People wearing Hanfu are seen during an event at the Daming Palace National Heritage Park in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Nov. 24, 2018. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)
BEIJING, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Wearing a long gown with loose sleeves and elaborate embroidery while touring the ancient city wall of Xi'an, Wei Fangbing could easily pass for someone from the ancient times were it not for her smartphone.
Hailing from northeast China's Liaoning Province, Wei is a devotee of hanfu, a type of traditional garment of the Han ethnic group. The early 20-something bought the eye-catching outfit well before her trip to Xi'an, a historical city in northwest China best known for the Terracotta Warriors.
Wei is among a growing number of young hanfu fans in China who have been charmed by the traditional attire's unique design and the rich culture behind it.
Hanfu enthusiasts present Hanfu at Lanting scenic spot in Shaoxing, east China's Zhejiang Province, June 20, 2021. (Xinhua/Han Chuanhao)
According to a report by Chinese consulting agency iiMedia Research, the number of hanfu enthusiasts in the country will have surged from 2.04 million in 2018 to 6.89 million by the end of this year, with over 70 percent of the fans being Generation Z-ers aged between 16 and 24.
The ongoing hanfu craze is certainly palpable. If you walk into parks and tourist spots in cities like Xi'an, Hangzhou and Nanjing, chances are you will come across people dressed in hanfu taking selfies.
Girls dressed in Hanfu visit a peony park in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, May 1, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)
To tap into the fad, some tourist attractions have held hanfu-themed events and offered discounts and waivers for admission tickets to visitors wearing hanfu.
Last year, the ancient town of Xitang in east China's Zhejiang Province attracted some 187,000 tourists during its hanfu cultural week, including more than 86,000 visitors dressed in the traditional garment.
Girls dressed in Hanfu visit the Xi'an Beilin Museum in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, April 14, 2021.
Girls dressed in Hanfu take photos with pear flowers in Sanqiang Village of Hanyuan County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, March 6, 2021. (Xinhua/Liu Mengqi)
Zhu Keli, a researcher on new economy with the Development Research Center of the State Council, said the growing popularity of hanfu among Chinese young people arises from their increasing appreciation for traditional culture and their need to express their individuality.
The new economy and e-commerce platforms have further spurred the development of the niche market, Zhu said.
The report by iiMedia Research predicted the sales volume of China's hanfu market to exceed 10 billion yuan (about 1.5 billion U.S. dollars) this year.
Sun Yan, an online clothes store owner, presents the costume she designed in the fusion of the traditional Hanfu, in Sunzhuang Village in Caoxian County, east China's Shandong Province, Nov. 10, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Kai)
A student promotes hanfu via livestreaming at a secondary vocational school in Caoxian County, east China's Shandong Province, Dec. 11, 2020. (Xinhua/Guo Xulei)■
