Zhuangshu Hanfu Restoration: 5 Iconic Looks Reviving Chinese Cultural Heritage
The Zhuangshu Hanfu restoration team is bringing ancient Chinese fashion to life in 2025, guiding audiences through a mesmerizing show of Chinese traditional clothing from the Chunqiu to Sanguo periods. Since 2007, this dedicated group has revived over 200 Hanfu pieces, showcasing Chinese cultural heritage with unparalleled authenticity. From noble attire to intricate accessories, their work breathes new life into Huaxia’s thousand-year clothing legacy. Here are five stunning Zhuangshu Hanfu restoration looks that highlight Hanfu fashion’s timeless beauty!
The Zhuangshu Hanfu restoration project breathes life into ancient Hanfu designs, preserving China’s fashion heritage. Ready to discover these iconic looks? Learn more!
The China zhuangshu restoration team leads audiences through a clothing show to experience the “fashion” of clothing from the Chunqiu period to the Sanguo period.
Chunqiu to Zhanguo: Elegant Yi Qun
The first piece, a long yi qun from the late Chunqiu to early-middle Zhanguo period, features a cutout at the back of the long yi, revealing a floor-length qun, with red as the primary color, suitable for important occasions. The hairstyle, restored based on Henan’s Huangguo Meng Furen, is a delicate and charming tousled ji, positioned at the back of the head to highlight the neck’s slenderness.
Late Zhanguo: Majestic Zhiju Paofu
The second piece, a paofu from the late Zhanguo period, is restored based on the zhiju paofu unearthed from the Mashan Chu tomb. Its sleeves extend three meters, and the lower hem forms a crisscrossed herringbone shape, making walking easier. The model holds a bamboo bianmian, used mainly to cover a noble’s face, fan the air, or serve as a ceremonial item when going out.
Chu State Innovation: Raojin Quju Paofu（Hanfu fashion）
The third piece, a raojin quju paofu invented in the Chu state during the late Zhanguo period, has a raojin that creates a wrapping effect, making the waist appear slender, representing Chu culture and aligning with the historical saying “Chu king loves slender waist”; this quju paofu was very popular in the early Western Han. In the early Han dynasty, the pursuit of light corvée, thin taxes, and quiet non-action led to relatively simple and elegant clothing.
Western Han: Spirited Zaoxing
The fourth piece, a zaoxing from the middle-late Western Han period, reflects the spirited style after Han Wudi, with the model’s jin buyao showcasing a lively posture. The clothing is restored based on actual clothing unearthed from the Dingtao Han tomb of Ding Taihou. One can imagine the beauty Zhao Feiyan, as empress, wearing such clothing to attend banquets.
Eastern Han to Sanguo: Luxurious Qun Ru Zhuang
The fifth piece, a qun ru zhuang for noble women from the Eastern Han and Sanguo periods, features a jin buyao on the head, with the upper ru adorned with the most precious zhijin for the lingyuan and xiuyuan; the term “lingxiu” originates from this practice. The lower qun uses tihuahua qi with printed flowers, making the entire outfit quite luxurious. Worn by the host, she said that the moment she put on the clothing, “the dignified feeling of an ancient noble lady emerged,” as if the clothing allowed a spiritual connection with the ancients.
Established in 2007, the China zhuangshu restoration group has restored over 200 pieces of hanfu, categorized into four periods: Xianqin, Qinhan Jin, Nanbeichao Suitang Wudai, and Songyuan Mingqing. Nobles, commoners, soldiers, generals, songwu shinü, and shanye cunfu are brought to the modern era through their archaeology and restoration, allowing the world to appreciate the beauty of Huaxia’s thousand-year clothing.
The founder of the zhuangshu restoration group, originally a painter, switched to studying clothing design after discovering the charm of Chinese clothing, leading the team to restore Huaxia yiguan. Despite scarce ancient records and few preserved fabrics, they faced challenges head-on, using wall paintings, ancient paintings, and artifacts as primary sources for verification, such as Tang dynasty Zhang Xuan’s Daolian Tu, which depicts not only the xingzhi, color matching, and patterns of clothing but also its manufacturing techniques.
They traveled to the origin of silkworm silk to collect raw materials, crafted pattern fabrics based on archaeological data, and studied ancient dyeing and textile techniques. Handmade restoration is time- and effort-intensive, but they meticulously refined details in dyeing, cutting, sewing, and zhuangzao to achieve 100% authenticity, spending nearly three years to restore a guiyi worn by noble women in the Wei Jin Nanchao period.
The zhuangshu restoration group is dedicated not only to researching and restoring hanfu xingzhi, fabric patterns, makeup, and peishi but also to showcasing the beauty of Chinese clothing domestically and internationally.
The thousand-year hanfu culture requires young people to awaken, inherit, and innovate it, bringing hanfu out of museums and into the lives of ordinary people. China has long held the beautiful reputation of yiguan shangguo.
Awakening Hanfu Fashion’s Legacy
The Zhuangshu Hanfu restoration team not only recreates Hanfu fashion but also shares Chinese cultural heritage worldwide. By bringing Chinese traditional clothing from museums to modern life, they inspire young people to innovate and inherit this legacy. China’s reputation as “yiguan shangguo” shines through their work. Share your favorite Zhuangshu Hanfu restoration look in the comments and join the revival of ancient Chinese fashion! These restorations celebrate Chinese cultural heritage through meticulous craftsmanship.
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