Preservation: The Identity that is Passed On

Hanfu, the traditional clothing of the Han Chinese, has been attracting more young fans in China and overseas. The Qing dynasty had enforced a ban on Hanfu, making it disappear for centuries. The cultural identity of the Han people was almost erased. Fortunately, some people are striving to preserve and restore their heritage. The Hanfu movement is a cultural resurgence that aims to encourage the appreciation and adoption of Hanfu as a way of expressing one’s roots and values. In June 2023, a viral video showed a woman and her friend in Hanfu handing out lotus flowers at West Lake, a scenic spot in Hangzhou, China. This newsletter will explore how Xiyue Chen and her team promoted Hanfu through this summer event, and how it reflects the revival of cultural identity in mainland China.

China has a rich and ancient culture that spans over 5000 years. However, this culture was severely disrupted by the Qing Dynasty, the last imperial dynasty of China. The Qing Dynasty was founded and ruled by the Manchus, an ethnic minority that conquered China from the north. To consolidate their power and assimilate the Han Chinese, the majority ethnic group in China, the Manchus imposed a policy called “Tifayifu”, which means “changing clothes and cutting hair”. This policy required all Han men to adopt the Manchu hairstyle of shaving the front of their head and braiding the rest of their hair into a queue, as well as wearing Manchu-style robes called Changshan. Those who resisted were punished harshly, even with death. The Han people rebelled against this policy several times but were defeated by the Manchu army. The Tifayifu policy only applied to Han men, and Han women were allowed to keep their traditional clothing styles. However, under the influence of the Manchu rulers, Manchu clothing became more fashionable and popular among both genders. The Manchus also issued other decrees to suppress Han culture and customs. Over time, the Han people gradually lost their cultural identity and heritage. By the end of the Qing Dynasty, Western-style clothing and ideas also began to enter China through foreign concessions and trade. The turmoil of the Second World War and the establishment of Communist China further prevented the recovery and preservation of Han culture. As a result, traditional Han clothing almost disappeared from China.

Some people are dedicated to restoring and promoting Han culture in China, using Hanfu and other methods. Xiyue Chen, a China Academy of Art graduate, is one of the people who are passionate about restoring and promoting Han culture. She and her team held an event at West Lake this summer, where they gave out free lotus flowers to people who could recite poems related to lotus flowers or West Lake. The event was called “去西湖边挑一担夏天”, which means pick a load of summer at West Lake. West Lake is a famous scenic spot in Hangzhou, China, that has inspired many poets throughout history. Xiyue Chen and her team wore Hanfu that was recreated from 清明上河图, or Along the River During the Qingming Festival, a classic painting that depicts life in the Song dynasty. The image above shows a young student trying to remember a poem for a lotus flower. Some people thought Xiyue Chen did this for fame, but she responded by saying “People did not come for me, but for the Chinese traditions and culture.” They did not make any money from this event – It was just their way of reviving and sharing the Han culture.

Xiyue Chen did not stop her efforts to revive the Han culture in China. She uploaded a new video titled “浪漫才不止荷花｜文化遗产活起来才能火起来【陈喜悦】” after her previous event attracted attention from Chinese communities. She and her team held another event during

the mid-autumn festival, where they gave out Zongzi and lotus flowers. Zongzi is a traditional dish for the mid-autumn festival, made of rice and other ingredients wrapped in leaves. Some people doubted her intentions, but Xiyue Chen ignored them and continued her activities around West Lake. In the new video, she not only showed what she had done, but also featured other people’s efforts to promote traditions. The image above shows Xiyue Chen and her team interviewing a shopkeeper at West Lake, who sells “Song Zhen Yin”, which means pine needles drink. “This is the first time we tried to make Song Zhen Yin. It is a traditional drink that poets, writers, and Taoists in history enjoyed,” said the interviewee, “This drink is slightly sweet, actually quite tasty”. As a Han Chinese myself, I was surprised to learn about such a drink. It is unbelievable how much culture and traditions were lost in such a short time. Thanks to Xiyue Chen and others like her, more and more lost cultures can be recovered.

Xiyue Chen and other culture promoters have made Han culture more popular in China. Hanfu festivals like the Chinese National Costume Day are now held, where people display their Hanfu on stage to celebrate their culture with the world. Many young people wear Hanfu as their everyday clothing, going to work and shopping in them. The prices of Hanfu have also become more affordable due to the increase in demand. These changes show the effect of preserving and promoting culture by people like Xiyue Chen. Thanks to them, it seems that the cultural identity

that was once lost is now found and cherished, passed down from the Han ancestors. Other cultures in China have also started to preserve their cultural traditions and clothing. For example, Jike Junyi, a singer from the Yi minority, sang in the Yi language and wore Yi minority clothing on the stage of Singer2020. She did not choose to sing in Mandarin Chinese, which would have been more advantageous, but chose to sing in Yi. The image above shows her performance.

In 2019, 3 million Chinese wore Hanfu on a daily basis, and that number is increasing. Modern Hanfu is becoming more diverse in style, becoming one of the most popular trends of clothing in China. Today, Hanfu has made its presence over the world, seen as a representation of the Han Majority.

Suggestions for further reading:

Videos referenced in the newsletter:

Xiyue Chen’s first video of her actions at West Lake:

中国人才懂的浪漫？揭秘“西湖卖花郎”背后的真相……_哔哩哔哩_bilibili

Xiyue Chen’s Second video, posted on Mid Autumn Festival:
浪漫才不止荷花｜文化遗产活起来才能火起来【陈喜悦】_哔哩哔哩_bilibili

News report by tencent on Xiyue Chen’s actions:

“西湖货郎”走红，背后策划是位江苏00后：传统文化不是流量噱头_腾讯新闻 (qq.com)

Video of Jike Junyi’s performance on Sing2020:

【纯享版】吉克隽逸再唱民谣《不要怕》重温最初的感动《歌手·当打之年》Singer2020 SinglesVersion【芒果TV音乐频道HD】 – YouTube

Other resources:

Hanfu — Traditional Clothing of the Chinese Han Majority (chinahighlights.com)

Hanfu: Centuries-old Chinese fashion is making a comeback | CNN