Traditional Chinese Clothes — Hanfu,

Tang Suit, Qipao, Zhongshan Suit

Traditional Chinese clothes were an evolution of their long, loose, straight-cut jackets
and pants or gowns. They reflected traditional Chinese aesthetics, philosophy, and
social values as they changed through over 3,000 years of history.

4 Well-Known Traditional Chinese Clothes

Types

Each country in the world has its own unique traditional clothes, from which people
are able to distinguish one country from another, and so it has been with China.

The Hanfu, Zhongshan suit (Mao suit), Tang suit, and cheongsam (qipao) are the
four most distinctive types of traditional Chinese clothing.

1. Hanfu
The Hanfu ('Han clothing' — the majority of Chinese are of Han ethnicity) is the
oldest of China's traditional clothes. Legend traces it back to over 4,000 years ago
when Huangdi's consort, Leizu, made cloth with silk. It was constantly improved
throughout several dynasties.

Until the Han Dynasty, the Hanfu was adopted and vigorously promoted by the ruling
class. It then became the national clothing of the Han ethnic people. It also had a far-
reaching influence on neighboring Asian countries, such as Korea, Japan, and
Vietnam.

2. Zhongshan Suit
The Zhongshan suit, also known as the Mao suit overseas, is a type of male attire. It
was first advocated by Dr Sun Yat-sen (i.e. Sun Zhongshan, hence Zhongshan suit)
after the founding of the Republic of China in 1912.

Later on, after Chairman Mao had been seen wearing it in public numerous times,
this outfit gained the name "Mao suit". Read more on the Zhongshan suit.

3. Tang Suit
The Tang suit often refers to a type of Chinese jacket rather than the clothing of
the Tang Dynasty (618–907). This name came from the overseas Chinese.

As the Tang Empire was famous for being prosperous and powerful in the world,
foreigners called the overseas Chinese people "the Tang people" and the clothes
they wore were called "Tang suits" (which has been translated as Tangzhuang 唐装).
Read more about the Tang suit.

4. Cheongsam
The cheongsam (qipao) evolved from the Manchu women's changpao ('long gown')
of the Qing Dynasty (1644–1912). The Manchu ethnic people were also called the Qi
people by the Han people; hence their long gown was named qipao ('Qi gown').
Read more about the cheongsam.

5 Key Variations in Traditional Chinese Clothing

There were no fashion shows in ancient China. Traditional Chinese clothing was the
outcome of people's aesthetic tastes and social customs. It varied historically,
regionally, and through the social hierarchy.

1. Design
Traditional Chinese clothes usually adopted a straight cut and were loose in shape.
In addition, the overall harmony of the outfit was also emphasized.
2. Color
People normally wore light colored clothing in daily life. Red, bright yellow, and
purple always exclusively belonged to the emperor and the imperial family. The
mass people mostly wore red at weddings. Besides that, white clothing was normally
worn at a funeral.

For example, for women, only an empress or official wives could wear true red while
the color was prohibited to concubines.

3. Gender
Women's clothing was more diverse than clothing for men. Compared to men's
clothing, women's clothing had more ornaments, items, and styles.

4. Material

At the very beginning, the ancient Chinese only covered their bodies with leaves. As
agricultural development increased, more clothing material appeared. In later years,
linen, cotton, and silk were the prominent materials.

During the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), according to the government's policy of

physiocracy and restriction of business, businessmen were forbidden to wear silk
clothing, even if they were rich.

5. History
Almost every dynasty had its own unique clothes, some of which were really
exquisite beyond compare. Read more on the Development of Traditional Chinese
Clothes.

The 2 Basic Forms of Traditional Chinese

Clothes

Generally, traditional Chinese clothes had two basic forms: top-bottom clothes and
one-piece clothes.

Two-Piece Clothing
The top-bottom clothes, consisting of an yi (衣 upper garment) and a chang (裳 lower
garment) were the earliest form of clothing recorded in Chinese documents. This
two-piece clothing is said to date back to legendary Huangdi's reign (2697–2597
BC).

The yi refers to any open cross-collar garment worn by both sexes, where the right
side was wrapped over the left, and the shang refers to any skirt worn by both sexes,
highlighted by a belt hanging from the side.

One-Piece Clothing
The one-piece clothing was called shenyi (deep robe) and can be traced back to the
late Zhou Dynasty (1046–221 BC). The yi and the shang were sewn as one piece
although they were cut separately.

The shenyi was widely adopted by various dynasties throughout the history of China.

It was considered to be formal dress in the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD), and it
still has a great influence on modern-day one-piece clothing.

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If you have interest to learn more facts about Chinese traditional clothes, just  contact
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10 Essential Facts on Traditional Chinese

Clothing
Find out what Chinese people wore long ago. Discover the essence of traditional
Chinese clothing from emperors’ clothes to qipaos and ornate Chinese hats.

1. Chinese emperors wore dragon robes

as a symbol of supreme power.
The Chinese hold the dragon in high esteem and dragon symbolism is very prevalent
in Chinese culture to this day. The dragon holds an important place in Chinese
history and mythology as being the supreme creature. Combining as it does the
greatest aspects of nature with supernatural magical power.

The emperor wore ‘dragon robes’ ( 龙 袍 lóngpáo) in court and for daily dress as a
symbol of his supreme status and absolute sovereignty. Dragon embroidery and
dragon related patterns were exclusive to the emperor and royal family in China.

The dragon was often thought of as being a composite of the best parts of other
animals: an eagles’ claws, a lion or tigers teeth and head, a snakes’ body and so on.
The dragons’ signified role is symbolic of magic, of power and supremacy and the
emperors adopted this symbolism.

Read more on Chinese Dragons.

2. Empresses and concubines wore

phoenixes.
 A set of emperor and empress robes: the
empress's have phoenixes on.

The dragon and phoenix are considered a natural pairing of animals in Chinese
culture. 

The phoenix was the exclusive symbolic animal of empresses and of the emperor’s
concubines. The higher the female’s rank the more phoenixes could be embroidered
or decorated on the dresses or crowns.

3. Embroidered panels have always been

highly prized

Dragon and phoenix motifs were typical of traditional Chinese embroidery for the
royal class.

Exquisitely embroidered square fabric panels sewn onto the chest and back of a
costume indicated ones rank in court. The limited use and small quantities produced
of these highly detailed embroideries have made any surviving examples highly
prized in today's historic, archaeological and embroidery circles.

Another interesting fact was that patterns for civilian and military officers were
differentiated by elegant genus of creatures like cranes and peacocks for court and
more ferocious animals like lions and rhinoceros for the military: the higher rank the
greater animal.

See more on Chinese embroidery.

4. Head-dress showed age, status, and
rank in court.

The First Emperor, Qin Shi Huang, wearing

head gear symbolizing his unapproachable status

Hats and ornate head gear were an essential part of custom dress code in feudal
China. Men wore hats and women wore their hair ornamentally with showy
hairpieces, both of these indicating their social status and ranks.

Men wore a hat when they reached 20 years, signifying their ‘adulthood’ — ‘Poor
people’ simply weren’t allowed to wear a hat in any significant way.

The ancient Chinese hat was quite different from today's. It covered only the part of
the scalp with its narrow ridge instead of the whole head like a modern cap. The cap
also signified the social hierarchical rule and social status. 
5. Accessories and ornaments were social
status symbols

Traditional Chinese jade jewelry can be found in Panjiayuan Antiques Market,

Beijing.

There were restrictive rules about clothing accessories in ancient China. An

individual’s social status could be identified by the ornaments and jewelry they wore.

Ancient Chinese wore more silver than gold. Amongst all the other popular
decorative materials like blue Kingfisher feathers, blue gems, and glass, jade was
the most prized ornament. It became dominant in China for its highly individual
qualities, hardness, and durability, and because its beauty increased with time.

6. Hànfú became the traditional wear for

the majority.

Hànfú, also commonly known as Hànzhuāng, was unisex traditional Chinese clothing
assembled from several pieces of clothing, dating from the Han Dynasty (206 BC –
220 AD).

It featured a crossing collar, waistband, and a right-hand lapel. It was designed for
comfort and ease of use and included shirts, jackets, robes for men, unisex skirts,
and trousers.
7. The bianfu was an extremely popular
costume in imperial China.

A bianfu (弁服 biànfú /byen-foo/ ‘hat-clothing’), consisted of a two-piece outfit; a tunic

extending to the knee on top of a skirt reaching the ankles and a cylinder-shaped hat
called a bian. The skirt was mainly used in formal occasions.

The bianfu inspired the creation of the shenyi (深衣 shēnyī /shnn-ee/ ‘deep-robe’) —

a similar design but just with the two pieces sewn together into one suit, which
became even more poplar and was commonly used among officials and scholars.

8. The shēnyī was traditional attire for

more than 1,800 years.
The shenyi is now most commonly seen in
traditional Chinese wedding clothes.

The shēnyī was one of the most ancient

forms of Chinese attire, originating before
the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC). Quite a
symbolic garment, the upper and lower
parts were made separately and then
sewn together with the upper made by 4
panels representing 4 seasons and the
lower made of 12 panels of fabric
representing 12 months.

It was used for formal dressing in ceremonies and official occasions by both officials
and commoners until the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907) when it was adjusted and
renamed to lánshān (a looser version of the shēnyī, with a cross collar attached to
it). It became more regulated for wear among officials and scholars during the Ming
Dynasty (1368-1644).
9. Traditional Chinese chángpáo suits
were introduced by the Manchu.

Qing ruler Emperor Qianlong (1711–1799)

wearing a changpao

The chángpáo ('long robe) was a loose-fitting single suit covering shoulder to ankle
designed for winter. It was originally worn by the Manchu who lived Northern China
where winter was fierce and then introduced to central China during the Manchurian
Qing Dynasty.

10. Qipaos became the representative

Chinese dress for women in the late
dynastic era.
 Qipaos were developed to be more tight-fitting
in the Republic of China era (1912–1949).

The  qipao (/chee-pao/ 'Qi gown', known as a cheongsam in Vietnam) evolved from

the Manchu female's changpao ('long gown') of the Manchu Qing Dynasty (1644–
1912). The Manchu ethnic people were also called the Qi people (the 'banner'
people) by the Han people in the Qing Dynasty, hence the name of their long gown.

Explore Traditional Chinese Culture with

Local Experts

To discover more about the clothing and culture of the earlier dynasties (Qin, Han,
Tang) the best place to go is Xi'an: see Qin clothing at the Terracotta Army Museum
and Tang costume at a Tang banquet and show. For the latter dynasties (Yuan,
Ming, Qing) visit Beijing: see what the emperors wore at the Forbidden City.
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