Illustration: Chen Xia/GT

During the 2025 Spring Festival, Beijing, the always bustling metropolis, appeared slightly emptier than usual because many people had returned home. While walking around the city's winter streets, I saw vibrant colors pop out among people wearing dark-colored puffer jackets. These colors were people wearing different styles of traditional Chinese clothes like Hanfu and winter-style qipao. 

Temple fairs are one of the most celebrated Spring Festival events in Beijing. At the Changdian Temple Fair, a national-level intangible cultural heritage (ICH) event, young tourists like Kou Yuetian, a 24-year-old graduate student from Yantai, Shandong Province, chose to wear a red Hanfu garment decorated with a white fur scarf to pursue what she called a "sense of ritual" in celebrating the Spring Festival. 

"The Spring Festival is such a special occasion of the year for Chinese people. Wearing traditional clothes on the occasion is like wearing a haute couture gown to attend a ball. It is a time for me to showcase my cultural roots," Kou told the Global Times. She also added that besides the Hanfu outfit, she had prepared another cape with Chinese embroidery to wear while visiting the Summer Palace during her Beijing trip. 

How come a simple Chinese garment brings a "sense of ritual" to young people like Kou? 

The answer to this question lies behind the "historical depth and symbolic meaning" of such classic clothing, folk culture expert Xiong Gang told the Global Times. Taking Hanfu as an example, its style has evolved through different dynasties, mirroring not only beauty standards, but also changes in social and cultural standards. For example, Tang Dynasty (618-907) Hanfu was mostly ornate, a reflection of the then thriving society. 

"On the one hand, classic Chinese fashion epitomizes China's continued history. On the other hand, such garments are historically used by Chinese people to show their respect and their hopes for a good beginning during important events, for example, ancient sacrificial ceremonies," Xiong emphasized. 

On social media platforms like Sina Weibo, netizens used the phrase "xinchun zhanpao," meaning "Spring Festival battle robes" to hint at how these traditional articles of clothing can empower people at the start of a new year. 

Besides temple fairs, I saw these Chinese "battle robes" being worn by visitors at some of Beijing's most iconic heritage sites like the Bell and Drum towers, Temple of Earth and also the Palace Museum. 

Reflecting Beijing's local characteristics, visitors' garment not only included Hanfu, but also the "Gege dress," the typical attire of royal and noble women during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). 

At the Palace Museum, young women and even children were dressed up in Gege dresses to have pictures taken and follow tour guides. At the Temple of Earth, Ma Jiao, a visitor from Gansu Province, told the Global Times that she carried out extensive research before picking out her clothing because she "didn't want to twist Chinese history." 

"I learned that this building was built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), so I brought Ming-style Hanfu with me. I also read some texts about Ming Dynasty textiles and accessories," said Ma. She also added that wearing this clothing isn't about trying to get attention, but is merely a reflection of one's confidence in Chinese culture.

Hearing Ma's remarks, I sensed that the trend of people wearing traditional Chinese clothing seems to be igniting the public's interest in learning about traditional Chinese culture. These garments are therefore not only of aesthetic importance, but also of social value since they promote public education. 

Their interest isn't just limited to Chinese history. These garments seem to have also opened windows for people to learn about China's ICH. 

At a booth promoting creative accessories using China's cloisonne techniques, I saw a young lady in a Gege dress choosing accessories to match her outfit. She asked questions about price and durability, as well as history and the various techniques used to make these ICH treasures.

"The most important is that traditional fashion is gradually becoming a routine among young consumers in their everyday lives, so we ICH inheritors have more things to create for them," the shopowner surnamed Yang, told the Global Times. 

Indeed, consumers' surging demand for traditional Chinese garments has ignited the industry. Shu Heng, a tailor and fashion designer, told the Global Times that her customers' orders for neo-Chinese garments started in October 2024 and that they were all for "Spring Festival battle robes." To better fit the Year of the Snake, designs such as snakes modeled after traditional gold ingots have become the newest and most in-trend designs on many traditional garments. 

Wearing ancient clothing on the streets of Beijing is a little bit "surreal," Ma told the Global Times, noting that she felt like an NPC [a character in role-playing game] in a video game bring Chinese culture to the real world.  

The author is a reporter with the Global Times. life@globaltimes.com.cn