Chinese Ethnic Costumes: Garment Symbols Bearing Thousands of Years of Cultural Heritage

China is a unified multi-ethnic country. Over the long course of history, 56 ethnic groups have nurtured distinctive and profound ethnic costume Cultures. These costumes are not only daily necessities for keeping warm and covering the body, but also cultural symbols carrying the history, beliefs, aesthetics and customs of each ethnic group. Like a key to opening the treasure house of Chinese civilization, they show the unique charm and profound heritage of Oriental aesthetics to the world.

As the traditional costume of the Han nationality, Hanfu is undoubtedly one of the core representatives of Chinese ethnic costume Culture. Its history can be traced back to the Yellow Emperor period. After the evolution of dynasties such as Xia, Shang, Zhou, Han, Tang, Song and Ming, it has formed a complete costume system and etiquette norms. The core characteristics of Hanfu are “cross-collar with right overlap, loose robes with wide sleeves, and hidden ties and buttons”. It abandons cumbersome decorations and conveys the Oriental philosophy of “harmony between man and nature” through the fluency of lines and the regularity of shapes.

Hanfu of different dynasties has its own unique charm: the curved-front robe of the Han Dynasty is solemn and elegant, showing the demeanor of China as a state of etiquette with fluttering sleeves; the chest-high Ruqun of the Tang Dynasty is gorgeous and unrestrained, with intense and bright colors, echoing the openness, inclusiveness and prosperity of the prosperous Tang Dynasty; the Beizi of the Song Dynasty is simple and elegant, with clear and graceful lines, highlighting the indifferent moral integrity of literati; the Aoqun of the Ming Dynasty is dignified and magnificent, with exquisite patterns, pushing traditional textile craftsmanship and aesthetics to the extreme. Hanfu fabrics are mostly natural materials such as silk and linen, supplemented by traditional crafts such as Embroidery, tapestry and printing and dyeing. Every detail embodies the ingenuity and wisdom of the ancients.

In addition to Hanfu, the costumes of 55 ethnic minorities are dazzling treasures in the garden of Chinese ethnic costumes, each with unique characteristics and full of regional and ethnic customs. The Mongolian robe of the Mongolian nationality is characterized by looseness and comfort. The fabric is mostly wool and leather, adapting to the needs of nomadic life on the grassland. The exquisite embroidered auspicious clouds and galloping horse patterns on the neckline, cuffs and edges symbolize the boldness and freedom of the grassland people. Tibetan costumes are intense and heavy in color. The Tibetan robe is wide and warm, matched with gorgeous Tibetan silver jewelry, coral, agate and other accessories. It not only adapts to the cold climate of the Qinghai-Tibet PlaTeau, but also reflects the Tibetan people’s love for life and piety for faith. The patterns in their costumes are mostly related to religious Culture, containing profound spiritual connotations.

The costumes of ethnic minorities in Southwest China are famous for their bright colors and exquisite craftsmanship. Miao costumes are known as “epics worn on the body”, with silver ornaments, Embroidery and batik as their three core elements. Miao silver ornaments are complex in shape and exquisite in craftsmanship. From headdresses and collars to bracelets and anklets, the whole set of silver ornaments is not only a symbol of wealth, but also carries the historical memory and totem beliefs of the Miao nationality; their embroidery patterns are vivid and lively, mostly taken from natural things and national legends, with bold and bright color matching, full of vitality; batik craftsmanship has a long history, mainly in blue and white tones, with simple and unsophisticated patterns, showing the simplicity of Oriental aesthetics. The costumes of the Yi nationality are mainly black, red and yellow, symbolizing the earth, flame and sunshine. The sun, moon, stars, mountains and rivers patterns on the costumes embody the Yi people’s awe and worship of nature.

The charm of Chinese ethnic costumes lies not only in their diverse shapes and gorgeous colors, but also in the cultural connotations and life wisdom behind them. The evolution of each ethnic group’s costumes is closely linked to the local climate and environment, production and living methods, religious beliefs, and etiquette and customs, and is an important symbol of ethnic cultural identity. In modern society, with the improvement of cultural confidence, Chinese ethnic costumes have gradually stepped out of the traditional context and become an important element of fashion trends. Designers combine the classic elements of ethnic costumes with modern design concepts to create costume works that have both cultural heritage and fashion sense, allowing the thousand-year-old costume culture to glow with new vitality in the contemporary era.

From court formal wear to folk daily wear, from festival costumes to daily wear, Chinese ethnic costumes have always carried the cultural genes and aesthetic pursuits of the Chinese nation. It is a cultural carrier spanning time and space, recording the development process of Chinese civilization; it is a link of emotions among all ethnic groups, highlighting the cultural pattern of the Chinese nation as a unified multi-ethnic country. Today, more and more people begin to pay attention to, love and inherit the ethnic costume culture, making this bright pearl of Oriental culture shine more brightly on the world stage.