which translates to “national garment.” The term “fu” refers to a kind of gown with one end left open, but the phrase “Han” means “emperor” in Han. The phrase hanfu refers to the traditional apparel of Chinese emperors, known as the mandarin dress.

The full name for this garment is “traditional Han nationality costume,” abbreviated to “Hanfu.” Han Yiguan, Han Zhuang, and Huafu are other names for it. It flourished in the Han heartlands throughout the late Ming and early Qing, with the “Huaxia-Han” culture serving as the dominant background and philosophy. Looking  for hanfu clothing? Here is a website such as store.newhanfu.com where you can find various hanfu dresses at affordable prices.

The Hanfu Garment’s Evolution

Emperors often wore hanfu dresses when they left the palace for events like attending ceremonies, traveling to faraway lands, or making speeches in front of their people.

The Chinese ceremonial culture served as the key influence in establishing the unique fashion and personality of the Han nationality, which is noticeably different from the traditional clothing and accessory system of other races, via a natural evolution process.

Categories for Hanfu

1. Formal Occasion Dresses or Lifu

The phrase “lifu” refers to the traditional Chinese ceremonial garment used for formal meetings, ceremonies, and other significant any social occasions. Depending on the importance of the occasion, it may be divided into two categories: Large formal dresses and small formal dresses.

Large Formal Dresses

Wedding Ceremony Dresses: Han, Tang, and Ming Traditional Wedding Dress

Coming of Age Ceremony Dresses:The Guan Li, also known as the Bianfu or Gongfu Dress for boys, and the Ji Li, also known as the Shenyi or Dashan Dress for women, are two dresses used at the Coming of Age Ceremony.

Dresses for Graduation Ceremonies: Degree uniforms are classified into bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees. The degree crown, which is black and fashioned like a Bian; the degree coma; the degree collar, which comes in six different colors; the degree dress, which may be Shenyi or Xuanduan; the degree dress sign; and western-style leather shoes are all part of each degree’s uniform.

Sacrificial Rite Dresses: The Xuanduan and Ming-style Ji Fu for men, while female sacrificial rite attire includes the Tuanyi. A dark blue Yi, a scarlet Chang, and a Liang Guan are the components of a Ji Fu in the Ming style. The Shenyi Zhi has a crimson edge and is constructed of black cloth, whereas the Zhongyi is basic and white with a black backdrop.

Dresses for Funeral Services: The phrase “Sang Fu,” often written “Xiaofu,” refers to the clothes worn by close relatives of the dead during the burial ceremony, and the clothing they wear is decided by their degree of affinity with the person who died.

Sang Fu is separated into five classes based on the quality of artistry and the cycle duration: Zhancui, Zicui, Dagong, Xiaogong, and Sima. Even though Sang Fu has evolved and mutated from ancient times to the present, it has retained its original personalization.

Xiao Lifu or Small Formal Dresses

It is a dress for formal social gatherings such as banquets, festivals, and other cultural events. Chang Lifu, or traditional ceremonial attire, is another type of garment.

2. Dress for a Casual Occasion or Chang Fu

The name “Changfu” refers to Hanfu clothing suitable for daily work and usage at home. The primary responsibility is to work in both corporate and casual wear.

3. Gongwu Dresses

Gongwu refers to the clothing used in sports like archery, horseback riding events, and martial arts tournaments.

 

4. Monk’s Dresses, also known as Sengdo Costumes

After Buddhism was introduced to China, the practice gradually evolved into a more Chinese flavor. The Hanfu serves as the primary inspiration for daily clothing, with little tweaks here and there. On the other hand, the ceremonial garb remains unchanged from that worn by Indian monks.

Taoism was China’s traditional religion, and the apparel was almost identical to conventional Hanfu, with the difference that the patterns were more Taoist in character. Taiji and Bagua designs, for example, were painted on robes.

5. Public Display Dresses

Refers to hanfu worn during performances; it varies in shape from hanfu worn every day and is distinguished by the purpose of stage impression.

Various performance outfits made in the shape of a Hanfu and used as part of stage fashion have been excluded from Hanfu’s scope. This category includes things such as dancewear and Chinese opera costumes.

6. Derivative Dresses

Derivative dresses are any costumes that are either directly inspired from the Hanfu’s essential components or exhibit Hanfu-specific qualities. Derivative dresses are no longer a part of the Hanfu and hence cannot be considered a component of the Hanfu. Derivative clothes include outfits from movies, television shows, comic novels, video games, and even the Han element.

The Fundamental Hanfu Structure

The hanfu is made from a 50-centimeter-wide piece of cloth cut into multiple parts. These are the labels for these sections: Ling (collar), Jin (placket), Ren (overlap), Jin, Ju, Xiu (sleeves), Mei, Dai (belt), Fu, and so on.

Hanfu Style & Fashion

One piece of hanfu may be divided into categories, which are as follows:

• Underwear (neiyi)
• Outwear (Waiyi or Zhongyi)
• Hat & Headdress (Zhaoshan or Shoufu)
• Socks and Shoes(Zuyi)
• Accessories

Hanfu in the Modern Era

Even though the historical ranking system is no longer in use in contemporary society, the ancient dress culture that inspired the Hanfu must be preserved. Based on the clothing etiquette demands of most people in each bygone age, certain historical outfits are picked and combined into the current Hanfu system (i.e., the old scholar and citizen class). For example, costumes for Guan Ji Li and weddings are based on the core principles of the Ming Dynasty’s rituals, while informal outfits are based on apparel worn during the late Ming Dynasty.