The Han nationality is the largest ethnic group in China and also in the world. Its history is long and its culture is splendid.

Looking back at thousands of years of Chinese history, the clothing of the Han people mainly has two basic forms: upper garment and lower garment, or a single piece of clothing that combines the upper and lower parts. The feature of a large collar with the right side facing out is a distinctive characteristic that has always been retained in their clothing. Different dynasties and different historical periods each had their own unique features.

Five Principal Colors

In terms of color, the Han people regard green, red, black, white, and yellow as "principal colors." Different dynasties had their own preferences, generally, the Xia dynasty favored black, the Shang dynasty favored white, the Zhou dynasty favored red, the Qin dynasty favored black, the Han dynasty favored red, the Tang dynasty favored yellow, and the banners were red. By the Ming dynasty, red was considered appropriate. However, since the Tang dynasty, yellow was often regarded as a noble color, usually only the emperor and the nobles could wear it.

Mysterious Chinese Techniques

The materials used for clothing mainly include hemp cloth, silk, cotton cloth, woolen fabric, and leather. The dyeing and weaving techniques of the Han people are unique and renowned worldwide for their long history, advanced technology, and exquisite craftsmanship. Especially in ancient times, the textile industry, particularly silk weaving, was unique to the world for a long time. Ancient dyeing techniques were also extremely advanced and outstanding, not only offering a wide range of colors and vibrant hues, but also being highly colorfast and resistant to fading. They were called the mysterious "Chinese technique" by Westerners. The methods can be roughly divided into four categories: woven patterns, printing and dyeing, embroidery, and floral writing.

From Abstract to Realistic Clothing Patterns

In terms of decorative patterns on Han clothing, they often use animals, plants, and geometric patterns. The expression methods of these patterns have roughly gone through several stages from abstract to standardized and then to realistic. Before the Shang and Zhou dynasties, the patterns were similar to the primitive characters, relatively simple and concise, with strong abstraction. From the Zhou dynasty to the Tang and Song dynasties, the patterns became increasingly neat, balanced vertically and horizontally, symmetrical left and right, with tight and orderly layout. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the focus shifted to realistic techniques, with various animals and plants often depicted delicately, realistically, and vividly, as if directly taken from real life without any processing, fully demonstrating the diligence and wisdom of the Han people.