Costume in Han Dynasty: Hanfu

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Hanfu is the traditional, historical dress of the Han people. The term Hanfu was originally recorded by the Book of Han, which refers to Han dynasty's traditional dresses: "then many came to the Court to pay homage and were delighted at the clothing style of the Han dynasty.

From the beginning of its history, Hanfu (especially in elite circles) was inseparable from silk, supposedly discovered by the Yellow Emperor'sconsort, Leizu. The Shang Dynasty (c. 1600 BC – 1000 BC), developed the rudiments of Hanfu; it consisted of a yi, a narrow-cuffed, knee-length tunic tied with a sash, and a narrow, ankle-length skirt, called chang, worn with a bixi, a length of fabric that reached the knees. Vivid primary colors and green were used, due to the degree of technology at the time.

The style of traditional / historical Han clothing can be summarized as containing garment elements that are arranged in distinctive and sometimes specific ways. This is different from the traditional garment of other ethnic groups in China, most notably the Manchu-influenced clothes, the qipao, which is popularly assumed to be the de-facto traditional Han Chinese garb. Following is the picture of several typical examples of Hanfu.