#because 中 also represents china. so china = red dragon

[wwjjchinese]

5 Types of Traditional Chinese Clothing & Dress

The story of clothing is one of the fascinating developments in human history. Each country in the world has its unique traditional costumes, which can identify specific histories and cultures and enable people to distinguish different citizens.

China is a country with a long history, and many ethnic minorities have their own national culture. The mutual influence of these different cultures has created rich textures and fabrics in history, which has brought about significant changes and glories in Chinese clothing.

Chinese traditional costumes were formed and developed under the interaction between the outside world and China's own dynastic traditions.

Each Dynasty had different boundaries, social values, social norms, etc. As a result, many aesthetic standards were based on the circumstances of a particular dynasty (social, geographical, economic, political). This is the main reason why there are so many styles of traditional Chinese dress.

5 kinds of traditional Chinese clothing

Before we explore the world of traditional Chinese clothing, it is necessary to learn the five most classic categories. They are Hanfu, Cheongsam, Tang Zhuang, Zhongshan Zhuang, and ethnic customs.

Each category has its own production process, and there are significant differences between different types or when the same model is compared at different times.

This article will briefly introduce each category. By reading the following, we can build the basic framework of traditional Chinese clothing.

The name of Hanfu comes from Chinese, which means "clothes of the Han people" and includes all types and styles of traditional clothing worn by the Han people.

The common ancestor of the Han people in Huaxia. Huaxia is the name of the original alliance of agricultural tribes in the Yellow River valley. The term Huaxia represents a corporate alliance of neolithic farming tribes, Hua and Xia, who lived in the central plains in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River in northern China.

Hanfu, like its definition, was born at the beginning of the development history of the Han people. Therefore, it has the most extended history among all the traditional Chinese clothing.

1, Historical Hanfu

Hanfu has a history of more than 3,000 years. From its history, Hanfu has been inextricably linked with silk, which is said to have been discovered by the Yellow Emperor's wife, Leizu.

From the Yellow Emperor (2969-2598 BC) to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644 BC), Hanfu dominated China's fashion world.

Each Dynasty had its own style and aesthetics. Such as the pre-qin period "Shenyi"; your clothes from the Qin and Han dynasties; Tiaowenjiansequn of the Wei dynasty; Bambi in Sui and Tang dynasties.

Some clothes were trendy in different dynasties, some were just a flash in the pan. In both cases, all Hanfu evolved and influenced each other to some extent.

Although there are many styles of Hanfu, each can be assembled with a suit of clothes.

Yi (衣) any open cross-collar garment, and worn by both sexes

Pao (袍) any closed full-body garment, worn only by men

Ru (襦) open cross-collar shirt

Shan (衫) open cross-collar shirt or jacket that is worn over the Yi

Qun (裙) or Chang (裳) skirt for women and men

Ku (裈) trousers or pants

 Follows are the introduction of some Hanfu styles.

Zhongyi (中衣) or Zhongdan (中单)  inner garments, mostly white cotton or silk

Shanqun (衫裙)   a short coat with a long skirt

Ruqun (襦裙)  a top clothing with a separate lower garment or skirt

Kuzhe (裤褶)  a short coat with trousers

Zhiduo/Zhishen (直裰/直身)   a Ming Dynasty style robe, similar to a Shenyi but with vents at the side and “stitched sleeves” (eg, the sleeve cuff is closed save a small opening for the hand to go through)

Daopao/Fusha (道袍/彿裟)  Taoist/Buddhist priests’ full-dress ceremonial robes

Xuanduan (玄端)   a very formal dark robe; equivalent to the Western white tie

Shenyi (深衣)   a long whole-body garment

Quju (曲裾)  diagonal body wrapping

Zhiju (直裾)   straight lapels

Yuanlingshan (圆领衫), Lanshan (襕衫) or Panlingpao (盘领袍): closed, round-collared robe; mostly used for official or academical dress

reference wiki

2. Cheongsam or Qipao

The cheongsam is a kind of traditional dress, its history can be traced back to the 17th century. It is Manchu tights with distinctive Chinese characteristics. In the 1920s and 1930s, it was known as the "Mandas dress" and became popular among upper-class women in Shanghai.

The history of the cheongsam

In the qing dynasty, the Manchu, not the Han, ruled China. The rulers used an administrative division called the eight flags system. At first, only Manchu families were organized in the order, but above them were Mongols and Han Chinese.

The Manchus and anyone living under the eight banners wore clothes different from those of ordinary people. The garment is made up of robes similar to those of men and women and is called a robe.

For a time, under the laws of the Dynasty after 1636, and all Han Chinese had to wear Manchu men's hair, line up, and wear Manchu robes instead of traditional Han dress, or else they were sentenced to death.

In the 19th century, however, it was common for women to wear cheongsam voluntarily on both formal and casual occasions.

Today, the cheongsam is known for its exotic but straightforward lines and has inspired many foreign film adaptations. It is prevalent because it suits the figure of Chinese women very well; the line is simple, looks very elegant. Suitable for young and old people to wear throughout the year.

Modern women do not wear cheongsam as their daily wear. It is now only worn for formal occasions, such as weddings, parties, and beauty pageants. It is also used as a uniform by some Chinese restaurants, hotels, and airlines.

In China, cheongsam is usually a red wedding dress. Cheongsam is generally embroidered with exquisite gold and silver patterns. Brides in southern China wear a cheongsam or a two-piece makeover with elaborate golden dragons and phoenixes. Dragon and phoenix are the traditional wedding patterns favored by Chinese brides today.

3. Tang Suit

Tang suit, also translated as Tangzhuang, is often referred to as a modern Chinese jacket rather than a Tang dynasty.

Origin of name

Although the Tang suit is not the costume of the Tang dynasty, it has a particular relationship with the Tang dynasty. The Tang dynasty was one of the most prosperous periods in Chinese history. Therefore, people often use "Tang" to refer to traditional Chinese culture. For example, Chinatowns in the US or UK are also known as "Chinatown (Tang people street)".

Tang suit, as the name of Chinatown, represents a kind of dress with deep Chinese traditional culture.

Tang Suit History

The history of the Tang suit can be traced back to the early 20th century (late Qing dynasty). It is a combination of Manchu jacket elements and western jacket elements.

The Chinese government released a new unified system in 1929. Under this new system, the Tang suit became a kind of formal dress for Chinese men. Also around 1929, the media all over the world start to extensive reports and the introduction to the Tang suit. People all over the world began to think of the Tang suit as one of the most typical traditional Chinese clothes.

In recent years, with the diversification of Tang suit styles and production techniques, the Tang suit is becoming more and more popular not only In China but also in the world.

Tang suit appeared in many international events. In 2001, the Asia-pacific economic cooperation (APEC) meeting, all the leaders wore Tang suit, blue, bright red, and with China's national flower peony circular design. Besides, the Tang suit also appeared in the 2008 Olympic Games and some of the World Trade Organization meeting.

Also, Tang suit elements have appeared in many famous Kungfu films and TV series. Thanks to the joint efforts of designers and the cultural industry, the influence of the Tang suit has spread further and further.

4. Zhongshan Suit

The modern Chinese tunic suit is a style of male attire known initially in China as the Zhongshan suit (after Sun Yet-Sen, also called Sun Zhongshan), and later as the Mao suit (after Mao Zedong).

Sun yat-sen introduced the style as a form of national costume in China shortly after the founding of the Republic of China, despite its obvious political and later governmental implications. He designed the suit based on the uniforms of Japanese military cadets.

The suit is also said to have cultural connotations, with four pockets representing the four great virtues of Chinese culture: propriety, righteousness, honesty and shame, and five buttons representing five branches of the Chinese government.

History of the Zhongshan Suit

When the Republic of China was founded in 1912, China's style of dress was based on Manchu clothing (cheongsam and Changshan), which the Qing dynasty imposed as a form of social control.

The majority of Han Chinese revolutionaries who overthrew the Qing were fueled by the failure of the Qing to defend China and a lack of scientific advancement compared to the West. Even before the founding of the Republic, older forms of Chinese dress were becoming unpopular among the elite. They led to the development of Chinese dress which combined the changshan and the Western hat to form a new dress. The Zhongshan suit is a similar development that combined Western and Eastern fashions.

Most of the Han revolutionaries overthrew the Qing government because it failed to defend China and lack of scientific progress compared to the West. Even before the founding of the republic, the old Chinese dress had become unpopular among the elite, which led to the development of Chinese dress, which combined the Changshan with the western hat to form a new dress. Zhongshan suit is a similar development that combines western and eastern fashions.

The Zhongshan suit remains the standard dress for the first and second generation of leaders of the People's Republic of China, including Deng Xiaoping. In the 1990s, as more and more Chinese politicians began to wear traditional western-style suits and ties, leaders of general secretary Jiang Zemin's generation began to wear them less and less frequently.

Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao, and Xi Jinping only wear Zhongshan suits for special occasions, such as essential banquets or the 2019 celebration of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Hu Jintao even showed up to a black-tie state dinner in the United States wearing a business suit, attracting some criticism for being underdressed at a formal occasion. In the Xi Jinping administration, however, the Zhongshan suit made a comeback as a diplomatic uniform and evening dress.

 5. Ethnic Minorities

Japan, Korea, France, Greece, and other countries are nation-states. China has been a multi-ethnic country since ancient times.

China's ethnic minorities are the non-Han population of China. China officially recognizes 55 ethnic minorities except the Han. As of 2010, the officially recognized ethnic minority population accounted for 8.49% of the mainland's population.

The degree of difference among ethnic groups is inconsistent. Many ethnic groups have been described as having unique characteristics with other ethnic minorities and the Han. Still, some are very similar to the Han majority. The vast majority of Hui are indistinguishable from Han Chinese except that they are Muslim, and most Manchus are considered primarily integrated into the dominant Han Chinese society.

There are 55 ethnic minorities, including Mongolian, Hui, Tibetan, Uygur, Miao, Yi, Zhuang, Dai and etc.

In terms of minority costumes, there are significant differences among ethnic groups due to the influence of geography, culture, history, and other factors.

Features of the ethnic minority clothing

The characteristic feature of minority clothing is colorful, exquisite, and distinctive. Every aspect of their clothing, such as raw materials, textile technology, fashion, and decoration, retains distinct national and local characteristics.

The Hezhen people lived mainly by fishing and used to make fishskin clothes. The Oroque and Ewenki, hunting nationalities, used roe skin and animal tendon to make their clothes

The Mongolians, Tibetans, Kazakstan, Khalkhases, Yugurs, etc., who are mainly engaged in stockbreeding, make their apparel mostly from animal skin and hair. Moreover, the agricultural minorities usually use locally produced cotton or twine as raw material for weaving and clothing

The technology of weaving, tanning, and felting has a long history in ethnic minorities. For example, the kapok cloth of Li nationality, the wool fabric of Tibetan nationality, the Adelie silk of Uygur nationality, the furs of Oroqen, and so on have been enjoying the world reputation.

The costume designs and forms of China's ethnic minorities are varied. Generally speaking, there are two categories: long dresses and short dresses. People usually wear hats and boots with long skirts and headgear and shoes with short clothes.

The robe comes in many forms: the Mongolian, Manchu, and Tu people wear a high-necked forward style. Tibetan wear no collar inclined forward.

The tilted-front style worn by the Uygur and other ethnic minorities. And so on. As for short clothes, there are two kinds: trousers and skirts.

The costumes of ethnic minorities not only vary significantly according to different nationalities but also have different branches and different regions within the same nationality. Differences can be seen from province to province, from county to county, and even from village to village. Clothing is the most visible symbol of a nation. Historically, many countries were named after their clothing.

 7 key changes to traditional Chinese clothing

5 categories of traditional Chinese clothing are introduced. In general, each of these can be identified by 7 key changes.

1, In design, traditional Chinese clothing is usually straight cut, loose shape. Also, the overall harmony of the dress is also emphasized.

2, Embroidery is a folk art with a long tradition. It occupies an essential position in the history of Chinese arts and crafts. In its long development process, it is inseparable from sericulture, silk reeling, and weaving. The production of silk threads and fabrics gave rise to the Chinese art of embroidery, which became very complicated and delicate.

3, In daily life, people usually wear light-colored clothes. Red, bright yellow and purple were typically reserved for emperors and royalty. Most of the crowd wore red at the wedding. Besides, white dresses are usually worn at funerals. For example, for women, only the wives of queens or officials can wear real red, which is not allowed for concubines.

4, In ancient feudal society, people's rank and social status were easily reflected in their daily clothes, especially for ordinary people and the upper class. Among the upper ruling classes, only the emperors were given the symbol of the yellow and dragon in traditional Chinese costume as the only affirmation of their power. As for ministers, generals, councilors, and their wives, their uniforms also had strict rules on how many lions or cranes were to be embroidered.

5, In terms of gender, women's clothing is more diverse than men's clothing. Compared with men's wear, women's wear has more decorations, objects, and styles.

6, In the beginning, the ancient Chinese just covered their bodies with leaves. With the development of agriculture, more clothing materials appeared. In later years, linen, cotton, and silk were the primary materials. During the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), according to the government's policies of heavy farming and restricting commerce, merchants were forbidden to wear silk clothes, even if they were rich.

7, Almost every Dynasty in history had its own unique costumes, some of which were genuinely exquisite.

Nowadays, more and more fashion designers are committed to improving the traditional fashion design. As wearers, we are not only consumers but also co-manufacturers. Especially in today's market, people are free to choose any style of clothing. Our likes and dislikes determine the course of costume design.

This article only gives a very brief introduction to traditional Chinese clothing. Each of these five categories can be further divided into more subcategories. This is an extensive map, and we've only seen a small part of it.