Spring Is Here—Put on Your Hanfu and Go See the Flowers
Blossoms Everywhere in Spring
When the east wind blows, peach blossoms blush, apricots bloom in white, cherry blossoms turn soft pink, and pear blossoms fall like snow. In just a few days, much of China will be soaked in blooming flowers.
For ancient people, the most important thing in spring was to escape into nature—by the lake, in the fields—enjoying flowers, poetry, wine, and tea. In the Song Dynasty, both men and women would wear a flower in their hair to welcome the season.
To some today, flower viewing is merely a romantic gesture or aesthetic performance. But to Hanfu lovers, spring is a time to wear flowing robes and bright colors—to walk among flowers and truly honor this fleeting beauty.
In Hanfu Among Blossoms, Life Becomes Poetry, Wine, and Tea
Spring is the shortest of all seasons. In ancient times, people paid close attention to the flower news—when the flowers would bloom. Because once spring arrived, they were ready to drop everything and follow the call of the blossoms.
Girls attending a spring flower banquet took it very seriously. Choosing the right Hanfu wasn’t easy—jackets were too heavy, single layers too thin. Should they wear soft pink or water green? Every detail had to be thought through.
Once the outfit was picked, they’d fix their hair into elegant buns, apply makeup, shape their brows, and press on flower-shaped face decals.
One of the most suitable choices was the Moonlight Skirt (Yuehuaqun) from the Ming Dynasty—a light-colored painted skirt with different soft hues in each pleat. As the wearer moved, the flowing colors shimmered like moonlight.
Some women would go for something bolder—like a loosely fitted, chest-revealing Luoqun, with wide, unstructured fabric that draped freely. It would move with the body like wind, like flowers in motion.
As scholar Zong Baihua once said, “Forget the shape, and enjoy the shadow”—a beauty found in impression, not precision.
Beautiful Days May Stay, But Faces Will Change
For these flower-viewing girls in Hanfu, flowers weren’t just for fun—they were sacred.
To them, every spring tree, like in Xi Murong’s poetry, “blooms carefully and tenderly.” Each flower was the product of sun, rain, and time. This kind of gift deserved to be taken seriously.
That seriousness was reflected in how they treated the banquet—gentle, joyful, respectful.
When you saw them arrive with graceful steps and fluttering sleeves, you’d think of the line, “Peach blossoms bloom first in spring’s warm light.”
When they sat down laughing and chatting, they became the embodiment of “spring chaos on red apricot branches.”
Sometimes, they’d play poetry games like Feihualing—taking turns reciting lines with the word “flower” in them. Those who failed to respond would have to sing or dance as a playful penalty.
When these girls recited ancient verses, the air itself seemed filled with the delicate scent of classic poetry.
If someone couldn’t keep up, they’d happily perform a dance like “Snowfall on Pear Blossoms” or sing an opera piece like “A Dream in the Garden.” It was casual fun, yet no one could look away.
In those moments, the people, the flowers, and the poetry blended together—they were the definition of spring.
And suddenly, a thousand years have passed. We can’t help but sigh:
“The beautiful scene remains, but the faces have changed.”
Spring Is Coming—Meet It with Flowers in Hand
Thousands of years have gone by, and spring continues to arrive each year. But when we put on Hanfu again to view the flowers, we still hear voices saying,
“It’s all for show!”
“Just flashy aesthetics!”
But to those who truly understand, spring will fade, flowers will fall, and we too will grow old. Between what changes and what stays the same, dressing beautifully and living well feels like the least we can do to hold on to something truly lovely.
As writer Ding Limei once said:
“The best way to live is not to rush endlessly, but not to waste. Not to waste every blooming flower, not to waste what we already have—appreciate it, love it, and be grateful for it.”
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