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() is a two-piece garment set of attire which was designed to look like a style of
In general, the design and construction of the is not bound by any traditional clothing making rules. However, as a set of attire, it follows the traditional system being typically composed of a waist-length , a form of (a form of Chinese coat) which has front lapel overlapping across the chest and closing on the right side with a (), and a long-length , which looks similar to a as it is one of its derivative. The upper garment is not always a ; it can also be a , which is an with a round collar. The sleeves are horn sleeves, which are relatively wide; the sleeves can sometimes be double-layered.
File:Wedding Picture (48576874461) (Xiuhefu).jpg
File:XiuHe Suit.jpg
traditional Chinese wedding dress
Traditional Chinese wedding dress is a collective term which refers to all the different forms and styles of traditional wedding attire worn by the Han Chinese when performing their marriage ceremony, including the traditional Chinese marriage. Th ...
and follows the traditional Chinese clothing system. The is a modern recreation version of the Qing dynasty wedding , a form of , which was worn by the Han Chinese
The Han Chinese () or Han people (), are an East Asian ethnic group native to China. They constitute the world's largest ethnic group, making up about 18% of the global population and consisting of various subgroups speaking distinctive va ...
women, composed of a as lower garment and an as an upper garment. It was developed in modern China
The earliest known written records of the history of China date from as early as 1250 BC, from the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC), during the reign of king Wu Ding. Ancient historical texts such as the ''Book of Documents'' (early chapter ...
and became popular in 2001 when it was popularized by when Zhou Xun
Zhou Xun (, born 18 October 1974) is a Chinese actress and singer. She is regarded as one of the Four Dan Actresses of China. She gained international fame for her roles in '' Suzhou River'' (2000) and ''Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress'' ...
, the actress who played the role of Xiu He, in the Chinese television drama Chinese television dramas ( Simplified Chinese: 中国电视连续剧), sometimes colloquially known as C-dramas, are television dramas originating from China or the Greater China region. China produces more television dramas than any other countr ...
《》(), thus gaining its contemporary name from name of the television drama character. It is often confused with another traditional Chinese wedding dress known as due to their similarities in appearance.
Origins
The direct precursor of the originated from theQing dynasty
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...
-style wedding which was worn by the Han Chinese women, composed of a ' (a specific type of ) as lower garment and an ' as an upper garment.
In 2001, the prototype of the modern was a wedding dress costume which was designed by costume designer Ye Jintian for the role of drama female character Xiu He, played by Chinese actress Zhou Xun
Zhou Xun (, born 18 October 1974) is a Chinese actress and singer. She is regarded as one of the Four Dan Actresses of China. She gained international fame for her roles in '' Suzhou River'' (2000) and ''Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress'' ...
, in the 2002 Chinese television drama Chinese television dramas ( Simplified Chinese: 中国电视连续剧), sometimes colloquially known as C-dramas, are television dramas originating from China or the Greater China region. China produces more television dramas than any other countr ...
《》, also known as ''Ripening Orange'' in English, a drama set in the Republican era of China. The wedding dress costume worn by Xiu He, thus, became known as . While basing himself on the clothing of the Qing dynasty, Ye Jintian, however, did not fully respected the historical accuracy of the dress and instead mixed several elements together from similar eras in his costume design.
As it gives a feeling of dignity and beauty, the designed by Ye Jintian became progressively popular and eventually became a form of wedding dress chosen by brides during their marriage. It especially became popular among several Chinese female celebrities.
Construction and design
In general, the design and construction of the is not bound by any traditional clothing making rules. However, as a set of attire, it follows the traditional system being typically composed of a waist-length , a form of (a form of Chinese coat) which has front lapel overlapping across the chest and closing on the right side with a (), and a long-length , which looks similar to a as it is one of its derivative. The upper garment is not always a ; it can also be a , which is an with a round collar. The sleeves are horn sleeves, which are relatively wide; the sleeves can sometimes be double-layered.
The used in the is influenced by the historical of the Qing dynasty, especially those used in the late years of the Qing dynasty in the 1910s, which was used as part of the bridal attire. This wedding skirt is also called . The used in the can either be an A-line, pleated skirt or a pleated circle skirt. It has panels of flat fabric, which is embellished with decorative designs which uses an embroidery technique known as (). Compared to the historical which has () or () created by the overlapping characteristics of the skirt, the flat and straight panels of fabric used in the are added on top of the pleated skirt, like a pendulum; it can also have more than two visible flat panels. The skirt is long enough to touch the top of its wearer's feet.
Embroidery
The is typically embroidered with flowers (e.g. peonies) and birds (e.g. peacocks) to symbolize love for whole seasons. It can also be embroidered with pairs of butterflies, and auspicious Chinese characters.Related content
*Hanfu
''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 ...
* Ruqun
(;) is a set of attire in which consists of a short jacket typically called () worn under a long Chinese skirt called (). However, when use as a general term, can broadly describe a set of attire which consists of a separated upper garment a ...
* Mamianqun
Mamianqun (), also known as (), sometimes simply referred as 'apron' (), a generic term in English to refer to any Chinese-style skirt, or 'paired apron' in English although they are not aprons as defined in the dictionary, is a type of (), ...
* Guzhuang
See also
*Traditional Chinese wedding dress
Traditional Chinese wedding dress is a collective term which refers to all the different forms and styles of traditional wedding attire worn by the Han Chinese when performing their marriage ceremony, including the traditional Chinese marriage. Th ...
* Traditional Chinese marriage
Traditional Chinese marriage () is a ceremonial ritual within Chinese societies that involves not only a union between spouses, but also a union between the two families of a man and a woman, sometimes established by pre-arrangement between fa ...
*
Gallery
References
{{Reflist Chinese traditional clothing Marriage in Chinese culture Wedding dresses Embroidery