Hanfu is said to have “originated with the Yellow Emperor and was perfected by Yao and Shun.” It traces its roots back to the ceremonial garments (mianfu) instituted by the Yellow Emperor. Later, during the Zhou Dynasty, a formal system was established, and in the Han Dynasty—especially under Emperor Ming—it was revised and standardized, eventually forming a complete system of attire. From that point on, every dynasty of the Huaxia civilization regarded preserving Han dress as a matter of national importance, following the principles of the Zhou and Han dynasties. This is why the “Treatises on Attire and Rites” appear in the official histories of the Twenty-Four Histories.

The saying “The Yellow Emperor, Yao, and Shun governed the world with their robes and gowns, taking inspiration from the cosmos” refers to the shangyi xiachang (upper garment, lower skirt) system, believed to be divinely ordained. In other words, Hanfu was viewed as sacred and in harmony with the heavens.

Much like how the term “Han people” evolved to refer to the broader ethnic group, the meaning of “Han” in Hanfu also expanded—from referring solely to the clothing of the Han Dynasty to encompassing the traditional clothing system of the entire Han ethnic group.

One of the earliest known references to the term “Hanfu” appears in the burial documents from Mawangdui Tomb No. 3: “Four beautiful women—two in Chu clothing, two in Han clothing.” Here, “Han clothing” refers to the ritual and ceremonial dress system rooted in texts like Zhouli (Rites of Zhou), Yili (Book of Etiquette and Ceremonial), and Liji (Book of Rites).

Later, during the Tang Dynasty, the Book of the Southern Barbarians (Manshu) noted: “At first they adopted Han clothing, but gradually mixed in customs from other ethnic groups. Now, apart from a cloud-like headscarf, the rest is no different [from non-Han styles].” In this context, “Han clothing” refers to the dress system of the Han ethnic group as a whole.

Now let’s clarify a common misconception: the qipao (cheongsam) is not Hanfu.
Qipao and Hanfu are two distinct types of clothing. The qipao emerged in the 1920s, originally derived from the clothing worn by Manchu women—hence the name. It absorbed elements of Manchu dress and became widely popular during the Republican era. In contrast, Hanfu is the traditional dress of the Han people, with origins dating back to the time of the Yellow Emperor, evolving across dynasties, and becoming systematized during the Han Dynasty.

Next, let’s talk about Qing Han-style women’s clothing (often referred to as “Qing Han nü”). Strictly speaking, this style is also not Hanfu.

Here’s the definition of Hanfu: Traditional clothing of the Han ethnic group.

After the Qing (Manchu) conquest, Han Chinese were forced to adopt Manchu hairstyles and clothing (known as tifa yifu). So even though some Qing-period clothing might resemble Hanfu in certain ways, it still retains significant Manchu cultural influence and thus is not considered authentic Hanfu by strict definitions.

And one final note: the difference between left-overlapping and right-overlapping robes (左衽 vs 右衽) in Hanfu is mainly about mainstream vs. non-mainstream styles.
There was no ancient rule that stated left-overlapping garments were exclusively for funerals. After all, we can’t possibly claim that all Jiangnan women in early Ming Dynasty were “walking corpses,” right?