Download - Address to the Royal Asiatic Society, HK Branch Speaker: Juni L. Yeung, MA (CUHK), BA (Toronto)
HANFU: TRADITIONAL CHINESE DRESS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY?Address to the Royal Asiatic Society, HK Branch
Speaker: Juni L. Yeung, MA (CUHK), BA (Toronto)
Thanks to…
The Royal Asiatic Society, Hong Kong Branch
Marianne Yeo, and the Friends of the Art Museum, CUHK Ltd.
Toronto Guqin Society
And participants like YOU. Thank you.
The dilemma
Why is our China so distant from its own tradition?
Huaxia Restoration: Continuing since Revolutionary China
A demand for guiding ideology:Hanism New Citizen
Pop Media and Identity
No More “Guzhuang” (Ancient clothes)
Lack of industry standards, or even aesthetic basis
Imagination to dynastic (period) to fashion/sartorial
Settling once and for all the basis of authenticity Good cutting and shape Proportions Colour-matching Materials
The modern Hanfu: Distinguishably different…?
The System of Objects
Classified by article types, or by functionality The latter type describes outfits, rather than
pieces “Period” distinctiveness forgone and
blended Some sub-categories still exist, with remnants of
period terms
A quick pictorial guide
Yi 衣 Shang 裳 Ku 褲 /絝 Pao 袍 Shenyi 深衣
Shoufu 首服
Zufu 足服 Xieyi 褻衣
The market so far
A debate between quantity vs. quality Quantity: Scale production
Pricing and distribution channels: Hancai (Hancolor)
but lacking control of authenticity (Hanyifang) Quality
Restoring materials and weave at all costs (Minghuatang)
Simple materials and colors but impeccable reproductions (Jinglian Mantang)
Few to buy and small atelier, hard to reach