Minority Ethnic Clothing

Han

Population: 1.2 billion (the largest ethnic group in China)

Distribution: While this group is mainly found in the eastern half of China, these people dominate the population of all provinces within the country.

Economy: As the Han represent such a massive portion of China’s population, they also participate in a variety of occupations. They are involved in banking, business, farming, finance, health services, manufacturing, research and development, trade, and many other sectors of the Chinese economy. This group represents the majority in many aspects of wellbeing and modernization in the country.⁵

Language: As with any language spoken by so many people, various dialects of traditional Chinese have emerged. The group of Han spoken languages is referred to as hànyǔ, translates as “language of the Han people,” and the written characters are referred to as hànzì, translates as “characters of the Han people.”⁵

Traditions: After the long standing prosperity of the Han Dynasty period from 206BC – 220AD (characterized by a large growth in arts, culture, and economics), many Chinese referred to themselves as the “People of Han.” This saying brought about the birth of a new ethnic group.⁵ While the Han is the largest ethnic group in China (making up 92% of the country’s population), it is also the largest ethnic group in the world (making up almost 20% of the world’s population).

The traditional clothing is referred to as hànfú, translates as “clothing of the Han people.”⁶ Hànfú consists of many pieces of clothing wrapped around the body and secured with a sash in the form of a robe or jacket and pants. It is often made of silk. People of different statuses used this basic fashion to create a style all of their own by the imaginative use of color and accessories such as beads or jade ornaments. This style was outlawed during the Qing Dynasty, also known as the Manchu Dynasty, which ruled from 1644AD – 1912AD. Hànfú was replaced with the tángzhuāng, Mandarin jacket; the chángshān, long, loose-fitting robe for men; and the qípáo, a long gown worn by women (see section titled Manchu).

After the fall of imperial rule over China, new fashions were immediately introduced now that the Manchu style was not required. While women followed the popularity of the altered and form- fitting cheongsam, men opted for jackets and pants instead of loose-fitting robes. In the 1920’s, Sun Yat-sen (also known as Sun Zhongshan) requested a suit designed reflecting the fashions that Chinese men wore in Japan.⁷ Pants combined with a slim jacket, a stand-up collar, and vertical buttons became known as the Zhōngshān suit. In the 1950’s, Mao Zedong modified this into a more military style by adding four outside pockets, a turndown collar, and standard Chinese army colors. The Mao suit became the typical dress for all government officials. This style was later adopted by a vast majority of the male population. Until the late 1980’s, Mao suits were commonly worn by all men. Nowadays, the elderly are the only ones who continue this tradition.

The traditional attire for a wedding is known as yuán lǐng shān. This style is reminiscent of the formal attire worn by officials during the Ming Dynasty.⁸ The groom wears the robes of the ninth-ranked officials with the hat of a nobleman, called a wūshāmào, while the bride wears red robes with the vest of a noblewoman and a phoenix crown. The phoenix crown is the traditional headdress for brides and noblewomen. It is adorned with phoenixes, dragons, flowers, and gemstones with a string of pearls dangling from each side. While some contemporary couples prefer the modern tuxedo and white gown, many couples hold onto the traditions of their country and continue to wear yuán lǐng shān for this special occasion.

Another time of great celebration and tradition in China is the Lunar New Year. During this festival, the Han Chinese have many customs for ushering in good luck for the New Year. People embrace this opportunity to wear an abundance of the lucky colors: red and gold. The fú symbol, the Chinese character for good luck, is posted and presented for all to see. The character is often woven into a brocade or embroidered on clothing. When the symbol is intentionally posted upside-down above a door, this demonstrates the wish for luck to flow into the house during the coming year. Symbols are a large part of the New Year celebration. Fish paintings are abundantly displayed as they represent abundance or a surplus of success. The Chinese word for “fish” sounds very similar to the Chinese word for “surplus.” The traditional New Year’s Eve dinner for the family is a large fish that is either eaten or displayed.

Children look forward to this time of great happiness. Young children are commonly seen playing with handheld rattle drums, or bō làng gǔ, and participating in the celebration. The drums are used to entertain children or soothe them during the loud noises of the festivities. Lucky money in red envelopes, or hóng bāo, is one of the most popular features of the New Year. It is a tradition among families to give youngsters and unmarried adults a gift of hóng bāo for good fortune. Children who receive the most hóng bāo feel like they are receiving the most blessings. Gold ingots, or jīn yuán bǎo, are yet another symbol of good luck that is commonly seen during the New Year. As the former currency of the Chinese emperors, gold ingots appear as decorative symbols representing wealth and prosperity.

Another great tradition is the practice of the ancient art of Tai chi. Like many other forms of martial arts, Tai chi developed in a remote village and originally had no name. The townspeople did not teach these techniques to outsiders but used them to defend their village or to gain employment as bodyguards.⁹ After a demonstration of these movements in the 1800’s by Yang Luchan, an imperial court scholar by the name of Ong Tong wrote about what he had seen. The once secretive art of Tai chi was publicized and with time became a worldwide sensation.

The philosophy of Tai chi is not to meet an opponent with brute force but rather to focus one’s own movement and obtain a solid center of gravity with which to deflect incoming strikes. Students must spend thousands of hours practicing the slow and fluid sequences of 24 different movements before they can participate in hand-to-hand combat. Tai chi is not only practiced for competition and self-defense – it is also exceedingly popular among the elderly as a form of exercise. Tai chi has been widely acknowledged for its health benefits. Normal practice of these movements has shown positive impacts in the areas of balance, flexibility, and cardiovascular health and can reduce the risk of harmful falls among the elderly. The loose-flowing silk jackets and pants worn for Tai chi are another well-known variety of Han Chinese clothing. 

Nowadays, traditional hànfú is more commonly worn by actors in different forms of media entertainment than by the general public. The Han ordinarily wear traditional outfits only for special occasions such as coming-of-age ceremonies, religious ceremonies, cultural events, festivals, funerals, and weddings.⁶ In the early 2000’s, the Hànfú Movement emerged in an attempt to bring back the fashions that were banned during the Qing Dynasty. Chinese in support of this movement are attempting a revival of this style by wearing hànfú to every day events in addition to special occasions.

As China modernized, so did its fashion. Today, in urban areas, a more Western look has been adopted.⁶ Business suits are the norm for professional adults. Teenagers wear jeans and tennis shoes. They love name brands. Children typically wear clothes displaying popular cartoon characters. Women’s clothing includes suits, dresses, mini-skirts, high heels, and jeans for casual wear.

The rural areas have not had the exposure to these current styles. As a result of the lack of imports due to the sheer distance from the manufactures, people in rural areas do not have access to such flashy, modern clothes. They are usually able to obtain jeans and t-shirts, but tennis shoes are a luxury. Cotton shoes are worn by many who cannot afford tennis shoes. In some secluded rural areas, skillful grandmothers still hand make Mao suits for normal day to day wear.

This work by China Learning Library @ George Mason University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.