#CGTNLIVE#hanfu#CHINANEWS Flowing silhouettes, intricate embroidery, and thousands of years of history — Hanfu just made its London debut.
The traditional Chinese clothing, worn historically by the Han people, was modeled at the city's first ever London Hanfu Fashion Day, complete with a model contest, a fashion category blending tradition with modern style, and performances of Guqin music and Kun Opera.
‘Chinese young adults are becoming more and more confident, and they want to wear something of our own and from our country," said event host Xin Yizhang.
The style has surged in popularity in China, with an estimated 12 million young enthusiasts wearing it last year. In London, it drew curious passersby, tourists and even a physics PhD student who came to learn more about Chinese culture.
‘They wanted to know more about our culture... and at that moment, we felt so proud,’ said organiser Cao Shuting.
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Video Summary
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The 2026 London Hanfu Fashion Day showcased traditional Chinese attire in the UK for the first time. The event highlighted the growing confidence of young Chinese adults in embracing their heritage and the global appeal of Hanfu, blending historical craftsmanship with modern styling to foster cultural exchange and international interest in Chinese traditions.
Traditional Chinese fashion takes to the catwalk
in one of the world's most modern cities.
The 2026 London Hanfu Fashion Day,
an opportunity to showcase centuries of Chinese culture
in a celebration filled with creativity.
Chinese young adult, they always more and more confident
and they want to wear something our own
and from our country, it can represent some culture
and represent the, I think, culture nowadays too.
Contestants took part in one of China's
leading modeling competitions
dedicated to traditional dress.
This was the first time it was staged in London.
Hanfu is our traditional and it belongs to our,
say, our history from very, very long
and it's changed, it's always changed
and they're always so beautiful.
The majority of Hanfu consumers are under 40
and many are now combining heritage pieces
with creative styling to give their look a modern feel.
This is designed for the fashion routine
so I think maybe it's the best
to introduce the Chinese clothes to the Western clothes.
If I try to combine the two together,
maybe people can learn more about it.
And the day included a workshop
on traditional Chinese fashion and makeup,
giving me a chance to try on a beautiful outfit.
Social media platforms, including Douyin and Xiaohongshu,
helped turn Hanfu into a highly visual trend.
More and more people around the world
are becoming interested in wearing Hanfu.
It's an opportunity to engage with Chinese craft
and with it, Chinese culture.
And many London residents were keen to learn more.
I think recently there's been a lot more
like Chinese films and Chinese TV shows
reaching Westerners,
so people are discovering more about China.
Some of the audience were even over from Canada.
We saw a young lady dressing the dress
with the traditional dress of China
and she had a rose for her
and then she suggested we come here and see the festival.
Opera, music and dance performances
also showcase centuries of Chinese artistic tradition.
And the organizers were proud of the interest in the event.
At 2 a.m. and there's some audience come here.
They are Western people and they come here
and they just say, wow, that's so gorgeous.
And they want to know more about our culture.
What's the clothes from?
And we said, that's from China.
Traditional dress serving not only
as a means of preserving China's heritage,
but also as a platform for connecting people and cultures.
Siobhan McCall, CGTN, London.
