Packaging chinoiserie

Meanwhile, hanfu, a traditional Han costume, has become more popular among young Chinese women who can be seen in it at urban parks, scenic spots, college campuses, and events.

The magnificent scenes and the beautiful hanfu portrayed in TV serial The Longest Day in Chang'an, shot in the ancient Chinese city of Xi'an in Shaanxi province, have popularized the traditional clothing of the Han ethnic group, which is known for its chinoiserie elements.

So far, the hanfu market is estimated to have more than 2 million consumers nationwide. The total market value of the sector is 1.09 billion yuan, according to industry estimates.

Newly married young couples wear hanfu these days for wedding photo shoots, including for snaps featuring family members and friends, giving the proceedings a traditional Chinese touch.

Some others tend to hold Han style wedding ceremonies for a sense of Chinese cultural rituals. At some college campuses, students wear hanfu at university events like convocations, food festivals, and other ceremonial occasions. So much so, there are businesses specializing in renting out hanfu clothing, which is in turn encouraging people to rent such costumes for special photo shoots.

Hanshanghualian, the largest hanfu store on Tmall, commands nearly 3 million followers. Most of its hanfu clothing carry price tags between 100 yuan and 500 yuan. Besides, hair accessories, shoes, and fans retail under 100 yuan each.

"Amid the ongoing consumption upgrade, young Chinese are pursuing more exquisite and quality lifestyles. This requires brands to provide more value-added elements like attractive designs, personalized content, and unique cultural aspects," said Neil Wang, president of Frost& Sullivan China.

Based in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, China Mengniu Dairy Co Ltd, one of China's largest dairy producers, introduced traditional Chinese style packaging for its milk products this summer.

Its high-end organic, fat-free milk product Telunsu added chinoiserie designs to its Tetra Pak packaging boxes. The patterns include mandarin ducks, butterflies, red-crowned cranes, flowers and plants.

The company said the new packaging has impressed female consumers, especially those who tend to be health-and figure-conscious, and appreciate finer aspects of life.

"Attractive packaging will draw in consumers. Sometimes, we can use a new design to improve the user experience and the whole product will undergo a significant change in the way it is perceived, because of the breakthrough in packaging," the company said in a statement.