Hanfu revival is flourishing trend in modern China

A Chinese lady dresses elegantly in a horse face skirt. [Photo/VCG]

Following the tradition of wearing new clothes for the Chinese New Year, hanfu – or traditional Chinese attire – experienced a remarkable resurgence in popularity during the recent festive season.

The horse face skirt is particularly popular for its combination of traditional and modern design elements, especially among young Chinese.

Recent data from multiple e-commerce platforms revealed a staggering increase in hanfu searches since January.

Among the various styles, the horse face skirt has emerged as the most popular item, with several hot-selling products exceeding sales of 1 million yuan ($138,935).

Combining classical elegance with modern simplicity, the horse face skirt is said to perfectly cater for the contemporary aesthetic and lifestyle of young people, propelling it to become a fashion icon this year.

During the Spring Festival holiday, many performers in Luoyang city in Central China's Henan province, showcased the beautiful horse face skirts in festive performances, with many visitors alike donning graceful hanfu, including the horse face skirts.

Caoxian county in Heze city, in East China's Shandong province, is one of the country's major hanfu production and sales hubs.

With annual sales topping 7 billion yuan, the sales of New Year's clothes for the Year of the Dragon, primarily horse face skirts, hit 300 million yuan in Caoxian county.

Local hanfu merchants reported the booming sales of the horse face skirts – with offline sales during the Spring Festival holiday surging dozens of times compared to usual volumes. It all means that the horse face skirt has become a very popular gift choice indeed.

The revival of hanfu is understood to signify more than a more fashion trend; it represents a deeper connection to Chinese heritage and cultural identity.

As the younger generation embraces this traditional attire, hanfu is poised to continue flourishing in the modern era, breathing new life into ancient traditions and fostering a deep sense of pride in China's rich cultural legacy.