Hanzhuang Township

''Hanfu'' () is the traditional styles of clothing worn by the Han Chinese. There are several representative styles of ''hanfu'', such as the (an upper-body garment with a long outer skirt), the (an upper-body garment with a long underskirt), the and the , and the (an upper-body garment with ku trousers).

Traditionally, ''hanfu'' consists of a ''paofu'' robe, or a ''ru'' jacket worn as the upper garment with a ''qun'' skirt commonly worn as the lower garment. In addition to clothing, hanfu also includes several forms of accessories, such as headwear, footwear, belts, jewellery, and handheld fans. Nowadays, the hanfu is gaining recognition as the traditional clothing of the Han ethnic group, and has experienced a growing fashion revival among young Han Chinese people in China and in the overseas Chinese diaspora.

After the Han dynasty, ''hanfu'' developed into a variety of styles using fabrics that encompassed a number of complex textile production techniques, particularly those used to produce silk. ''Hanfu'' has influenced the traditional clothing of many neighbouring cultures, including the Korean hanbok, the Japanese kimono (wafuku), the Okinawan ryusou, and the Vietnamese (Việt Phục). Up to a certain extent, hanfu has also influenced some elements in Western fashion, especially those influenced by Chinoiserie fashion, due to the popularity of Chinoiserie since the 17th century in Europe and in the United States. Silk remains a core element of Hanfu and Chinese traditional clothing.

Early history

''Hanfu'' comprises all traditional clothing classifications of the Han Chinese with a recorded history of more than three millennia. Each succeeding dynasty produced their own distinctive dress codes, reflecting the socio-cultural environment of the times. Clothing made of silk was initially used for decorative and ceremonial purposes. The cultivation of silk, however, ushered the development of weaving, and by the time of the Han dynasty, brocade, damask, satin, and gauze had been developed.

From the beginning of its history, ''hanfu'' (especially in elite circles) was inseparable from silk and the art of sericulture, supposedly discovered by the Yellow Emperor's consort Leizu, who was also revered as the Goddess of sericulture. There is even a saying in the Book of Change, which says that:

''Hanfu'' had changed and evolved with the fashion of the days since its commonly assumed beginnings in the Shang dynasty. Many of the earlier designs are more gender-neutral and simpler in cut than later examples. Later garments incorporate multiple pieces with men commonly wearing pants and women commonly wearing skirts. Clothing for women usually accentuates the body's natural curves through wrapping of upper garment lapels or binding with sashes at the waist.

From ancient times, the ''ru'' upper garments of ''hanfu'' were typically worn wrapped over the front, in a style known as ; the left side covering the right side and extend to the wearer's right waist. Initially, the style was used because of the habit of the right-handed wearer to wrap the right side first. Later, the people of the Central Chinese Plain discouraged left-handedness, considering it unnatural, barbarian, uncivilized, and unfortunate. The collar follows the yin and yang theory, wherein the left lapel represents the yang (which symbolizes life) suppresses the yin (which symbolizes death); therefore, is the clothing of the living while if it is worn in the opposite way in a style called , the clothing then becomes burial clothing and is therefore considered a taboo. is also used by some minority ethic groups in China.

Many factors have contributed to the fashion of ancient China: beliefs, religions, wars, and the emperor's personal liking. Following the Qin dynasty, colours used in the sumptuary laws of the Han Chinese held symbolic meaning, based on the Taoist Five Elements Theory and the yin and yang theory; each dynasty favoured certain colours. Some elements of Hanfu have also been influenced by neighbouring cultural clothing, especially by the nomadic peoples to the north, and Central Asian cultures to the west by way of the Silk Road.

Shang dynasty

In China, a systemic structure of clothing was first developed during the Shang dynasty, where colours, designs, and rules governing use was implemented across the social strata. Only primary colours (i.e. red, blue, and yellow) and green were used due to the degree of technology at the time.

The rudiments of ''hanfu'' was developed in this period; the combination of upper and lower garments, called , was usually worn with a . The a style of upper garment, started to be worn during this period. In winter, padded jackets were worn. The or ', which were knee-high trousers tied onto the calves but left the thighs exposed, were worn under the . During this period, this clothing style was unisex. Only rich people wore silk; poor people continued to wear loose shirts and made of hemp or ramie. An example of a Shang dynasty attire can be seen on an anthropomorphic jade figurine excavated from the Tomb of Fu Hao in Anyang, which shows a person wearing a long narrow-sleeved with a wide band covering around waist, and a skirt underneath. This attire appears to have been designed for the aristocratic class.

Zhou dynasty

Following the Shang dynasty, the Western Zhou dynasty, established a strict hierarchical society that used clothing as a status meridian, and inevitably, the height of one's rank influenced the ornateness of a costume. Such markers included the fabric materials, the shape, size, colour of the clothing, the decorative pattern, the length of a skirt, the wideness of a sleeve, and the degree of ornamentation. There were strict regulations on the clothing of the emperor, feudal dukes, senior officials, soldiers, ancestor worshippers, brides, and mourners.The was the most distinguished type of formal dress, worn for worshipping and memorial ceremonies; it had a complex structure and there were various decorations which bore symbolic meaning; there were six ranked types of which were worn by emperors, princes and officials according to their titles. The emperors also wore (only second to ) when meeting with officials or if they had to work on official business. When the emperor were not at court, they wore the . could also worn by princes during sacrificial occasions and by scholars who would go pay respect to their parents in the morning. The , , and all consisted of four separate parts: a skirt underneath, a robe in the middle, a on top, and a long cloth belt (). Similarly to the Western Zhou dynasty, the dress code of the early Eastern Zhou dynasty was governed by strict rules which was used maintain social order and to distinguish social class.

In addition to these class-oriented developments, the daily ''hanfu'' in this period became slightly looser while maintaining the basic form the Shang dynasty in the wearing of . Broad and narrow sleeves both co-existed. The was closed with a sash which was tied around the waist; jade decorations were sometimes hung from the sash. The length of the skirts and could vary from knee-length to ground-length. Common people in the Zhou dynasty, including the minority groups in Southwest China, wore hemp-based clothing.

The Zhou dynasty also formalized women's wearing of with a coming-of-age ceremony called , which was performed after a girl was engaged and the wearing of showed a girl was already promised to a marriage. Men could also wear alone, however more commonly men wore with the to fix the headwear.

Spring and Autumn period, Warring States period

During the Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period, numerous schools of thought emerged in China, including Confucianism; those different schools of thoughts naturally influenced the development of the clothing.Alt URL
/ref> Moreover, due to the frequent wars occurring during the Warring States period, various etiquette were slowly revoked. Eastern Zhou dynasty dress code started to erode by the middle of Warring States period. Later, many regions decided not to follow the system of Zhou dynasty; the clothing during this period were differentiated among the seven major states (i.e. the states of Chu, Han, Qin, Wei, Yan, Qi and Zhao). Moreover, the year 307 B.C. also marked an important year with the first reform of the military uniform implemented by King Wuling of Zhao. This reform, commonly referred as , required all Zhao soldiers to wear the -style uniforms of the Donghu, Linhu and Loufan people in battles to facilitate fighting capability. The with a loose rise was then introduced.

Based on the archaeological artifacts dating from the Eastern Zhou dynasty, ordinary men, peasants and labourers, were wearing a long with narrow-sleeves, with a narrow silk band called () being knotted at the waist over the top. The was also worn with ' (in a style generally referred as ') to allow greater ease of movement, but was made of plain cloth instead of silk cloth. The ' of this period also influenced the . Aristocratic figures did not wear those kind of clothing however, they were wearing wider-sleeved long ' which was belted at the waist; one example can be seen from the wooden figures from a Xingyang Warring States period tomb. The closures could be found in different shapes, such as and '.

Skirts also appear to have been worn during the Warring States period based on archaeological artifacts and sculpted bronze figures, and was worn in the or . An archeological example of a bronze figure wearing is the bronze armed warrior holding up chime bells from the Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng. A dark yellow-skirt, dating from the late Warring States period, was also found in the Chu Tomb (M1) at the Mashan site in Jiangling County, Hubei province.

During the Warring States period, the was also developed. The '','' a type of which wrapped in a spiral effect and had fuller sleeves, was found to be worn by tomb figurines of the same period. Unearthed clothing from tombs show that the was worn by aristocrats in the state of Chu. The increased popularity of the may have been partially due to the influence of Confucianism. The remained the dominant form of ''Hanfu'' from the Zhou dynasty to the Qin dynasty and further to the Han dynasty.

Qin dynasty

Although the Qin dynasty was short-lived, it set up a series of systems that impacted the later generations greatly. Following the unification of the seven states, Emperor Qin Shihuang ordered his people, regardless of distance and class, to follow a series of regulations in all forms of cultural aspects, including clothing. The clothing style in Qin was therefore unitary. The Qin dynasty adopted a coloured-clothing system, which stipulated people who held higher position (officials of the third rank and above) wore green while common people wore normal white . The Han Chinese wore the as a formal dress and was worn together with a and shoes. The was used to distinguish social ranks; the use of ' was one of the distinctive features of the Hanfu system, and men could only wear it after the Adulthood ceremony known as . And, although the Qin dynasty exempted Zhou dynasty's ranking system, the emperors alone still wore as a ceremonial dress, while officials simply wore black robes. In court, the officials wore hats, loose robes with carving knives hanging from the waist, holding , and stuck ink brush between head and ears. There was an increase in the popularity of robes with large sleeves with cuff laces among men.

In ordinary times, men wore whereas the women wore . Merchants, regardless of their wealth, were never allowed to wear clothing made of silk. The commoners and labourers wore with narrow sleeves, trousers, and skirts; they braided their hairs or simply wore skull caps and kerchiefs. The making of different kinds of (; called () in Qin dynasty), ''shangru'' (), ''daru'' () and -trousers is recorded in a Qin dynasty's bamboo slip called ' (). The Terracotta army also show the differences between soldiers and officers' clothing wherein the elites wore long gown while all the commoners wore shorter jackets; they also wore headgears which ranged from simple head cloths to formal official caps. Cavalry riders were also depicted wearing long-sleeved, hip-length jackets and padded trousers.

Han dynasty

By the time of Han dynasty, the ' remained popular and developed further into two types: ' and ''zhijupao''. The robes appeared to be similar, regardless of gender, in cut and construction: a wrap closure, held by a belt or a sash, with large sleeves gathered in a narrower cuff; however, the fabric, colours and ornaments of the robes were different between gender. However, later during the Eastern Han, very few people wore ''shenyi''.

File:Mawangdui Painted Figurines (10112640664).jpg, Mawangdui Painted Figurines wearing ''qujupao'' shenyi, Han dynasty
File:China.Terracotta statues007.jpg, A female servant and a male advisor in Chinese ''shenyi'', ceramic figurines from the Western Han period (202 BCE – 9 CE)
File:Fresco of two Men from a Han Dynasty Tomb in Sian, Shensi.jpg, Fresco of two Men from a Han Dynasty Tomb in Sian, Shensi, Western Han dynasty (202 BC - 9 AD)
File:Han Dynasty Tomb Mural in Chin-hsiang County (金鄕縣), Chi-ning City (濟寧市).jpg, Mural painting of a male figure, discovered in a Western Han dynasty (206 B.C. – 8 A.D.) tomb in Chin-hsiang County
File:Wall Mural of a Male Figure, Han Tomb from Hou-t'un Village (後屯村), Tung-p'ing County (東平縣).jpg, A man dressing in the Han dynasty style ''shenyi''
File:Holding Shield and Holding Broom tomb doors, 2 of 2, China, unearthed from Lanjia Yard, Pixian County, Sichuan, Eastern Han dynasty, 25-220 AD, stone - Sichuan Provincial Museum - Chengdu, China - DSC04747.jpg, An Eastern Han carved stone tomb door showing a man wearing trousers underneath a long robe with a hat, stored in Sichuan Provincial Museum in Chengdu
File:Holding Shield and Holding Broom tomb doors, 1 of 2, China, unearthed from Lanjia Yard, Pixian County, Sichuan, Eastern Han dynasty, 25-220 AD, stone - Sichuan Provincial Museum - Chengdu, China - DSC04745.jpg, An Eastern Han carved stone tomb door showing a man wearing a long robe with apron, stored in Sichuan Provincial Museum in Chengdu

In the beginning of the Han dynasty, there was no restrictions on the clothing worn by common people. During the Western Han, the imperial edicts on the use of general clothing were not specific enough to be restrictive to the people, and were not enforced to a great degree. The clothing was simply differed accordingly to the seasons: blue or green for spring, red for summer, yellow for autumn and black for winter. It was the Emperor Ming of Han formalized the dress code of Han dynasty in 59 AD, during the Eastern Han. According to the new dress code, the emperor had to be dressed in a black-coloured upper garment and in an ocher yellow-coloured lower garment. The ''Shangshu'' – ''Yiji'' 《尚书益稷》records the 12 ornaments used on the sacrificial garments which were used to differentiate social ranks in the earlier times. In addition, regulations on the ornaments used by emperors, councillors, dukes, princes, ministers and officials were specified. There were distinct styles of clothing based on social ranks, these regulations were accompanied with Confucian rituals. Different kind of headgear, weaving and fabric material, as well as ribbons attached to officials seals, were also used to distinguish the officials. The official seal was then placed in a leather pouch, was put on its wearer's waist and the ribbon, which came in different colours, size, and texture to indicate ranking, would hang outside the pouch.

Throughout the years, Han dynasty women commonly also wore ''ruqun'' of various colours. The combination of upper and lower garments in women's wardrobe eventually became the clothing model of the Han ethnicity of the later generations. During the Qin and Han dynasties, women wore skirts which was composed of four pieces cloth sewn together; a belt was often attached to the skirt, but the use of a separate belt was sometimes used by women.

File:Dahuting mural, Eastern Han Dynasty.jpg, Mural from Dahuting Han Tomb of the late Eastern Han dynasty, in Henan, China
File:Woman with a mirror, China, unearthed at Songjialin, Pixian, Sichuan, Eastern Han dynasty, 25-220 AD, ceramic - Sichuan Provincial Museum - Chengdu, China - DSC04768.jpg, A Chinese ceramic statue of a woman holding a bronze mirror, Eastern Han period (25-220 AD), Sichuan Museum, Chengdu
File:Eastern Han Pottery Dancer.jpg, A female dancer from Eastern Han dynasty
File:Thin silk skirt, unearthed form Mawangdui Tomb.png, A Western Han skirt made of thin silk, composed of four pieces sewn together. Excavated from the Mawangdui Tomb No.1. Now stored in the Hunan Museum.

The male farmers, workers, businessmen and scholars, were all dressed in similar fashion during the Han dynasty; jackets, aprons, and '' dubikun'' or leggings were worn by male labourers. The jackets worn by men who engaged in physical work is described as being a shorter version of ''zhijupao'' and it was worn with trousers. The '' jingyi'' continued to be worn in the early period of Han dynasty; other forms of trousers in this period were the '' dakouku'' and '' dashao''; both were developed from the loose rise introduced by King Wuling. Men in the Han dynasty also wore a kerchief or a guan on their heads. The ''guan'' was used as a symbol of higher status and could only be worn by people of distinguished background. The emperors wore '' tongtianguan'' when meeting with their imperial subjects, ''yuanyouguan'' were worn by dukes and princes; ''jinxianguan'' was worn by civil officials while military officials wore ''wuguan''. The kerchief was a piece of clothing that wrapped around the head, and it symbolized the status of adulthood in men. One form of kerchief was ''ze'' (帻); it was a headband that keep the head warm during cold weather. Men and women also wore a lined, long robe called paofu.

As Buddhism arrived in China during late period of Han dynasty, robes of Buddhist monks started to be produced. The attire worn in the Han dynasty laid the foundation for the clothing development in the succeeding dynasties.

File:Dahuting tomb mural detail of a dancer, Eastern Han Dynasty.jpg, A male dancer wearing a black jiaolingpao over a pair of red trousers, Dahuting tomb, Eastern Han dynasty
File:Daoyin tu - chart for leading and guiding people in exercise Wellcome L0036007.jpg, A reconstruction of the Daoyin tu (an exercise chart showing "Guiding and Pulling Chart"), excavated from the Mawangdui Tomb 3 (sealed in 168BC) in the former kingdom of Changsha
File:Western Han Pottery Warrior.jpg, A Western Han warrior figure.
File:EasternHan-ColouredPotteryFigurine-ShanghaiMuseum-May27-08.jpg, An Eastern Han male figure, Shanghai Museum
File:Mural Painting of a Banquet Scene from Han Tomb in Tahut'ing.jpg, A late Eastern Han Chinese tomb mural showing lively scenes of a banquet, dance and music, acrobatics, and wrestling, from the Dahuting Han Tomb in Henan, China
File:Han stone relief guard found in Deng county Henan 河南邓县出土东汉画像砖上的佩剑执笏武吏.jpg, Minor military official depicted on Han dynasty stone relief found in Deng county, Henan. The "Wuguan"(武冠) hat with pheasant-tail decorations denominates martial status.
File:Han dynasty scholars relief 讲学画 砖四川成都青杠坡出土 重庆市博物馆藏.jpg, Scholars depicted on Han dynasty pictorial brick, discovered in Chengdu. Scholars wore hats called ''Jinxian Guan'' (进贤冠) to denominate educational status.

Ornaments and jewelries, such as rings, earrings, bracelets, necklace, and hairpins, and hair sticks were common worn in China by the time of Han dynasty. The original hair sticks ''ji'' evolved to '' zanzi'' with more decorations. And a new type of women hair ornament invented during Han dynasty was the ''buyao'', which was ''zanzi'' added with dangling decorations that would sway when the wearer walk and was unique to the Han Chinese women.

Three Kingdoms, Jin dynasty

The ''paofu'' worn in the Han dynasty continued to evolve. During this period, 220–589 AD, the robe became loose on the wearer's body so a wide band functioned as belt was in use to organise the fitting, and the sleeves of the robe changed to "wide-open" instead of cinched at the wrist; this style is referred as '' bao yi bo dai'', and usually worn with inner shirt and trousers. In some instances, the upper part of the robe was loose and open with no inner garment worn; men wearing this style of robe was featured in the painting Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove. The ''bao yi bo dai'' style appears to have been a northern Han Chinese style, and the popularity of the robe was a result of the widespread Taoism. In the Jin dynasty, in particular, while many clothing of the Han dynasty were maintained, scholars and adherents of Neo-Taoism rejected the traditional court dress and retreated from the rigid Confucian system; this showed up in how they would dress themselves. The style of men's ''paofu'' gradually changed into a more simple and casual style, while the style of women's ''paofu'' increased in complexity. During the Three Kingdoms and Jin period, especially during the Eastern Jin period (317 – 420 AD), aristocratic women sought for a carefree life style after the collapse of the Eastern Han dynasty's ethical code; this kind of lifestyle influenced the development of women's clothing, which became more elaborate. Typical women attire during this period is the ''guiyi,'' a wide-sleeved ''paofu'' adorned with ''xian'' (髾; long swirling silk ribbons) and ''shao'' (襳; a type of triangular pieces of decorative embroidered-cloth) on the lower hem of the robe that hanged like banners and formed a "layered effect". The robe continued to be worn in the Northern and Southern dynasties by both men and women, as seen in th
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_(ca._483_A.D)_however,_there_were_some_minor_alterations_to_the_robe,_such_as_higher_waistline_and_the_sleeves_are_usually_left_open_in_a_dramatic_flare.

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(ca. 483 A.D) however, there were some minor alterations to the robe, such as higher waistline and the sleeves are usually left open in a dramatic flare.

File:Pictura CARPE DIEM.jpg">A mural painting showing man and women wearing loose robes, from the Northern Liang's Dingjiazha Tomb No. 5 of the Sixteen Kingdoms period
File:Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove.jpg, Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove wearing ''bao yi bo dai'', from rubbing of Eastern Jin molded tomb bricks
File:Mujeres Sabias y Benevolentes (detalle) por Ku K'ai-chih - Duque Yi de Wey.jpg, Duke Yi of Wey (衞懿公) wearing ''paofu'', from ''Wise and Benevolent Women'' (列女仁智圖) by Jin dynasty's Gu Kaizhi
File:Male figure from a lacquer painting over wood, Northern Wei.jpg, A man wearing paofu.
File:Male Figure from “Virtuous Women of Ancient Cathay“. Lacquer painting over wood, Northern Wei.jpg, Back view of a man wearing paofu with trousers under his robe
File:Detail of “Virtuous Women of Ancient Cathay“. Lacquer painting over wood, Northern Wei.jpg, A man wearing ''paofu'' and a woman wearing ''guiyi''; lacquer painting, Tomb of Sima Jinlong, Northern Wei, c.484 AD
File:Ku K'ai-chih 001.jpg, Court ladies wearing ''ruqun'' and ''guiyi'', from '' Admonitions of the Instructress to the Palace Ladies'' (女史箴图) by Gu Kaizhi, c.380
File:Tunhwang Fresco of a Woman dressing in Tsa-chü-ch'ui-shao-fu.jpg, Dunhuang Fresco of a Woman dressing in guiyi

Shoes worn during this period included ''lü'' (履; regular shoes for formal occasions), ''ji'' (屐; high, wooden clogs for informal wear), and shoes with tips which would curl upward. The shoes with tips curled upward would later become a very popular fashion in the Tang dynasty. Leather boots (靴, ''xue''), ''quekua'' (缺胯; an open-collared robe with tight sleeves; it cannot cover the undershirt), hood and cape ensemble were introduced by northern nomads in China. Tomb inventories found during this period include: ''fangyi'' (方衣; square garment), ''shan'' (衫; shirt), ''qun'', ''hanshan'' (汗衫; sweatshirt), ''ru'' (襦; lined jacket), ku (裤), '' kun'' (裈), ''liangdang'' (两裆; vest), ''ao'' (袄; multi-layered lined jacket), ''xi'' (褶; a type of jacket), ''bixi''; while women's clothing style were usually ''ruqun'' (lined jacket with long skirt) and '' shanqun'' (衫裙; shirt with long skirt), men's clothing styles are robes, ''shanku'', and ''xiku'' (褶裤; jacket with trousers). During this period, the black gauze hats with a flat top and an ear at either side appeared and were popular for both men and women.

Although they had their own cultural identity, the Cao Wei