Traditional Chinese Costumes: Different Types of Hanfu

Hanfu is the Chinese traditional national costume. It covers a wide range of time. Different dynasties have different styles of Hanfu. This article will sort out the most classic Hanfu styles of each dynasty, so that you can quickly understand the classic Hanfu styles of each dynasty. Qin and Han Dynasties The Qin and Han Dynasties are the two unified dynasties in Chinese history, the first imperial era in Chinese history. After the unification of China in the Qin Dynasty, the dress system was established, and the standard etiquette of Han clothing was more obvious. The clothes of the Qin and Han Dynasties mainly inherited the influence of the Zhou Dynasty and still took the robe as the typical clothing style, which was mainly divided into straight trains and curved trains. In daily life, the difference between men and women is not significant. Both men and women wear wide sleeves with large lapels. The difference is that men tie leather belts around their waists, while women tie them only with ribbons. So, during the Wei and Jin Dynasties, you know, influenced by social politics, economy, and culture, the style of Hanfu was actually free and easy, simple and elegant and also light and elegant. The tops were usually loose, with wide cuffs and simple patterns, mainly focusing on color matching. The lower body was a bit more complicated, mostly in the form of a skirt, but overall it still felt natural and elegant. Now let's talk about the Tang Dynasty. In the Tang Dynasty, because of this social atmosphere of national unity and economic prosperity, and the really strong inclusiveness to beauty, the style of Hanfu at that time could honestly be described as blooming. Tang-made Hanfu inherited many characteristics from previous dynasties' costumes, like the meticulous costumes of the Zhou Dynasty, the elegant ones from the Wei and Jin Dynasties, and the lively costumes from the Han Dynasty. Building on all that, it created this beautiful and moving prosperous age of the Tang Dynasty, with its own unique grace and magnificence, plus all kinds of gorgeous makeup, which is why Tang-made Hanfu is still especially popular today. Alright, so let's get into the Tang Qixiong Rukun, or Qixiong Rukun. The Qixiong Rukun was super popular in the prosperous Tang Dynasty. The upper part was just a single-layer shirt, and the lower part was usually matched with a pleated skirt, a broken skirt, a colored skirt, and so on. No matter which one you chose, it could really bring out a different flavor every time. Next, there's the Tang Tanling Rukun, or Tanling Rukun. Since Hu culture was, you know, super popular among all classes in the Tang Dynasty, it actually became fashionable for women to wear small-sleeved clothes. The features of the Tanling Rukun, or Tanling Rukun, are inherited from the Sui Dynasty. It's generally tight, with a tan collar and narrow sleeves, but over time, the opening of the jacket gradually increased, which really highlights the women's chest curve. Now, moving on to the Tang Yuanling Robe, or Yuanling Pao. In ancient times, the most common form of Hanfu worn by emperors and officials was the round-neck robe, or Yuanling Robe. Its wearing method was honestly pretty wonderful. It could be worn in the round-neck style, or you could open the collar in the style of Hu Fu. The design of the round-neck robe also brings together features from various ethnic groups, giving it a real sense of classicism. Usually, a pair of trousers can be worn inside as an inner layer, and a leather belt should be added in the middle as a closing treatment. The overall look is just so natural and unrestrained. Plus, it's not only a style that men can wear, women often wore it too. If you look closely, you'll notice that a lot of Song Dynasty. In the Tang Dynasty, the atmosphere was open, and the clothing absorbed many characteristics of Hu Fu. However, in the Song Dynasty, people turned to advocate frugality and elegance. So, the clothing style in this period was more simple and implicit. Songbeizi, Songku, and Songbeidi skirt, or Baidi Kun, are the three main daily costumes in the Song Dynasty. Men in the Song Dynasty also wore round-neck robes. What is the difference between round-neck robes in the Song Dynasty and those in the Tang Dynasty? Well, the round collar in the Song Dynasty looks more scholarly. It not only has a collar button design but also has a flattering collar and a larger neckline, which can reveal the clothes inside. Compared with the closing cuffs in the Tang Dynasty, the cuffs in the Song Dynasty became wider and more casual. Ming Dynasty. Zhu Yuanzhang, the Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty, reformulated the dress system according to the tradition of the Han nationality. The Han Fu of this period not only had the simple style of the Song Dynasty but also inherited the grace of the Tang Dynasty. It was very beautiful. From modern times to modern times, the national costumes of the Korean, Ryukyu, and Jing ethnic groups, like the Korean, Ryukyu, and Yue costumes, were also deeply influenced by the costumes of the Ming Dynasty. Ming Ao Kun or Ao Kun. Yuanling Ao Kun has long styles and short styles. The most common is a short style. This way of wearing is consistent with the jacket and skirt. The upper jacket is treated with pipa sleeves and the lower is a horse-face skirt. Generally, the style of the round neck is embroidered with a round embroidery pattern on the chest, which complements each other. Ming Yuanling Robe or Yuanling Pao. So, just now we've seen the round-necked robes from the Tang and Song Dynasties. Now, let's take a look at how the round-necked robes of the Ming Dynasty are different, shall we? Actually, there's very little resemblance between the Ming Dynasty's round collar robe and the one from the Tang Dynasty, except for, well, the round collar itself. The cuffs in the Ming version are made wider and the overall style feels more elegant and natural. Usually, a palace sash is tied at the waist. And to help distinguish it from robes of earlier dynasties, it even has its own name, Panling Pao. Ming Jishun or Jishun. So, Jishun is actually a kind of official dress from the Ming Dynasty. In the Ming Period, Jishun had a pretty high status and the Royal Guards Hall even considered Jishun a lucky dress. It's a bit more formal than the Taoist robe, especially for special occasions. The Jishun is quite similar to the dragon scatter and it has these double pendulum-like ears on both sides. Ming Yesa or Yi Sa. As one of the men's clothes in the Ming Dynasty, it was actually the daily clothing worn by the emperor, his son, and all civil and military officials. The front piece of the Yesa is cut separately while the back piece is just a whole piece. Horse face pleats are made below the waist. There are small pleats above the large pleats and two pieces called horse ears on the left and right sides, respectively. Ming Flying Fish Suit or Fei Yu Fu. The Flying Fish Suit is a kind of clothing given by the Ming Dynasty. It's called the Flying Fish Suit because of the flying fish patterns on it. The Flying Fish Suit could be a Yesa, a Tieli, a Jishun, or other forms. Basically, as long as there is a flying fish pattern, it's called a Flying Fish Suit. So, the Flying Fish Suit is not a specific form but more like a special gift from the Ming Dynasty. Ming Taoist Robe or Daopao. There are actually many Hanfu styles that can be matched with Taoist robes, such as a cloak or bijia. Many friends, when they hear the term Taoist robe, might think it's the clothing worn by Taoist priests. Actually, that's not the case. It's just a special name for this kind of Hanfu. From the simplicity and elegance of the Wei and Jin Dynasties to the elegance and splendor of the Tang Dynasty and from the elegance of the Song Dynasty to the beauty of the Ming Dynasty, China truly has a long history. Different Hanfu costumes have been derived from this rich history. So, which dynasty of Hanfu do you like best?