What is the traditional
clothing of the Chinese?
Many people
will say it is Cheongsam (for ladies) and Changshan (for men). The Cheongsam that we see today is actually a modernised version (from
loose cutting to tight cutting) that originated from Shanghai at about 100
years ago. What about before that? Both Cheongsam and Changshan were from the
Qing dynasty where the Manchurians ruled over the Han Chinese about 400 years
ago. Because the ruler is from another ethnic, the Han Chinese people were
forced to adopt the culture and clothing of the Manchurians. The dynasty before
Qing dynasty was the Ming dynasty, which was the last Han Chinese dynasty, and the
clothing of the Han people are called Hanfu.
Who is Han
Chinese?
Before the Han
Dynasty, Han Chinese was called the "Huaxia people" (華夏族, interpreted
to mean "civilized society"). The Han Dynasty was considered a
classical period in Chinese civilization. As a result of the Han Dynasty's
prominence, many Chinese began addressing themselves as "people of
Han" (漢人), and later
during the Tang Dynasty, the
term (唐人, literally "the people of Tang")
started to exist. Now, the term commonly used by Overseas Chinese is Huaren ( 華人), derived
from Zhonghua (中華), a literary name for China, or commonly known
as the Chinese by the world.
Han Chinese
is the majority ethnic in Chinese people. Today, Han Chinese constitute
approximately 92% of the population of China, 98% of the population of Taiwan,
74% of the population of Singapore, 24.5% of population of Malaysia, and about
20% of the entire global human population, making it the largest ethnic group
in the world.
Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_Chinese
General
misconception about Hanfu
Many people called it ancient clothing (古装) due to the influence of the dramas and
movies that they have watched since they were young, and thus does not think it
is suitable for people to wear it in modern times. Some people have even mistaken Hanfu for Japanese Kimono
or Korean Hanbok as they are quite similar in some context due to the cross influence
in the Chinese culture history.
Why should I
wear Hanfu?
It is the
traditional clothing that belongs to the Han Chinese, the majority ethnic among
the Chinese people. Although it has been lost for about 300-400 years in Chinese
history, it does not mean that we should forget about it completely. Instead,
more efforts should be placed into reviving our rich and valuable culture.
When the
sense of self-identity of an ethnic with rich culture is strong, people would tends
to be more confident and have a positive attitude towards life, just like how
Japanese and Korean are proud of their cultural inheritance.
Of course,
those who are not Chinese are also welcome to know more about Hanfu. In Malaysia,
we are a multi-ethnic country where we respect and share each other’s cultures
like one big family, which make us truly unique in the eyes of the world.
When should I
wear it?
Actually
Hanfu is not just one type of clothing; it is the clothing that is worn by the
Han Chinese. So it actually ranges from casual wear to formal wear for all
level of people in the past, and there were also different types that are
suitable for hot and cold climate to suits the four seasons. In today’s world,
we can wear them during specific traditional celebration like Chinese New Year,
Mid-autumn festival, or important event like your wedding. We encourage people
to wear it more and introduce them to their friends and relatives so that more
people can know about it.
What problem
I might face and how to solve it?
You might
feel awkward or embarrassed to wear it as most people out there do not have any
knowledge about Hanfu. We do not want to see people who are wearing their
traditional clothing being laughed at as well, and it should deserve the
respect from others. You do not laugh at Malays wearing Baju Kurungs, Indians wearing
Saris, or Japanese wearing Kimonos, do you?
Proper
education and spreading of knowledge is needed so that more people know about
it. Then, acceptance will become easier.
Where can I
find more information about this?
An
informative blog about Hanfu: http://golddragon711.blogspot.com/2011/03/about-hanfu.html
Malaysia
Hanfu movement Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hanfumalaysia
About Hanfu
movement: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanfu_movement
Where can I
find it?
There is no
shop that sells Hanfu in Malaysia yet. Hanfu are usually tailored made and
purchased directly from China, which is quite time consuming. We are hoping
that more people can have their own Hanfu. Therefore we encourage people to
learn making their own Hanfu, or purchase it online. For people who do not have
the patience to wait, I have also stocked up some Hanfu and make it available
for sale online. However, the sizes available are limited. If the size fits, please
do not hesitate to order from me to own your very own Hanfu! Hopefully, one
day, this online Hanfu blog will become a physical Hanfu shop. J
