#xiyu

[hanfugallery]

chinese hanfu matched with xiyu fashion by 司南阁

[ziseviolet]

Hiya! I’ve been extremely interested in Cdrama’s as of late and the costumes! Now in some of these dramas there are dancing scenes. But I saw that not all the dancing scenes are done in chinese clothes. I saw one scene where they wore a ‘bedlah’. Can I get your input wether this is just modern aesethic or not. Thank you for your time in answering our asks!

Hi, thanks for the question!

I know what you’re referring to - in Chinese historical costume (guzhuang) dramas, you can occasionally see characters wearing bedlahs or bedlah-like outfits for dance scenes. Example below - a character wearing bedlah for a dance scene in historical Cdrama Myth of Sword (x):

Bedlahs typically show up as dance costumes in historical Cdramas for the following reasons:

To give the dance a seductive/sensual air (of course this can be achieved with Chinese clothing, but bedlahs add an additional element of mystery and/or “exoticness”) 

To suggest/signify Xiyu influence. Xiyu (西域), lit. “Western Regions”, was a historical name specified in the Chinese chronicles between the 3rd century BC to the 8th century AD that referred to the regions west of Yumen Pass, most often Central Asia or sometimes more specifically the easternmost portion of it (e.g. Altishahr or the Tarim Basin in southern Xinjiang), though it was sometimes used more generally to refer to other regions to the west of China as well, such as the Indian subcontinent (as in the novel Journey to the West)

For example, Tang dynasty-set Cdrama Beauties in the Closet features a bedlah dance scene, in which animal spirits disguised as women perform a dance to seduce the emperor (x). The Tang dynasty is famous for its Silk Road trade route that enabled strong relations with the empires to its west (ex: Byzantine, Persian, Arabian). The Tang capital Chang'an became an international metropolis, and foreign clothing & hairstyles became trendy. In Chang’an and Luoyang, Turkish and Persian fashions were highly sought after (x). Thus, the bedlahs in this scene serve to emphasize the seductiveness of the dance, as well as make a nod to the multicultural nature of Tang society:

Another example comes from the historical Cdrama The Great Dunhuang, which is based on the history of the oasis city of Dunhuang, which lies on the ancient Silk Road. In this scene, Meiduo, a princess from the ancient Kingdom of Khotan, dances a feitian (apsara) dance in feitian costume (x). Feitian costumes as depicted in Chinese media have similarities with bedlah, as can be seen below:

With all that said, though, the use of bedlahs in historical Cdrama costuming is still a modern aesthetic, due to the simple fact that the bedlah as we know it today is a modern 20th-century Egyptian belly dance costume influenced by European theatrical attire (1/2):

“The bedlah is essentially a Westernized creation, though not a wholly Western creation. What really cinched its iconic popularity in dance was the golden age of Egyptian Cinema in the 50s-70s, when Egyptian movies still largely cast professional dancers for dance roles. These Egyptian dancers, directors, and costumers sought inspiration from Hollywood and American culture - the bedlah is basically an Egyptianized iteration of the types of costuming that American dancers and showgirls were wearing. (Think Vegas, burlesque, cabaret, lounge and nightclub culture, in addition to movies/popular music culture.)” (Source)

Needless to say, this particular type of outfit did not even exist prior to the 1900s, much less during the Tang dynasty.

So why do they show up in historical Cdramas? As I’ve mentioned many times before (1/2/3), historical Chinese dramas tend to take a lot of liberties in their costume design. And indeed, this is one of those cases. I chalk it up to a combination of trying to appeal to modern audience’s aesthetics/expectations & lack of resources/attention. Researching & creating historically accurate outfits is a lot more difficult than slapping on a bedlah and calling it a day. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

To be fair, this misunderstanding is a worldwide phenomenon, not just a Chinese one. For example, I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that Disney’s depiction of Princess Jasmine in a bedlah in Aladdin played a huge role in propagating the perception that the bedlah was an actual “ancient” historic outfit. This influence is especially noticeable in the recent Chinese “Xiyu aesthetic” fashion trend. Below are two Xiyu-style outfits with the theme “Loulan Princess” (the Loulan Kingdom was an ancient kingdom based around an important oasis city along the Silk Road) (x):

The “Princess Jasmine effect” is quite strong, wouldn’t you say? :P

For culturally/historically accurate Chinese dance clothes, please see my dance & dance hanfu tags.

If anyone wants to share more information, please do. Hope this helps!

[hyde-kumagoroh]

Día 17

Lan Xichen x Mo Xuanyu Como ya había mencionado antes, me gusta este shipp extraño. Este dibujo es de hace tiempo atrás pero jamás lo había siquiera terminado, se nota una diferencia en como hago mis trazos ahora ¿No? 🥲

[soulfullofold]

bro yes. yes. yes. i am menacing #31 and #41 and #48 lol and #22 for the spice. Also since you went certifiably deranged in my inbox this is my free ticket to you to answer any of them that look interesting to you >:)

(DOES A LITTLE JIG)

31. Pick one OC & explain what their tumblr would be like

Xiyu's tumblr would be so funny. Tan, charcoal grey, light green, light blue, and white as the color scheme. It starts off minimalist & "~aesthetic~" with just a left sidebar and a one-column scroll. Simple bio. Totally dedicated to posting her poetry. And then as it gets popular, it pivots into a writing help askblog of sorts. She's put her truncated FAQ as the right sidebar (with a link to a miles-long, hyper specific FAQ) and like the status of her inbox and what requests she's open for. Occasionally she reblogs her friends' calligraphy. and you Know she's got a dedicated tagging system. I would say she goes off in the tags but she doesn't hide ANYTHING in the tags. Commentary Straight on the post.

41. Has anyone drawn fanart of your OCs?

BUT REALLY I'm very veryveryveryvery thankful for it and so touched ;m; It's so hard to pick!! I keep any art I get of my OCs in my dA favorites. Here's only the tiniest sampling of some of my faves: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z ♥ And a THOUSAND MILLION other things I want to show but I'm trying to keep the parameters to only stuff posted on dA so it links directly back to the creators too if you wanna follow them :) <3

48. OC who is a perfect cinnamon roll, too good for this world, too pure

jesus christ kK;FLASDFJA;SDF the way 2015 smacked me in the ass ok. uh uh i wish i could come up with something better and snarkier and more witty but literally all of my ocs are scrappy like there isn't a single one who hasn't committed a crime, done something bad, or -- ... wait.

Ora's butterflies have done nothing wrong in their lives they are my bewinged cinnamon rolls. i guess.asdlkfj;a

anddd questions phoned in from vlpn: 31. Pick one OC & explain what their tumblr would be like

Elle's blog would be all blurry, low to the ground, kind of strange photos scanned from instant camera prints. They're both kind of unsettling in their contextless nature but also sort of whimsical and charming. 5. If you could make only one of your OCs popular/known, who would it be?

This is SUCH a hard question. Because like. On the one hand, of course I want to make my OCs known because I love them to death. But at the same time I just. I WORRY about them being tossed to the dogs. I'm going to say probably Ora since I've developed her the most and she could hold her own against anyone who would be weird about her.

24. If you could meet one OC of yours, who would it be and why?

There's literally. They're all ghosts. If I met any of them I would be in such deep shit. Maybe Mossclaw because I would give her a good home where she would never have to worry about being a feral cat again. ;m;

[mdzsao3]

sect leaders are assholes as always

[ao3 link]

[electricsoul-rpg]

Cao Xiyue (曹曦月) - Han Chinese

as Mimi Guli in The Long Ballad (长歌行)

[hundredthousandtimes]

Tong Yao as Gao Xiyue Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace 如懿传 Episode 7

[consortmadness]

Consorts of Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace (1/2)

[ginsoakedgirl80]

dude your older sister and everyone else is embarrassed for you just go home

[my-decade]

The Noble Consort Hui 慧

[csial]

this was always supposed to happen, wasn’t it? (from neuvillette!)

"It was..."

There's an amused lilt to the ancient god's tone as arms fold across his chest and he stares at the waters of Fontaine beside the other. How strange it is that two creatures so old, who belong to a world of gods and monsters, have now found place within this human-led one. Stranger still that Osial has managed to forfit his pride long enough to talk to Neuvillette once more, but he has come to understand in his new guise - thanks to an old friend turned enemy turned friend again - that there is strength in reconcilliation, in defeat, in bearing one's weaknesses with pride. Behind that amusement, however, lies something heavier, something understanding and empathising with the creature below the depths, sealed temporarily. His face turns serious once more as his gaze drifts from the waters to meet the Iudex's own.

"There was never a world in which rage could be contained. Have we not learnt from the past?"

He speaks of himself, of course. His rage was contained for millennia, writhing and raging as he was held beneath the weight of Morax's spears, the hate allowed to fester as he was left with nought but his rage and bitterness, letting it seep into the land above him, the minds that dared linger in his destroyed domain. And when freedom had come, it had come with a rush, a desire to burn and scorch and devestate with no care for the cost to humans or himself. He had simply wanted the wretched world to drown.

"There will be a time when no seal will hold back that which lies in the deep. And then Fontaine will have to choose..." He pauses, sighing. "To be consumed, to defend and destroy or to defeat and rehabilitate... there is no easy path." Though he had taken the latter, rehabilitated into a life where he has a new name and job, a purpose within this world and a chance to reminisce about days of old, there had been times when he had simply wanted to hiss and destroy and forget about belonging. When he still felt entitled to the domain he had once had.

"And you will have to bear witness, as he did, and decide how you intend to act as well." It is strange how the story parallels his own so, with that which lies beneath feeling a similar cocktail of emotions to he and Neuvillette resembling the role Morax had taken in his fate, with the option to choose to find a better way or be the final action that decides the fate of events.

"I wonder if you will be as he was..."

[hanfugallery]

chinese fashion and xiyu style fantasy fashion by 异志阁

[reaversanctuary]

Welcome to the new young Knight of Favonius!! (OC)

[hyde-kumagoroh]

Día 14 ¿Este gato habló? Yo shippeo a dos personajes de la novela Mo Dao Zu Shi, Lan Xichen y Mo Xuanyu, si ya se, un shipp muy extraño pero para mi lindo.

[schelofthesea]

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[sad-stucky-shipper-107]

So, I was watching Who Rules The World For the 5th time

And I had this crackship Idea, Xiyue (Shut up. He’s alive. Canon who?) and Feng Chang. Team Da-ge. Best otp. No I will not elaborate.