Xi’tang, an ancient water town in eastern China, every moment has felt like a dream. Restaurants and inns are filled with people dressed in Hanfu robes. From November 4th to 7th, the 11th Annual Hanfu Cultural Festival has taken place, bringing together enthusiasts of the traditional Han Chinese attire. Over four days and three nights, events like lantern parades, theatrical recreations of the 12 flower fairies, Hanfu youth forums, and over 40 other themed activities have taken the stage.
The Xi’tang Hanfu Festival
The Xi’tang Hanfu Festival has now entered its 11th year. After a decade of cultivation, this year will usher in a new chapter. The dynasty carnival has always been the highlight of the annual opening ceremony. This year, over a thousand performers and audience members participated, breaking previous records. Li Weiwen has attended the carnival four times over her 10 years engaging with Hanfu culture. She has also brought many around her into the culture. “Now I go out into the streets dressed in Hanfu together with my parents”.
In the lantern procession, a foreign friend dressed in a Song dynasty round collar robe stood out. Named Daniel, he came from Hungary as an international student at Zhejiang Normal University 10 years ago, where he met his girlfriend Fanjiang. Over their 6-7 years together, Daniel has gained a deeper understanding of traditional Chinese culture. “Hanfu costumes are really beautiful. I’ve attended many Hanfu activities with her, and she’s also taught me about tea culture.”
On the other side, Saul took photos excitedly with his classmates, using the main stage as a backdrop. Before coming to study at Nottingham Ningbo University, Saul had studied Mandarin and Chinese culture for two years in Spain with a Chinese teacher. He was already deeply drawn to Hanfu then. At Nottingham Ningbo, he eagerly joined a student Hanfu club. The Hanfu he wore today was purchased online by his classmates.
Among the many processions, this reporter also saw the Hanfu Youth Delegation from Taiwan, made up of over 30 members from different clubs aged from 20 to over 60 years old. This was their first time attending the Xi’tang Hanfu Festival. The leader Jixiang wore an altered style of Hanfu today. He told reporters that many people in Taiwan also walk the streets in Hanfu, “but there are no grand gatherings of fellow enthusiasts like this.” Another leader Wuan added: “We came mainly to learn and exchange. We heard the water weddings here are well-organized, so we plan to go observe the ritual tomorrow. We will also take part in the Hanfu youth forums and Chinese classics courses.”
In addition to guests from all over, the processions also included Xi’tang natives. The Xi’tang Wu Sisters folk art troupe leader Qian Zhihong has led her women’s dragon dance team for 18 years. Her troupe members are avid participants in the Hanfu Cultural Festival. “How lively this is! So many traditional culture lovers! So many tourists!”
The familiar actress Luo Yixiao also attended this year’s events as an ambassador. She told reporters she has researched Hanfu for almost three years now. “Usually I wear Hanfu when participating in important activities or during holidays and festivals.”
When the drums rumbled, hooves clattered, and fiery phoenixes rushed toward the heavens, everyone present was filled with emotion. This grand occasion has ignited a sense of pride and identity among enthusiasts of traditional Chinese culture. Over the past decade, events like the dynasty carnival and traditional water weddings have gained attention across platforms. The Hanfu youth forums and business forums have led industry development.
“Wear Hanfu, tour Xi’tang” and “See Hanfu, come to Xi’tang” have become the consensus among Hanfu culture and traditional culture lovers. Every participant and supporter of the Xi’tang Hanfu Cultural Festival has spread the torch of traditional culture throughout the land. Today, the festival has become a cultural symbol nationally and even internationally, attracting guests from all directions. A deputy director of the Zhejiang Culture and Tourism Department, Rui Hong, said the annual Hanfu Cultural Festival showcases a magical blend of ancient and modern scenes as well as immersive Hanfu experiences through its diverse activities. This allows the unique cultural symbols and essence of this thousand-year old town to become more accessible, tangible, and experiential – jointly painting vivid new vistas of Hanfu culture.
Next, Xi’tang is systematically planning and advancing the development of Hanfu cultural activities into Hanfu cultural industries. Two major initiatives related to the Hanfu industry were announced today. One is the groundbreaking of the Hanfu Dream Workshop, the other is the establishment of the Fang Wensan studio. The Hanfu Dream Workshop aims to be the “largest in the Yangtze River Delta region.” Once built, it will bring together Hanfu design, exhibitions, themed venues, live streaming, commercial facilities and more. The Fang Wenshan studio in Xi’tang will be the first in mainland China, gathering industry resources through celebrity influence.
In addition, the Hanfu Cultural Heritage and Development Committee of the China National Textile and Apparel Council also unveiled their plaque today. The council chairperson, Zhang Xueyang, told reporters: “This is my first time experiencing the Xi’tang Hanfu Cultural Festival firsthand. I can clearly feel it has reached a cultural depth beyond superficial form. The cultural confidence it conveys is also greatly encouraging to me.” Zhang already has visions in mind. “During the 50th anniversary of China-France ties, I brought a costume performance troupe but gained little attention at the time. Seeing the spectacle today gives me great confidence. In the future, we hope to set sail Hanfu culture, spreading it to the whole world.”
One Park, One Chain, One Scene
Presently, Xi’tang has formulated a “One Park, One Chain, One Scene” development plan for Hanfu, launching Hanfu Experience 3.0 with immersive Hanfu experiences at its core. Focusing on project construction, it aims to improve tourism service and build a full industrial Hanfu ecosystem surrounding the “branding, normalization, industrialization and internationalization” of Xi’tang’s Hanfu culture.
According to incomplete statistics, the Xi’tang Hanfu Cultural Festival has already attracted over one million Hanfu enthusiasts and lovers of traditional culture, driving over 300 million RMB in related revenue. At today’s opening ceremony, ceremonial guards held two large banners. One reads “Innovate Within Tradition”, the other reads “Build Dreams in Xi’tang”. The Hanfu dream is within reach.