Eight Years to Sharpen One Sword: A Discussion on Hanfu

This book presents the basic clothing of the Han ethnic group， known as Hanfu， through over 300 exquisite computer-generated hand-drawn vector illustrations， including historical paintings and costume reconstructions. It clearly showcases the evolution of Hanfu over thousands of years from the pre-Qin period to the Ming and Qing dynasties. It also provides a concise analysis of the practicality and aesthetic appeal of Hanfu， making it an attractive and interesting book on Hanfu knowledge.

Hanfu， also known as han clothing， han attire， or huafu， is the general term for “traditional clothing of the Han ethnic group.”

In distant ancient times， our ancestors， living on the Yellow River and Yangtze River basins， bathed in the sunlight and rain of the great rivers and mountains， and gradually formed a complete system of attire suitable for the environment， emphasizing etiquette and clear social hierarchy. This system， with its specific details such as materials， styles， and wearing methods， showcases the unique cultural taste and ethnic character of the Han ethnic group. Spanning over four thousand years， it has demonstrated astounding craftsmanship and aesthetic value through historical records and unearthed artifacts. These values constitute an important part of Chinese arts and crafts. For example， more than thirty items protected as intangible cultural heritage in China are related to Hanfu. In the era of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation， reviving the lost Hanfu civilization and rediscovering and studying the aesthetics of Chinese traditional clothing culture is undoubtedly a meaningful and intriguing endeavor for a fashion design educator.

Having been engaged in fashion design education for thirty-two years， during my research on ancient Chinese clothing， I found that most historical materials were primarily text-based， with few or unclear images， and lacked proper documentation and details. It has become increasingly challenging to meet the demands of readers and professionals in the fashion industry. Thus， I conceived the idea of creating an illustrated volume focused on clarifying the development of Hanfu through visual representation. Encouraged by the publishing house， I embarked on this ambitious project， which took eight years to complete.

This book features over three hundred exquisite hand-drawn computer-generated illustrations， selecting Hanfu costumes from historical paintings and unearthed artifacts. Organized chronologically， with each dynasty’s dressing style as the vertical axis， it presents a comprehensive overview of Hanfu’s evolution. The book provides visual explanations for each historical period from five aspects： living scenes， clothing styles， colors， accessories， and fabrics/materials. The vivid images， accompanied by concise text， aim to clearly showcase the transformation of Hanfu over thousands of years， from simplicity to complexity， from modesty to elegance， and from decline to extinction. The book also examines the practicality and aesthetic orientation of Hanfu， emphasizing the authenticity of details. Every pattern and scene in the book is meticulously researched and referenced， ensuring accuracy and avoiding any fictional elements.

I hope this book will be appreciated and enjoyed by a wide range of readers and professionals.

The Beauty in Hanfu

He Jidan， Sun Hong

Flower City Press

December 2022

168.00 （CNY）

He Jidan

He Jidan is an associate professor in the Department of Costume Art and Design at the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts. With many years of experience in costume design and education， he has conducted in-depth research on traditional Chinese attire.

Sun Hong

Sun Hong is a senior editor who graduated from the History Department of Xiangtan University. Sun specializes in planning and publishing books on history and culture.