China's traditional costumes, celebrated for their modish medleys and abundant histories spanning thousands of years, are currently on display at an exhibition inside the China National Arts and Crafts Museum in Beijing.

The exhibition, titled Splendid Colors: Chinese Costume Culture Exhibition, opened on June 7 and will run until September 8.

Jointly hosted by the China Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum and the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology (BIFT), one of the country's leading fashion colleges, the exhibit features traditional costumes from over 30 ethnic groups across different imperial dynasties, highlighting the unity of Chinese culture.

"The 139 ethnic costumes on display are important witnesses of the longstanding partnerships and historical interactions among different ethnic groups, and will continue to connect us all in contemporary society," Gao Dandan, an associate researcher with the BIFT's National Costume Museum and one of the exhibition's co-organizers, told Beijing Review.

She noted that visitors in recent years have shown a growing interest in ethnic costumes beyond hanfu, or the traditional attire of the Han Chinese, stretching back all the way to the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D. 220). Today, the Han still make up the country's largest ethnic group, accounting for 91.1 percent of the total population as of 2020. The hanfu revival got underway in the early 2010s. But more recently, the traditional wardrobes of China's minority groups have gained popularity, accompanied by trending social media hashtags like "ethnic travel shoots," which refers to tourists dressing up in local outfits and having professional pictures taken.

Technique tuned 

The exhibition not only showcases ethnic costume, but also unveils efforts for costume protection, restoration and innovation.

According to the researcher, the exhibition features over 20 techniques that have been added to the National Intangible Cultural Heritage list. These include Han people's Kesi, a silk weaving technique, the Uygur people's Atlas silk dyeing and weaving technique, the Bouyei people's wax printing in southwest China, and the Hezhe people's fish skin clothing from the northeastern regions.

"These techniques are examples of people from different parts of the country taking advantage of the natural resources available to them. We can track the extent of their activities and infer the environmental conditions through the materials and techniques used in their costumes; this is why many scholars refer to costumes as 'wearable history books'," Gao explained.

The Hezhe ethnic group historically resided on the Sanjiang Plain, a region in northeast China where the Songhua, Heilong, and Wusuli rivers converge.

Traditionally, the Hezhe people relied on fishing for their livelihoods. Consequently, their traditional attire was made from fish skin. To create these garments, they would peel the skin from large fish, remove the fat and scales, and dry the skins in the wind. Then, they stitched the prepared skins together with other materials to create full-fledged garments. The fish-skin costumes are lightweight, durable and pliable, well-suited to withstand the damp conditions of their environment and labor-intensive activities.

"I'd never heard of this delicate technique before visiting this exhibition," a visitor surnamed Liu from Fujian Province in southeast China told Beijing Review, adding that the traditional homeland of the Hezhe people "is now definitely on his family's itinerary" whilst they travel across the country's northeast this summer.

Gao added that, beyond reflecting living conditions, ethnic staples such as the Uygur people's Atlas silk "narrate the story of cultural exchange and the integration of nations."

Atlas means "graceful" in the Uygur language. The popularity of Atlas silk soared during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) due to then thriving trade along the Silk Road. Looking very different from other silk materials exported to Asia at large and Europe, both the look and creation of Atlas silk were influenced by Xinjiang's proximity to Central and West Asian countries.

This location facilitated frequent cultural and population exchanges through the Silk Road, where Xinjiang served as a transfer hub during that period.

The Atlas Yipek remains one of the most popular outfits for Uygur women now, and was featured in heatedly discussed TV series To the Wonder and was brought onto the CCTV stage for the last Spring Festival, the most important festival for family reunion in China, making the outfit more catchy, if possible, for travel shoot enthusiasts. At the 2024 EURASIA Fashion Week, held from June 30 to July 2 this year, the Atlas silk outfit on display

integrated stories and colors from the murals of the ancient Mogao Caves, adding additional layers of meaning to the fabrics.

Woven through history 

Many costumes resembling those of the Han ethnic group and others underline the historical cooperation between the Central Government and local authorities in ancient times.

A prime example is the traditional attire of the Tibetan ethnic group, residing in today's Xizang Autonomous Region, which includes a golden floral pattern robe with leopard skin sleeves and collar.

The clothes incorporate the golden thread brocade and a golden flower pattern, influenced by the group's western neighbors, alongside typical Han design elements.

In the Tang Dynasty, this region was a kingdom with strong ties to China's Central Government.

The significance of this relationship became even more obvious when Songtsen Gampo, the renowned Tibetan leader during the Tang Dynasty, assumed power.

His dedication to promoting friendly cultural and economic exchanges intensified following his marriage to Princess Wencheng. Moreover, Songtsen Gampo had a profound impact on the design of traditional robes, as he would honor brave warriors and heroes with garments made from tiger or leopard skins.

"The brocade material was imported from India and then adapted to both the extreme cold in Xizang and the nomadic lifestyle of the Tibetan people. But the lines and the silhouette of the clothing followed that of the traditional Han costume, a fact believed to be evidence of mutual exchange and influence at the time," Gao explained.

Silhouettes aside, certain patterns and decorations on traditional costumes reflect ancient Chinese philosophical ideals, such as the pursuit of peaceful coexistence, the protection of and respect for nature, and the admiration of good deeds and beauty. These philosophies are embodied in several costume patterns, including the fu and shou motifs, Chinese characters that signify good luck and longevity, respectively.

Additionally, symbols like the fish and dragon represent auspiciousness, while the flower and phoenix, revered as sacred in ancient Chinese folklore, further enrich the garments' cultural significance.

"These patterns and symbols of classic Han costume appeared on many ethnic costumes collected from vastly different regions of China spanning through thousands of years, and we believe this demonstrates the strength of our unity over time, and that the core essence of traditional Chinese culture was created with joint efforts from all ethnic groups," Gao said.

Modern interpretations 

Not only has the BIFT made extensive efforts to preserve the intricate techniques and histories hiding underneath the layers of these traditional costumes, but the school has also encouraged budding young artists to blend their classic elements with modern designs.

And so, the last section of the exhibition is one of fashionable fusion, starring the creative pursuits of BIFT students and researchers alike. It brings to life the contemporary interpretation and application of millennia-old elements.

The StarsTwINkle collection, designed by BIFT's fresh graduate Hu Yang, combines traditional "satin-stitch" embroidery and classic patterns of the Miao ethnic group, such as flowers and birds, with contemporary techniques such as 3D printing and modern leather-processing methods. Hu intends the designs to offer a creative interpretation of modern perceptions of the universe.

The Miao patterns, originally reflecting a reverence for Mother Nature, have been transformed by these advanced technologies, injecting them with new meaning and resulting in a striking, modern visual impact.

"The works on display in the modern interpretation section aim to demonstrate how we have inherited and preserved our ancestors' wisdom and creative talents within the original arts," Gao continued. "From the perspective of both an artist and a scholar, I believe traditional costumes will continue to serve as a resource, akin to a gene pool, for our future cultural, fashion and creative endeavors. The works inspired by these costumes will persist as a symbol of China, connecting different cultures and standing the test of time.

(Tian Hui, head of the BIFT National Costume Museum, Gao Dandan and Li Xiaolu from BIFT contributed to this article)

Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon 

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