Traditional hanfu costumes gain traction among China's younger generation (2)

Photo shows hanfu enthusiasts posing for a group picture in Xiuwu county, Henan. (Photo provided by interviewees)

China has witnessed growing numbers of young people clad in hanfu - an ancient garment traditionally worn by the Han ethnic group - in streets as well as in parks and sightseeing scenic spots.

The sharp rise in the popularity of hanfu not only reflects changing trends in young people's attire, but also an externalized expression of their cultural confidence.

The number of China's hanfu enthusiasts rose from 2 million in 2018 to 3.6 million in 2019 and is expected to reach 6.9 million in 2021, according to statistics from iiMedia Research. Related hashtags for hanfu were viewed more than 5.3 billion times on Sina Weibo, a Chinese microblogging website, while videos related to hanfu were played over 51.5 billion times on Douyin, a Chinese short video platform.

"Traditional clothes like hanfu are now very popular among the younger generation," said Li Sisi, a volunteer for the dissemination of hanfu culture in Xiuwu country, central China's Henan province. A recently concluded hanfu exposition held in Xiuwu attracted a total of 2.6 million online visitors.

In addition to Xiuwu county, many Chinese cities hold various hanfu-themed festivals on a regular basis. Furthermore, many universities have also set up student associations related to hanfu culture. Thanks to these efforts, sales of China's hanfu clothing is expected to exceed 10 billion yuan ($1.5 billion) this year.

"The popularity of hanfu among the younger generation reflects their confidence in Chinese culture and their own national identity, which is a way for young people to inherit and develop traditional culture," explained Li.

With the continuous progress of society, many young people now have high cultural literacy and aesthetic levels, noted Xiao Jianyong, deputy dean of the Henan culture and tourism research institute, Henan University, adding that the elegant taste and profound connotation contained in traditional culture can accurately meet the rising demand among young people.