Explainer | Traditional China hanfu clothing revival influences modern society, identity, heritage
Chinese travelling overseas proudly wear hanfu in public, and images of one version of the clothing attracted 25 billion views on Douyin
A trend has emerged in China of influencers filming themselves in traditional costume while travelling overseas, then sharing the images on social media.
On Douyin, videos of people wearing hanfu – outfits worn by the Han people – standing near the Colosseum in Rome, the Louvre in Paris and other iconic landmarks, have amassed millions of likes.
An influencer named @tingyuezhanggui said she wore hanfu abroad to promote Chinese culture.
“The best way to promote our traditional clothing and culture is to wear them confidently while out and about,” she said in a video last month.
The style of traditional hanfu, which dates back over 4,000 years, varies greatly through the changes of dynasties, and each era’s garments are accompanied by a complicated set of rules about how they should be worn.
Publicly wearing hanfu has become a common occurrence in China in recent years.
