Chinese Culture Hanfu

blogs about Chinese archaeology, Chinese Hanfu culture and Chinese history etc

[chinesehanfu]

【Historical Artifact Reference】:

Ming Dynasty Royal Portrait:

・Portrait of Empress Xiaoduanxian (Chinese: 孝端顯皇后; 7 November 1564 – 7 May 1620) In ceremonial dress (翟衣/di yi)

・Nine Dragons and Nine Phoenix Crowns of Empress Xiaoduanxian (※This Phoenix Crowns only for important ceremonial occasion which call “礼冠/Li Guan” wear with ceremonial dress(翟衣/di yi) 

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Unearthed from Ming Dynasty royal mausoleum Ming Dingling (明定陵)  , is a mausoleum wehre Wanli Emperor, together with his two empresses Wang Xijie and Dowager Xiaojing, was buried.

In addition to this phoenix crown, the Empress has another phoenix crown for other occasions.

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Collection of the National Museum of China.

This phoenix crown is 35.5 cm high, 20 cm in diameter, and weighs more than 2,000 grams. It is inlaid with hundreds of high-quality gemstones of various colors and decorated with more than 5,000 fine pearls.

[Hanfu・漢服]Chinese Ming Dynasty Traditional Clothing Hanfu (翟衣) & Phoenix Crown (鳳冠)  Reference to Ming Dynasty Relics & Empress Portrait

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【History Note】

Diyi (Chinese: 翟衣), also called known as huiyi (褘衣) and miaofu (Chinese: 庙服), is the historical Chinese attire worn by the empresses of the Song dynasty and by the empresses and crown princesses (wife of crown prince) in the Ming Dynasty. 

The Diyi also had different names based on its colour, such as yudi, quedi, and weidi. It is a formal wear meant only for ceremonial purposes. It is a form of shenyi (Chinese: 深衣), and is embroidered with long-tail pheasants (Chinese: 翟; pinyin: dí or Chinese: 褘; pinyin: hui) and circular flowers (Chinese: 小輪花; pinyin: xiǎolúnhuā). It is worn with guan known as fengguan (lit. 'phoenix crown') which is typically characterized by the absence of dangling string of pearls by the sides. It was first recorded as Huiyi in the Zhou dynasty(1050–221 BCE).

The Diyi follows the traditional Confucian standard system for dressing, which is embodied in its form through the shenyi(深衣) system. The garment known as shenyi(深衣) is itself the most orthodox style of clothing in traditional Chinese Confucianism; its usage of the concept of five colours, and the use of di-pheasant bird pattern.

【 Influence to Other Country】

Korea

Korean queens started to wear the Diyi (Korean: 적의; Hanja: 翟衣) in 1370 AD under the final years of Gongmin of Goryeo,when Goryeo adopted the official ceremonial attire of the Ming dynasty. Same as the early Korea Joseon, were bestowed by the Ming Dynasty.

According to the Annals of Joseon, from 1403 to the first half of the 17th century the Ming Dynasty sent a letter, which confers the korea queen with a title along with the following items: 翟冠(Ming womens whose husband held the highest government official posts can wear this kind of crown,different from Ming Empress Phoenix Crown 鳳冠), a vest called 褙子(Beizi), and a 霞帔(Xiapei). However, the Diyi sent by the Ming dynasty did not correspond to those worn by the Ming empresses as Joseon was considered to be ranked two ranks lower than Ming.

Instead the Diyi which was bestowed corresponded to the Ming women's whose husband held the highest government official posts. In the early Ming Dynasty period, the Diyi were given to Korea Joseon By Ming, but after the Ming Dynasty reformed the clothing system, The Ming Dynasty bestow the 大衫( Dà shān) to the Korean queen instead of Diyi. The Diyi worn by the Korean queen and crown princess was originally made of red silk; it then became blue in 1897 when the Joseon king and queen were elevated to the status of emperor and empress.

it then became blue in 1897 when the Joseon king and queen were elevated to the status of emperor and empress.

After the fall of the Ming Dynasty, the system of China granting clothing to Korea was interrupted. Korea Joseon were forced to become tributary state of the Qing Dynasty. Korea Joseon carried out "nationalization" based on the costumes bestowed by the Ming Dynasty in the past.  But according <Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty Volume 46> "嬪宮冊禮時, 旣有翟衣, 則當有翟冠, 而我國匠人不解翟冠之制。 考諸《謄錄》, 則宣廟朝壬寅年嘉禮時, 都監啓以: ‘七翟冠之制, 非但匠人未有解知者, 各樣等物, 必須貿取於中朝, 而終難自本國製造, 何以爲之?’ 云則宣庙有: ‘冠則制造爲難。’ 之敎。 “

Although Korea Joseon has Diyi,but no craftsman know how to make 翟冠(Di Guan), and the materials needed for make 翟冠(Di Guan) need to be taken from China (which need money for that). After all, it is difficult to manufacture in Korea. Therefore, Korea Joseon has not worn 翟冠(Di Guan) since the fall of the Ming Dynasty and change it to 대수머리(大首머리)

Korea "nationalization" process↓

대수머리(大首머리)

Japan

In Japan, the features of the Tang dynasty-style huiyi was found as a textile within the formal attire of the Heian Japanese empresses.

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📝Recreation Work & Hanfu： @执月传统服饰 &  @鱼墨呀

📸Photo： @执月传统服饰 &  @鱼墨呀

🛍️Tabao：https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.16.1edc69a6bumOJ8&id=636369495576&ns=1&abbucket=16#detail

🔗Weibo：https://weibo.com/7454398796/K4mehzhsg

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[fuckyeahchinesefashion]

Historically accurate reconstructions of chinese hanfu, restored from archaeological artifacts (Jinhua Museum collection金华博物馆, cr 中国古代装束复原小组)

[chinesehanfu]

[Hanfu · 漢服]Chinese Tang Dynasty(618–907AD)Traditional Clothing Hanfu Based On Mural of Tomb of the Wei Concubine

【Historical Reference Artifacts】: China Tang Dynasty Mural- Tomb of the Wei Concubine in the Tang-dynasty /唐昭陵韦贵妃墓Zhao Mausoleum Compound

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🧚‍♀️Creative Direction, Costume & Model：@烛烛晨明月

💄Hair & Makeup：@化妆师徐恒新sean

📸Photography: @意生国风汉服摄影

🔗Xiaohongshu App：https://www.xiaohongshu.com/discovery/item/68e961840000000003039e43?source=webshare&xhsshare=pc_web&xsec_token=ABx8pr32Kg4x3h3WDphXHo96P9EIo--kioFCrugTFWxRA=&xsec_source=pc_share

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[hanfugallery]

Recreation of Chinese hanfu in Ming dynasty by 明华堂

[hanfugallery]

Chinese hanfu | Mens formal wear in Ming dynasty by 明华堂

[chinesehanfu]

[Hanfu · 漢服]Chinese Tang Dynasty(618–907AD)Traditional Clothing Hanfu Based On Dunhuang Mural of Tang Dynasty

【Historical Reference Artifacts】:

China Tang Dynasty Dunhuang Mural《The Donor in Cave 45 of Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes/莫高窟第45窟供养人像 》

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📸Photography：@陶陶玉之

👗Hanfu: @青泠谷

📸Photography: @陶陶玉之

Editing: @来自东土大唐的葡萄

🔗Xiaohongshu App：https://www.xiaohongshu.com/discovery/item/695e23d3000000001a029ae0?source=webshare&xhsshare=pc_web&xsec_token=AB6n3AkzSY1VYhXD9400NOl09CAMN9dInzSaS3Ixkiam4=&xsec_source=pc_share

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[peekofhistory]

Pssst do you have any other fun facts about Chinese opera for people who haven’t been exposed to much of it?

（Peking Opera performance at the 2014 Chinese New Year Gala)

Hellooooooo~

Oh, goodness, that's a deep well to dive into xD There's a lot to know about Chinese opera.

Chinese opera incorporates every kind of opera that exists in China, pretty much every local region has their own style of Opera, there's about 360 different ones. There's Peking Opera, Huangmei Opera, Yue Opera (Shanghai/Shaoxing), Yue Opera (Guangdong province), Yu Opera, Chuan Opera, Kunqu Opera, Ping Opera, the city I'm in (Yangzhou) has Yang Opera, etc.

Out of all of these, the most famous would be Peking Opera (京剧/Jingju), it's recognized nationally as 国粹/Guocui meaning it originated in China and has deep cultural roots, representing a cultural heritage of the people. It has also been recognized by UNESCO as an international Intangible Cultural Heritage.

I'll focus on Peking Opera (my favourites are Peking Opera, Yue Opera (Shanghai/Shaoxing), and Huangmei Opera).

Peking Opera was created in the Qing Dynasty (last imperial dynasty of China). Back then, people in the performing arts were viewed as the lowest tier of society, parents did everything they could to prevent their kids from entering into a profession performing. Only when households were incredibly poor, did kids get "sold" into opera troupes. Yes, sold, like property. These kids would learn various skills like singing, acting, martial arts skills that would be used on stage. It was very brutal, getting up at dawn to practice splits, flips, and teachers back then would hit if you didn't meet their standards. No such thing as child labour laws back then.

There's a saying in China, "台下十年功，台上十分钟", behind the scenes ten years work, on stage ten minutes. Meaning For ten minutes on stage, a performer needed to work and practice for ten years, and this absolutely applied for Opera performers. Even today in China, it's well known that opera performers need decades of work before being able to perform on stage (yes, most opera performers even today got into it as children, not sold into a troupe like in the past, but being signed up for classes when they're very young to practice all the skills needed, kind of like ballerinas, there are certain skills that you just need to practice from young to learn for this artform).

Currently there's several major schools of Peking Opera. This refers to their singing style for particular characters. For example, for characters in the "Dan" category (旦角/Danjue - referring to young woman of wealthier families, elegant and well-mannered) there are 4 major schools: - Mei School (梅派) - Cheng School (程派) - Xun School (荀派) - Shang School (尚派)

The names refer to the person who created each school:

Mei Lanfang (梅兰芳)

Cheng Yanqiu (程砚秋)

Xun Huisheng (荀慧生)

Shang Xiaoyun (尚小云)

You'll notice these are all men. Back then, women weren't permitted on stage with men, so men took on all roles, include female. This has changed today, so women are able to perform Peking Opera as well. (Shanghai/Shaoxing Yue Opera (越剧) is the opposite, all the actors are women. Even today, a distinct aspect of Yue Opera is almost all actors are still women, I think there's just 1 or 2 men in the entire country who perform Yue Opera today).

Here's my favourite Yue Opera actor, Wu Fenghua (吴凤花), she plays male roles. Not gonna lie, first time I saw her I thought, "Maybe I'm bi..." xD

Anyway! Back to Peking Opera.

Chinese Opera in general has a lot of rules. How each movement is made, how to walk, talk, sit, etc. There's a lot of mime acting without props. Once you get familiar with the movements, it gets easier to understand stories onstage, otherwise it can be a bit confusing.

The clothing and makeup also have a lot of rules. There are certain characters who always wear similar clothing regardless of which troupe is performing.

For Peking Opera, characters are also split into categories based on gender, age, societal rank, etc. For example:

Dan characters (旦角) are young women, married or unmarried. Dan characters facial make up are pale-faced, black brows, full black eyeliner around the eyes slanted upwards, red lips.

Within the Dan category there's a further breakdown:

Qingyi (青衣) or Zhengdan (正但) are young women coming from wealthy families, they hold themselves elegantly and are well-mannered.

This is Yang Yuhuan (杨玉环), a Qingyi/Zhengdan. She was a famous concubine of the Tang Dynasty. That large headpiece along with the elaborate robes depicts she's part of the royal family. The white sleeves are called "water sleeves" (水袖) and can be unfolded to emphasize movements, emotions, etc.

Wudan (武但) are young women who are skilled at fighting.

This is Mu Guiying (穆桂英), a famous female general of the Song Dynasty. Those two long feathers on her headpiece, the 4 flags on her back, the flag she's holding, all depict she's a general. As an audience, even if you don't know the character, this outfit would clue you in that she's high-ranked in the military.

Next we have a Huadan (花旦), young women who are lively, slightly younger than Qingyi/Zhengdan maybe, not quite as elegant. She's flamboyant, has her hair in an updo, lots of vibrant accessories, etc. This character is Hongniang (红娘), a maid who plays matchmaker for the family's young daughter. Because the daughter fell in love with a poor scholar, her mom refuses to let them meet, but Hongniang skillfully finds ways to get them together. She's outgoing, fun, lots of energy.

Here we have a Qingyi/Zhengdan character. She's wearing all black, minimal hair accessories, very simply clothing, this tells us she's a widow.

Next to her, is a Laosheng (老生), a man who's usually middle-aged (middle-aged in this case being like...~30 and up). Laosheng's makeup looks very similar to the Dan makeup, pale-faced, black brows, black full eyeliner slanted upwards, they have this pink area right in between the eyes going up the middle of their forehead, and always has a long beard.

(In this show, this dude is actually her husband. She thought he was ded, that's why she's wearing the widow outfit, he sneaks back home but she doesn't recognized him and he starts flirting with her to see if she's still faithful to him -__- Like dude, you're supposedly ded, leave her alone.)

Here we have another Laosheng, same make-up as the guy above, with the beard. That fan in his hand tells me this character is Zhuge Liang (诸葛亮), a famous Prime Minister during the Three Kingdoms period. His character always has that fan, and pretty much always wears this outfit.

Next we have a Xiaosheng (小生), these are young men, married or unmarried. Their makeup is similar to Laosheng except no beard.

Here we have a Wusheng (武生), a male character skilled at fighting. Again, you can see he's got the 4 flags on his back, he has a spear in one hand, and that thing in his other hand with all those tassles that symbolizes a horse whip. So he's riding a horse here.

The next category is Hualian (花脸), super recognizable xDD Their makeup is all colours of the rainbow, and it always covers the entire face. They also always have a long beard.

Hualian characters are usually quick-tempered, boisterous, not the scholarly type. The colours and patterns depict the personality of the characters.

Pic 1) Baogong (包公), a famous judge of the Song Dynasty, famed for being just and unbending to attempts at bribery or pressure from the rich and powerful. His face is mostly patterned with black. Black depicts fierce honesty, righteousness, incorruptable.

Pic 2) Guanyu (关羽), a famous general of the Three Kingdoms period (you might've seen statues of him in shops in Chinatown, he's always red-faced with a long beard). His face pattern is mostly red, red depicts loyalty, honesty, a fierce warrior.

Pic 3) Caocao (曹操), a famous...I don't know how to categorize him but he's from the Three Kingdoms period too. His facial pattern is mostly white, white depicts villainy, treachery, paranoia/suspiscious.

So through the colours and patterns of someone's Hualian we know what kind of character they are, even if you don't know the story.

These guys are Choujue (丑角), their makeup is always a patch of white in the centre of the face. These characters are usually for comedic effect.

There's other character categories too, but these are some of the main ones ^^;;

I love going to watch Opera in theatre, everytime it's super exciting. Around Chinese new year they tend to have a lot of performances, and I was in Beijing this past CNY, so I managed to catch 4 shows in the span of 3 weeks xD

I already have 2 more tickets for May, lollllllll. I've loved Chinese Opera since I was really young, like...elementary school I remember going to Chinatown to buy VHS tapes of Chinese Opera movies. Back then I didn't know much about them, just though the songs sounded nice and the clothing and set designs were pretty. I really got into it when I turned 13. An older Chinese friend of my mom's heard I liked watching Chinese Opera and lent me a VHS of the Chinese New Year Chinese Opera Gala. It's a gala they hold every year on CNY with just Chinese Opera performances of all different types. That was the first time I got exposed to the different styles (I still have that tape).

Unfortunately I never found any live performances outside of China, so this time when I came back I decided to get my fill xDD

Anyway, I hope that was helpful!! If you have any other questions, feel free to let me know :D

[hanfugallery]

how chinese women dress in ming dynasty.

reference by ancient paintings.

the following are some historical artifacts of women’s clothing from the ming dynasty.

[chinesehanfu]

[Hanfu · 漢服]Chinese Five Dynasties & Ten Kingdoms Period(907-979) Traditional Clothing Hanfu & Hairstyle

【Historical Reference Artifacts】: Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period：Murals From Tomb of Wang Chuzhi王處直(862–922)

【The Aesthetics of Sorrow: Bazi Eyebrows in Ancient China】

In the tomb of Wang Chuzhi, most of the female figures are depicted with bazi (八字) eyebrows—named for their resemblance to the shape of the Chinese character “八.” Their expressions appear sorrowful, almost as if they are caught in a moment of quiet lament.

Poet Li Yishan once wrote, “寿阳公主嫁时妆，八字宫眉捧额黄” — “The makeup worn when Princess Shouyang married: palace-style bazi eyebrows framing the forehead, touched with yellow.”

This suggests that bazi eyebrows were originally a style worn by women in the imperial palace. By this period, however, the trend had spread among the common people. Without the refined techniques of palace cosmetics, the result often looked quite different—the finished makeup gave the impression of a face filled with sorrow, as if on the verge of tears.

In Guiyuan (《闺怨》), the poet Wei Zhuang described this look as “啼妆晓不干，素面凝香雪” — “a weeping makeup that does not dry by dawn, a plain face like fragrant, congealed snow.” The imagery captures a lingering sense of sadness, as though the tears have never quite dried.

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👗 Hanfu：@装束复原桑缬

💄 Stylist：@安心老师🍃

📸Photography: @装束复原桑缬

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[ziseviolet]

Hi! I had a question regarding colors and prints on hanfu. In Western society, there’s an emphasis on making sure children’s clothing is gendered (i.e. the “pink aisle”). Was this a thing with traditional Chinese fashion as well?

Hi! Thanks for the question, and sorry for taking ages to reply! (boy's hanfu photo via 小名子曰):

Generally speaking, no -- gendering children's clothing by color was not a thing with traditional Chinese fashion.

Historically in China, color was associated with social class, not gender, as the use of color was influenced by social status and economic ability. Expensive dyes were mostly used by the nobility, while commoners wore colors made from natural dyes.

Common colors for children's clothing - both boys and girls - included red, blue, green, white, beige, and light gray. Red was one of the most popular colors in children's clothing, symbolizing good fortune, happiness, and warding off evil. Blue was commonly worn because its dyes were relatively easy to obtain. Green was often used in everyday clothing and represented youth and vitality. Neutral and light colors were often used for baby swaddling clothes, underwear, and summer clothing. Below - recreations of red, blue, and beige boys' hanfu from the Song (left) & Ming (right) dynasties:

You can see the use of these common colors - red, blue, green, white, beige - in the below paintings from the Song and Ming dynasties. Paintings 1-3 (Song & Ming) each depict an older sister with her younger brother (1/2/3); paintings 4-5 (Song) depict boys at play (1/2); and paintings 6-7 (Ming) depict girls at play (1/2):

Colors that are now considered "for girls" in the West were worn by children of both genders. For example, pink was often referred to as "light scarlet" and was considered a version of red. Red tones (including light scarlet) were often worn by the wealthy and powerful due to the preciousness of the dyes and the complexity of the processing. Therefore, boys of upper-class families would wear pink as a reflection of status. Below - first row: recreations of pink boys' hanfu from the Ming (left) & Song (right) dynasties; second row: paintings of pink girls' hanfu from the Tang dynasty (x):

Purple was also worn by boys of noble/royal families as a reflection of status and privilege, given the expensive cost of purple dye. Below - recreations of purple boys' clothing from the Song (left) & Qing (right) dynasties:

When it came to prints/patterns, boys' clothes were more likely to display dragons and tigers, while girls' clothes were more likely to display phoenixes and butterflies, but most patterns were gender-neutral. For example, the below recreations depict floral patterns on boys' hanfu from the Ming (left) & Song (right) dynasties:

The historical lack of gendered colors and prints allows people recreating children's hanfu to take inspiration from depictions of any gender, as seen below in this adorable recreation of a Tang dynasty boy's hanfu worn by a girl (x):

For more references, please see my childrens hanfu, colors, prints, patterns, motifs, and unisex tags.

Hope this helps! ^^

[chinesehanfu]

[Hanfu · 漢服]Chinese Tang Dynasty(618–907AD)Traditional Clothing Hanfu Based On Figurines of Tang Dynasty

【Historical Reference Artifacts】:

Painted Female Figurine

Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE)

Collection of the Xi’an Museum,China

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📸Photography：@清溪长

🔗Xiaohongshu App：http://xhslink.com/o/977iWrX7mlb

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[chinesehanfu]

[Hanfu · 漢服] China Ming Dynasty (1368–1644)Traditional Clothing Hanfu Photoshoots

Everyday Court Attire of the Ming Empress: The Yanju Crown and Garment (燕居冠服) and Its Symbolism

The everyday attire of empresses in the Ming dynasty of China was also known as Yanju Crown and Garment（燕居冠服）. Its function ranked only second to formal ceremonial dress and it was used for various ritual occasions. For example, after an empress was officially invested, once she completed the thanksgiving rites in full ceremonial dress, she would return to the palace, change into the Yanju Crown and Garment（燕居冠服）, and then receive congratulatory greetings from her inner-family relatives, as well as from the Six Offices female officials (六尚女官) and the eunuchs of the various supervisory directorates (各监局内使).

The Double-Phoenix Supporting Dragon Crown（双凤翊龙冠） was the Yanju crown of the empress （燕居冠）. The Collected Statutes of the Ming Dynasty (《明会典》) provides a detailed description of its form:

“The Double-Phoenix Supporting Dragon Crown （双凤翊龙冠） was made of black gauze （皂縠）, adorned with kingfisher-feather Boshan ornaments （翠博山）. On the crown was one golden dragon （金龙）, flanked by two pearl-and-kingfisher phoenixes （珠翠凤）, each holding pearl pendants （珠滴） in their beaks. At the front and back were two pearl peony flowers （珠牡丹花）, each with eight stamens （蕊头八个）, thirty-six kingfisher leaves （翠叶三十六叶）, and two side ornaments inlaid with pearls and kingfisher feathers （珠翠穰/镶花鬓）. There were twenty-one pearl-and-kingfisher cloud motifs （珠翠云二十一片）, one pair of kingfisher mouth rings （翠口圈）, and nine golden treasure floral ornaments （金宝钿花九）, each set with one pearl （上饰珠九颗）. A pair of golden phoenixes （金凤一对） held pearl knots （珠结） in their beaks. There were six Boshan side panels （三博鬓，左右共六扇）, decorated with luan and phoenix motifs （鸾凤）, twenty-four golden treasure ornaments （金宝钿二十四）, with pearl pendants hanging from the edges （边垂珠滴）. The crown was also fitted with one pair of golden hairpins （金簪一对） and one pair of coral phoenix beaks （珊瑚凤冠觜/嘴一副）.”

As everyday attire, the Yanju crown （燕居冠） was worn together with the everyday robe （常服大衫） and the ceremonial cape （霞帔）.

As shown in the images above many China Ming dynasty empresses are depicted wearing the Yanju crown （燕居冠） while dressed in bright yellow or nearly orange colours robes reflecting a standardized and recognizable visual representation of empressly attire during the Ming dynasty.Although the Yanju crowns worn by each empress differ in their specific details, this variation reflects the fact that each crown was individually crafted by artisans for a particular empress, and, following the empress's death, was required to be buried together with her as part of the burial goods.

There are also extant crowns excavated from Ming dynasty imperial tombs. Among them below crown belonging to Empress Xiaoduan (孝端皇后), unearthed from a Ming imperial mausoleum, as shown in the following images

Unearthed in 1957 from the Dingling Mausoleum of the Ming Thirteen Tombs in Changping District, Beijing （1957年北京市昌平区明十三陵定陵出土）.

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📸Photo:@虞小姐古装摄影

🔗Xiaohongshu:https://www.xiaohongshu.com/discovery/item/695f6d8b000000000a0282a0?source=webshare&xhsshare=pc_web&xsec_token=ABtjwhnXtT1go1rBFKSQHo77tDAjWDiO7wQijANpwOaDc=&xsec_source=pc_share

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[chinesehanfu]

【Chinese Animation “Yao Chinese Folktales”Episode 1: How to Become Three Dragons/Loong】ENG SUB

(Quick tip: you can turn on English subtitles by clicking CC.)

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you might remember that I've recommended Yao Chinese Folktales before. Good news: the series is back this year with a new story, and the first episode, How to Become Three Dragons, is absolutely worth your time.

What I really like about this series is its shift in focus. Instead of centering the story around a powerful main character, a chosen one, or some larger-than-life figure, it tells a fable through ordinary people—and creatures—that sit much closer to the ground. Farmers, villagers, gods who don’t quite do their job, and three small snakes who are definitely not heroes at the start.

That’s where the story gets interesting.

This is a original fable in the best sense. It’s simple on the surface, but everyone will see something different in it. Some people might read it as a story about belief and disappointment. Others might see it as a cycle—how new figures rise when the old ones stop working, and how power slowly changes those who hold it. You can even watch it as a dark fairy tale about waiting, bargaining, and knowing when patience runs out.

What the animation does really well is avoid telling you who to root for. There's no“correct” main character. The so-called gods dont feel all-powerful, and the snakes dont feel like clean-cut heroes either. The focus stays on how small, ordinary lives are affected when systems fail and how change often comes from unexpected, very imperfect places.

This is exactly why I like Yao Chinese Folktales as a series. Its not flashy, and it doesn’t rely on epic protagonists. Instead, it uses folklore to talk about very human things: hope, responsibility, power, and repetition.

If you enjoyed the series when I mentioned it before, or if you like animated stories that feel quiet but sharp, I'd strongly recommend checking out this new episode. It’s short, thoughtful, and the kind of story that makes you want to discuss it afterward.

[fuckyeahchinesefashion]

OP: Now I understand why people in old times loved visiting lantern festival so much. I recreated the shrimp lantern for yuanxiaojie/ lantern festival in Song dynasty and Ming dynasty. It can be folded, unfolded, and even moved.

[hanfugallery]

Recreation of chinese hanfu (Attire of Scholars) in ming dynasty by 明华堂

[chinesehanfu]

[Hanfu · 漢服]Chinese Tang Dynasty(618–907AD)Traditional Clothing Hanfu Based On Mural of Tang Dynasty

【Historical Reference Artifacts】:

China Tang DynastyMural from the Tomb of Consort Yan(609–671)——《Musicians Scene & Paired Female Dancers /燕妃墓乐舞图》

The tomb is located in Dongping Village, Yanxia Township, Liquan County, approximately 2 kilometers northwest of Zhao Mausoleum. The front section of the tomb was destroyed in earlier years. In 1990, after a case of tomb robbery, archaeologists carried out a brief cleaning of the remaining open areas in the rear section of the tomb and collected dozens of mural fragments. Among them, the Music and Dance Scenes and the Twelve-Panel Paintings are considered exceptionally fine examples of Tang-dynasty tomb murals. On the east wall of the burial chamber, the southern section features the “Musicians Scene”, while the northern section contains the “Paired Female Dancers”—both masterpieces that vividly reflect the high level of musical and choreographic development during that period.

The “Musicians Scene” (Figures 1–4) depicts a performance by a “standing orchestra” (libuji). The composition employs a flat, two-dimensional horizontal arrangement, yet the postures of the figures show no repetition. Four court performers stand in full ceremonial attire, each with a different hairstyle. Three face sideways while one faces forward; three wear performance costumes with hairstyles such as the “Flying Celestial Bun” and the “Double-Ring Bun,” adorned with floral crowns. From left to right: one plays the dongxiao (flute), and one plays the pipa . To the right stands a court lady, smiling as she watches. Her clothing is plain and unadorned; her hair is tied simply in a high bun. She holds no instrument and stands with empty hands—appearing either as an attendant captivated by the performance or as a dancer preparing to go on stage.

In contrast to the serenity of the “Musicians Scene,” the “Paired Female Dancers” (Figure 5) on the northern section of the east wall is full of movement. The composition is symmetrical and balanced, with vibrant colors. The two dancers have sweet facial expressions, wear large coiffures decorated with ornate golden hair ornaments, and are dressed in flowing wide-sleeved robes. Their bodies tilt dynamically as they dance, with ribbons swirling gracefully around them. The headdress pendants, fluttering sashes, and the decorative striped skirts swaying left and right all convey a vivid sense of rhythm and motion.

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💄Styling: @古卷

📸Photography: @古卷

💻Post-production: @摄影师 韩超（拍摄 器材）

🔗Xiaohongshu App：https://www.xiaohongshu.com/explore/67d0543e0000000029029a23?xsec_token=ABHoQ0gO6lAJC25dm1QoHx9Kx9m0Ky_kjocnAywHeKyDU=&xsec_source=pc_search&source=unknown

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[hanfugallery]

Recreation of chinese hanfu in ming dynasty by 明华堂