By Zheng Yang

Worldwide， Qipao， a close-fitting womens dress with a high neck and slit skirt， is recognized as the main symbol of Chinas national costume. But today in China， many are trying to change this impression.

As the largest of Chinas 56 ethnic groups， Han Chinese account for more than 90 percent of Chinas population. Han-style costume （Hanfu） was the mainstream style of clothing in ancient China for about three millennia. This changed when the Manchurians came to power， founding the Qing Dynasty （1644-1911）. The now-famous Qipao is the modern version of Manchu clothing worn by women.

But in recent years， more and more Hanfu enthusiasts are dedicating themselves to bringing back this lost style of dress， and with it， bringing about a resurgence of traditional Chinese culture in modern Chinese society.

Cultural identity

To celebrate her 25th birthday， Yang Fan went to a popular photographers studio last autumn to take a series of glamor shots of herself in Hanfu clothing. She was satisfied with the pictures， but frustrated that she often was complimented by people saying， "Oh， you look so pretty in a kimono （Japanese traditional costume）."

"This is sad，" said a disappointed Yang. "When people see an ankle-length gown with long， full sleeves and a V-neck， they rarely recognize that it could be Chinese clothing."

In fact， both Japanese and Korean traditional costumes developed under the influence of Han styles as Chinese culture spread to other Asian countries. Nowadays， these traditional costumes are still worn in Japan and Korea at special celebrations or events， and even in daily life. But in China， Hanfu clothes have only appeared on screens and stages.

"Clothes are like our skin，" said Yang. "Our national costume displays our culture identity."

Yangs opinion echoes the argument of Hanfu enthusiasts and is a key concept behind the Hanfu movement. In 2003， a man called Wang Letian wore Hanfu robes and walked the streets in Zhengzhou， capital of Henan Province， triggering a discussion of reviving Han culture. This action was later marked by Hanfu enthusiasts as the beginning of a new Hanfu movement.

The movement swept the country very quickly， reintroducing traditional Han Chinese clothing styles as well as reviving ancient cultures. Today， organizations and groups aiming to promote Hanfu can be found in many cities both in and outside China. They organize activities that allow members display their Hanfu look in public， especially during traditional festivals. Meanwhile， these groups have also made an effort to research lost traditional etiquette and traditional instruments and songs.

In terms of convenience， Hanfu cannot compete with modern clothes. Hanfu enthusiasts suggest wearing traditional clothing at festivals and ceremonies to show respect to ancestors and Chinas ancient civilization.

Over the last decade， the efforts of Hanfu enthusiasts have seemed to bear fruit： Hanfu weddings are becoming more popular， and some schools have begun to replace Western-style graduation gowns with Hanfu for graduation and coming-of-age ceremonies. The significance of this clothing style has also been increasingly accepted by the public. In a recent online survey on the Hanfu movement， 75 percent of respondents said they felt that "the movement is necessary for national rejuvenation."

Hanfu Beijing， an online organization， wrote in their introduction for new members： "Reviving traditional culture can not rely on clothes alone， but the revival of this clothing style is of great significance. We will start from here."

Learning from past

An interest in traditional Chinese educational methods has developed alongside the rapidlygrowing Hanfu movement. This includes the revival of sishu， traditional private schools in ancient China， where a scholar tutors and teaches students in a private schoolhouse. These types of schools have a history spanning over 2，000 years. Now， more and more parents prefer to send their preschool children to sishu， where students wear Hanfu uniforms and study ancient Chinese classics such as The Four Books and Five Classics， the authoritative works of Confucianism written before 300 B.C. In the classroom， students adhere to old etiquette standards， showing great respect to teachers and knowledge and practicing other tenets of Confucianism.

In 2005， a School of Chinese Classics was founded at Renmin University of China， the first school of its kind in the country. Today， there are over 20 other similar educational and research institutions， and this number is still increasing. Guoxue， the study of ancient Chinese civilization， including philosophy， history， archaeology， literature and linguistics， soon became popular in both academic and public circles. Books on the subject have begun to top bestseller lists.