Inside China's Hanfu Revival: A Cross-Cultural Journey to Visit China's Hanfu Production Hub

In recent years, the modernization and popularization of Hanfu, or Chinese traditional attire, has become one of the most widely embraced cultural trends among younger generations. To explore the cultural trends, here I am in Cao County, a small city of Shandong in East China. This county has brought together more than 2,000 companies involved in the Hanfu industry, accounting for over 50% of sales online or nationwide. We are also joined by a Moroccan guest to explore the cultural significance behind the revival of Hanfu. Hi everyone, I'm Marwa. I'm an international student from Morocco and I study at Heze University. As we enter the exhibition hall, Rose of Hanfu comes to our view and we can see that there are so many different kinds of Hanfu and there are so many different colors of Hanfu. Yeah, I noticed that there are too many kinds of Hanfu and too many colors. I really like this one. It has too many details. I like the flowers on it and the golden details on it. Yeah, there is a flower. Yes, I see the flower. Yeah, this flower and this golden color make this Hanfu so gorgeous. Yes. So, oh, I have to say that one, that pink one. Well, I really like this one. I think it's my favorite so far. I really like the color and the details on it. It's very pretty. Oh yeah, and I think that you have a vivid description of Hanfu. So, what else do you know about Hanfu? I know that Hanfu is a traditional clothing that Chinese people wore in the Han dynasty thousands of years ago. Sure, and what do you say about the traditional definition of Hanfu? But right now, Hanfu has a reference to the traditional attire that ancient Chinese people wear across different dynasties. And now, we have the manager of this company here let her to introduce more details about Hanfu. First of all, the style is different for each dynasty. We have Tang, Song, and Ming dynasties. And each dynasty has a very special attire. For example, in the Tang dynasty, it's called Qi Xiong Ru Qun. In the Ming dynasty, it's called Zhi Jin Shi Di Wen. In the Han dynasty, it's called Yun Jian. The main style is long-sleeved, wide sleeves, and horse-dressed. And this is a simple example. There are different styles for Hanfu. For Song dynasty, there are more round-neck cloaks. Each style has its own unique charm. Through our different dynasties, traditional Chinese attire evolved in form, with each period showcasing its unique style. For example, Hanfu of Tang dynasty style was known for its loose flowing robes, while Hanfu of Ming dynasty style featured more elaborate designs like traditional Chinese shawl or the Yun Jian, Hanfu of Song dynasty style, on the other hand, was characterized by the round-colored robes. Each dynasty's attire has its unique cultural charm with different forms and patterns, which is worth learning from. I see. Even though they are all different, I think they are all beautiful. I also noticed that what you wear today belongs to traditional Moroccan attire. Did you see some similarities between Hanfu and your traditional attire? Yes, I can see some similarities between our attires. I think it's more like modesty and the details. I'm very proud of my own attire. I see that people always take pride in their own national attire. I also have a question for you. From your perspective, why this traditional attire has regained renewed popularity among young generations? First of all, it's beautiful. It's beautiful in different ways. Secondly, there is a lot of culture in Hanfu. It's worth exploring. It's profound and interesting. I think it shows our cultural confidence. We have a rich traditional culture. We need to learn more about it. We need to explore it. It's also a good place to take pictures and put on makeup. In addition to cultural confidence, I think it's also a good way to show the atmosphere of festivals. Finally, the rise of Hanfu is a reflection of cultural confidence. It carries the rich history and culture of China's 5000-year heritage. For young people, it's a way to express their pride in Chinese culture. Finally, the rise of Hanfu is a reflection of cultural confidence. It carries the rich history and culture of China's 5000-year heritage. For young people, it's a way to express their pride in Chinese culture. Yes, I agree with you. True cultural treasure can always endure time and it can return to people's daily life in a more fashionable way. I also heard that there is always a factory behind the store. Could you please lead us to the factory? Please follow me. Standing behind us is a Hanfu production line in operation. Here, Hanfu is produced through a combination of manual craftsmanship with machine systems. Excuse me, what procedure are you conducting to make Hanfu? This is a machine for making Hanfu dress. It is folded at high temperature and then shaped. As you can see, there is a fold on the dress. This dress is made of half a dress. This machine is used to make house-face skirts of Hanfu. It uses high-temperature pressing to shape the fabric. The pleats you see on the skirt are created through this process. The skirt starts as half a piece after the first price and after a second price, it becomes a full skirt. With these pleats, these skirts can gain more beauty of Hanfu. Well, I noticed that there are some engineers operating some machines. What are they doing to make Hanfu? This machine is called a laser cutting machine. Laser is used to cut fabric with high precision. After laser cutting, the edges of the fabric are clean and smooth with little fraying. The utilization of advanced machines greatly helps to improve the efficiency of making Hanfu and also reduces the need for extra manual work. As Chinese New Year approaches, local Hanfu companies have released a series of newly designed Hanfu for Chinese New Year. As you can see, there are so many different designs of Hanfu mainly designed in red color. Yeah, it looks very beautiful, all of them. But I think this one is the best one from them. Could you please tell us some design about this Hanfu? This Hanfu is very beautiful. In addition to some modern designs, there is a small cloak. It looks elegant and elegant. And it is embroidered with modern embroidery. It looks more stable and elegant. And it is embroidered with small fur. It looks cute and stable. And look at the dress. It is a modified version of the cotton dress. It is bigger and more elegant. And you can feel the beauty of Hanfu. Wow, it is so beautiful. I really like this design and the red color on it. The style of this suit of Hanfu is popular this year. It used to be a simple three-piece set, but it has been updated with a small cape, making it look even more luxurious. The intricate embroidery gives a more refined, dignified feel. The sleeves feature cute fur details, which add a playful charm while still maintaining a sense of sophistication. The skirt is a modified version of the house-fit skirt, with a wide hem that gives a flowing, graceful look, especially when spinning. This Hanfu beautifully blends tradition and modern style, showcasing the unique charm of Hanfu. Well, you can try on this suit. Well, I hear about that this suit of Hanfu is mainly designed by young designers. So, from your observation, how these young designers inject their young inspiration into their Hanfu design? The meaning of the Hanfu design is very good. It means that we will make a fortune in 2026. It means that we will become a god at once. It is a very good meaning. And the four-character idiom of the word horse is also very good. It means that we will become a god at once in 2026. Then, we used a pipa embroidery and some modern craftsmanship. It means that the young designers use the new design concept to drive the young consumers. Now, the young designers use the new design concept to design the improved Hanfu, the new Hanfu, so that more young people fall in love with Hanfu and like Hanfu. Then, on the traditional Chinese festivals, we invite everyone to wear our Hanfu and go to the streets. This is the pride of our ethnic culture. They will keep the traditional structure of Hanfu while adding modern design elements and new ideas. For 2026, inspired by the year of the house, they created a design with house theme.