All dressed up in tradition

However, as of yet, the hanfu hasn't grabbed as much attention as the kimono, the hanbok or the cheongsam. To address this, the popular blogger Miqiujun is determined to spread its culture around the world. With 16.8 million followers on her Weibo account, she now runs a brand called Jieziji with her husband. "As my parents and grandmother are tailors, I have had an interest in clothing and design since I was a little girl," she says. "I took part in some hanfu activities in university and then started my own company four years ago." 

With her husband serving as the photographer, Miqiujun has put a plethora of gorgeous hanfu pictures on her Weibo. "I usually do my own haircut and make-up," she explains. "In the second half of 2016, I shot a video about women in different dynasties and their ways of dressing up. I looked up many books and sometimes used pottery figurines to get useful information." This hit video introduced four dynasties – Han, Tang, Song and Ming – as well as the women back then, their lifestyles and their pursuits of beauty.

Miqiujun has also started an outreach activity called Travel with Hanfu – a world tour to educate and showcase the garment in 15 countries and counting. "Our first stop was Nepal and we just came back from Japan," she says. "Many people mistake the hanfu for a kimono or a hanbok. We explain the history; they also think it's beautiful and want to give it a try. The cheongsam enjoys more popularity and wider recognition. But it would be great if people could also think of hanfu."