China's hanfu industry is going from strength to strength as the traditional clothing of the Han ethnic group has become more popular in recent years.

Women in hanfu worship the flower goddess in Fuzhou, southeast China’s Fujian province. (Photo/Xinhua)

The industry is now worth several billions of yuan. On Taobao, one of China's leading e-commerce platforms, hanfu deals worth over 2 billion yuan were sealed in 2019, with an annual growth rate of 150 percent.

Statistics show that hanfu fans increased 74.4 percent year-on-year to 3. 6 million in 2019. Customers are young, with the number of post-95s buying into the clothing style five times more than the post-90s group. At the same time, females account for over 90 percent of consumers, according to Yang Shirui, a Taobao clothing member of staff.

The growing hanfu market also boosts the development of related industries, including accessories, clothing rental and experience stores.

Cao Yirong, the owner of a hanfu experience store in Shanghai, said her store provides services such as outfit rental, traditional make-up and professional photography.

Analysts said the market size of industries related to hanfu had increased 12 to 15 times in recent years.