Culture lovers dress to impress

"Our revenue is about 5,000 yuan ($724) a day, and can reach 20,000 yuan on busy days," he said. "Most of our customers are females who were born after the 1990s and even after the 2000s. But sometimes the elderly also come for a novel experience."

The popularity of hanfu has also boosted the development of related businesses, including classical makeup, hairstyles and accessories. According to Hanfu Information, some 18 percent of the sector's revenue comes from related products.

Despite the high market demand, the sector is far from mature, and due to the complexity involved in making the costumes, it is difficult to mass-produce each design.

Lyu said: "For a single design, if more than 10,000 pieces are sold in a year, this is a huge success. However, for ordinary fashion brands, selling more than 20,000 or 30,000 pieces of a particular design is easy."

Another factor that Lyu feels could endanger the sector's development is that with the enthusiasm for hanfu bringing an increasing number of companies into the market, some of them have failed to respect the original culture and even conveyed incorrect information to the public.

"Some small manufacturers even copied designs from other companies, bringing chaos to the industry," she said.

Mo, from the Sichuan Hanfu Association, said the clothing is like a "stepping stone" that will attract and lead young people to explore traditional Chinese culture.

"Hanfu culture will bring disruptive changes to many aspects of the fashion industry and also help the younger generation widen its cultural identification," she said.

chenyingqun@chinadaily.com.cn