Please can you explain the difference of meaning between hanfu and huafu ? Sorry if you already got the question
Hi, thanks for the question, and sorry for taking ages to reply! (hanfu photoĀ via)
The term āhanfuā (traditional Chinese: ę¼¢ę, simplified Chinese: ę±ę) literally means āHan clothingā, and refers to the traditional clothing of the Han Chinese people. āHanā (ę¼¢/ę±) here refers to the Han Chinese ethnic group (not the Han dynasty), and āfuā (ę) means āclothingā. As I explained in this post, the modern meaning of āhanfuā is defined by the hanfu revival movement and community. As such, there is a lot of gatekeeping by the community around what is or isnāt hanfu (based on historical circumstances, cultural influences, tailoring & construction, etc). This isnāt a bad thing - in fact, I think gatekeeping to a certain extent is helpful and necessary when it comes to reviving and defining historical/traditional clothing. However, this also led to the need for a similarly short, catchy term that would include all Chinese clothing that didnāt fit the modern definition of hanfu -- enter huafu.
The termĀ āhuafuā (traditional Chinese: čÆę, simplified Chinese: åę) as it is used today has a broader definition than hanfu.Ā āHuaā (čÆ/å) refers to the Chinese people (äøåę°ę/zhonghua minzu), and again āfuā (ę) means āclothingā. It is an umbrella term for all clothing that is related to Chinese history and/or culture. Thus all hanfu is huafu, but not all huafu is hanfu. Below are examples of Chinese clothing that are generallyĀ not considered hanfu by the hanfu community for various reasons, but areĀ considered huafu:
1. Most fashions that originated during the Qing dynastyĀ (1644ā1911), especially late Qing, including theĀ Qing aoqun & aokuĀ for women, and the Qing changshanĀ andĀ maguaĀ for men. I wrote about whether Qing dynasty clothing can be considered hanfu here. Tangzhuang, which is an updated form of the Qing magua popularized in 2001, can also fit into this category. Below - garments in the style of Han womenās clothing during the Qing dynastyĀ (ęø
ę±å„³č£
) from 秦綿蔣č (1, 2).
2.Ā Fashions that originated during the Republican era/minguo (1912-1949), including the minguo aoqunĀ & aokuĀ andĀ qipao/cheongsamĀ for women, and the minguo changshanĀ for men (the male equivalent of the womenās qipao). I wrote about why qipao isnāt considered hanfu here. Below - minguo aoqun (left) & qipao (right) from å¬å§·.
Below - XiangshengĀ (crosstalk) performers Zhang Yunlei (left) & Guo Qilin (right) in minguo-style menās changshan (x). Changshan is also known as changpao and dagua.
3. Qungua/č£č¤ and xiuhefu/ē§ē¦¾ę, two types of Chinese wedding garments for brides that are commonly worn today. Qungua originated in the 18th century during the Qing dynasty, and xiuhefu is a modern recreation of Qing wedding dress popularized in 2001 (x). Below - left: qungua (x), right: xiuhefu (x).
4. Modified hanfu (ę¹čÆę±ę/gailiang hanfu) and hanyuansu/ę±å
ē“ (hanfu-inspired fashion), which do not fit in the orthodox view of hanfu. Hanfu mixed with sartorial elements of other cultures also fit into this category (e.g. hanfu lolita). From the very start of the hanfu movement, thereās been debate between hanfu ātraditionalistsā andĀ āreformistsā, with most members being somewhere in the middle, and this discussion continues today. Below - hanyuansu outfits fromĀ å·é» (left) and čæå±±ä¹ (right).
5. Performance costumes, such as Chinese opera costumesĀ (ęę/xifu) and ChineseĀ dance costumes. These costumes may or may not be considered hanfu depending on the specific style. Dance costumes, in particular, may have non-traditional alterations to make the garment easier to dance in. Dunhuang-style feitian (apsara) costumes, which I wrote about here, can also fit into this category. Below - left: Chinese opera costume (x), right: Chinese dance costume (x).
6.Ā Period drama costumesĀ andĀ fantasy costumes in popular media (live-action & animation, games, etc.), commonly referred to asĀ guzhuang/å¤č£
Ā (lit. āancient costumesā). Chinese period drama costumes are of course based on hanfu, and may be considered hanfu if they are historically accurate enough. However, as I wrote aboutĀ here, a lot of the time there are stylistic inaccuracies (some accidental, some intentional) that have become popularized and standardized over time (though this does seem to be improving in recent years). This is especially prevalent in the wuxia and xianxia genres.Ā Similarly, animated shows & games often have characters dressed in āfantasy hanfuā that are essentially hanfu with stylistic modifications. Below - left: Princess Taiping in historical cdrama 大ę宫čÆ/Palace of Desire (x), right: Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji in wuxia/xianxia cdrama éę
令/The Untamed (x).Ā
7. Any clothing in general that purposefully utilizes Chinese style elements (embroidery, fabrics, patterns, motifs, etc). Chinese fashion brandĀ Heaven GaiaĀ is a well-known example of this. Below - Chinese-inspired designs by Heaven Gaia (x).
8. Technically, the clothing of Chinaās ethnic minorities also fit under the broad definition of huafu, but itās rarely ever used in this way.
From personal observation, the termĀ āhuafuā is mainly used in the following situations:
1. Some large-scale events to promote Chinese clothing, such as the annual āåęę„/Huafu Dayā, will use āhuafuā in their name for inclusivity.
2. For the same reason as above, Chinese clothing including hanfu will often be referred to as āhuafuā on network television programs (ex: variety shows).
3. A few Chinese clothing shops on Taobao use āhuafuā in their shop name. Two examples:
ęéåę/Mingjing HuafuĀ - sells hanfu & hanyuansu.Ā
č±ē„å¦åę/Huashenmiao Huafu - sells Qing dynasty-style clothing.
With the exception of the above,Ā āhuafuā is still very rarely used, especially compared toĀ āhanfuā. It has such a broad definition that itās just not needed in situations for which a more precise term already exists. However, I do think itās useful as a short catch-all term for Chinese clothing that isnāt limited to the currently accepted definition of hanfu.
If anyone wants to add on or correct something, please feel free to do so! ^^Ā