Behind the Hanfu frenzy among international tourists in China

A featured article on the Shanghai-based Youth Daily noted that nowadays, overseas tourists wear traditional Chinese clothing not out of curiosity as was the case in the past, but because of a genuine connection and appreciation for the culture.

"Over millennia, Chinese clothing has developed into an aesthetic system that is both diverse and cohesive. It offers a wide range of options for people from various cultural backgrounds and social classes, allowing everyone to find a Chinese style that resonates with their personal taste, further expanding its audience," the article said.

Behind this phenomenon is also the rapidly growing global enthusiasm for traveling to China, boosted by the country's expanding visa-waiver policies under which China now has mutual visa-exemption agreements with 29 countries and offers unilateral visa-free entry to nationals of 48 countries, spanning Europe, Latin America and the Middle East.

As of Nov 23, ports in cultural tourism hotspot Beijing had recorded 5.78 million inbound and outbound trips made by foreign nationals, a 35-percent rise year on year. Approximately 60 percent of these inbound travelers benefited from China's visa exemption or temporary entry permit policies.

In the third quarter of this year, foreign nationals made 7.25 million visits to China under its visa-free travel policies, a 48.3 percent year-on-year increase and accounting for 72.2 percent of all entries made by foreign nationals, according to the National Immigration Administration.

As foreign tourists surge, a rising number of them engage in traditional Chinese clothing experience and participate in cultural activities, which not only helps enrich their tourism experience in China, but also expands consumption scenarios, and elevates the level of tourism spending, said Zhang, the university research fellow.