What a beauty it is! ChinaIt seems, and is, a world apart, from the food and architecture to the language, customs, and fashion. We can't stop being amazed.
A good purchase if you go to China is to take home accessories, fashion, and traditional jewelry. Everything is special, so today at Actualidad Viajes we have Traditional Chinese Accessories: A Guide for Travelers Who Love Culture and Fashion
Hanfu, traditional Chinese fashion
Hanfu is the name given to the traditional Chinese fashionHan is, in fact, the name of the majority ethnic group in this country, and hanfu is the most Chinese of all garments. Legend has it that its origin dates back 4 years, when Huangdi's wife, Leizu, made silk garments, a craft that only improved over time, over the centuries.
The Chinese aristocratic class, the rulers of the empire up to the Han Dynasty, adopted the hanfu fashion and promoted it enthusiastically to the point of making it the Chinese national dress or costume. has come to influence its neighbors, Vietnam, Korea and Japan.
It is true that the Chinese Revolution changed things a bit, but today Chinese people only wear Hanfu at certain times, festivals, weddings, or when taking photos. But what is haifu fashion all about?
At first, There are hanfu fashions for men and women. A Chinese man dressed in hanfu will have trousers (ku), a shirt (qun or chang), an open-fronted jacket (shan or ru), a men's one-piece suit (pao), and an open-collared shirt (yi).
Later They carry several decorative accessories called pei, And the more a person has, the more high-class they will be. If it's a woman, they'll have jewelry in their hair, and if it's a man, a hat.
Hanfu fashion can be divided into three: jacket with skirt, jacket with pants or one-piece dressThe most popular is the first, a favorite among women. Women's fashion is the best.
Hay hairpins, the most common accessory of all, from simple to elaborate. There are also crowns, an even more beautiful accessory, which used every day was striking, or pendants also for the head, which moved when walking, shaped like butterflies, wings…
The bows in the hair They are also a common traditional Chinese accessory in Hanfu fashion, worn by both girls and boys. pending earrings are another beautiful detail, the same as the fabrics called pibo, lightweight and often made of silk. Sometimes the longer pibo, draped over the shoulder and wrapped around the hands, were often embossed in gold or silver.
And the shoes. The embroidered shoes are an exemplary of traditional Chinese fashion, a true ancient art. And the fans! Indispensable.
In addition to shoes and fans, Hanfu ladies did not go out without their Life, exquisite small, round bags. Today, the modern version is still as cool as those. Finally, the necklaces are called yingluo and they were a little longer than normal necklaces.
All made with gold, silver, jade, precious stones and silk.
Cheongsam
The qipao dress is the one we all know and is a garment that evolved from the changpao dress of Manchu women, from the Qing Dynasty. The Manchus were called Qi by the Han, and that's why the dress is called qipao.
So originally, The qipao comes from the Qing Dynasty and then the model evolved in the Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai styles, with their corresponding decorations, colors, designs and materials.
The Beijing style is the most conservative and traditional of the three, with brighter colors and much more elaborate decorations. The Shanghai style is more commercial, a bit more Western, and the Hong Kong style is the most influenced by European fashion, with shorter sleeves than its siblings and simpler decorations.
Tang suit
This type of suit refers to a type of Chinese jacket rather than the Tang Dynasty itself. It seems that The origin of this costume dates back to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), and derives from a certain type of Manchu clothing, the magua.
It has to be said that Magua comes from outside mainland China. The Tang Empire was vast and prosperous, so the Chinese were known as the Tang people. Their clothing then became known as Tang suits.
What is the Tang suit like? It is a jacket with button-front, mandarin collar, and buttons made with intricately tied laces. They usually have Chinese characters that express best wishes and good luck.
Today they have become the formal attire, for example, to wear at Chinese New Year, weddings and important events.
Zhongshan Suit
It's what you know as the traditional Mao suitIt is nothing more than a particular type of jacket popularized in the West by Mao Zedong, although it was first adopted by Dr. Sun Yat-sen.
This type of garment combines traditional Chinese styles with Western stylesl. The jacket has four pockets large in the front, two at the top and two at the bottom, on the right and left. It has five buttons down the front with smaller buttons on each sleeve.
The Mao suit, or Zhongshan, It can be worn on formal or informal occasions because it has a symmetrical shape, is elegant, and isn't flashy. Depending on the situation, yes, the color can vary.
Finally, what you need to know about traditional Chinese fashion and accessories is that There is design, gender and color. That is, first, there are women's clothes and men's clothes. Second, in everyday life, the most common colors are lighter ones because yellow, red, or purple were formerly reserved for the imperial family, and white for generals. Third, the cut is always straight and loose, and the most common fabrics have been cotton, linen, and silk.
Examples of these garments and traditional Chinese accessories you will find them in shops and marketsYou can buy them in various qualities, as souvenirs or as everyday items. The choice is yours.