Spring, the most beautiful season of the year, arrives with the blooming of flowers, particularly peaches and apricots, which compete in their vibrant displays. Many places have seized the opportunity to create flower-viewing destinations. Coupled with the surge of "national trend" enthusiasm, visitors, especially young women, adorned in various forms of traditional Chinese clothing such as Hanfu, have become a beautiful sight, igniting the tourism economy of their destinations.
How are young people embracing the national trend? What sparks are ignited by the fusion of "national trend + cultural tourism"?
Admiring Flowers in Hanfu and Savoring Tea Becomes a Favorite Pastime
As temperatures rise across the country, flower viewing has become a must-do activity for many travelers. Take the recent Qingming Festival holiday, for example, where Ctrip data shows a 391% year-on-year increase in ticket orders for flower-viewing attractions. Festivals such as the Luoyang Peony Festival, the Lhasa Peach Blossom Festival, the Tianjin Begonia Festival, the Wuyuan Rapeseed Flower Festival, the Shijiazhuang Pear Blossom Festival, the Nanjing Plum Blossom Festival, the Yancheng Cherry Blossom Festival, and the Yili Apricot Blossom Festival, among others, have significantly boosted the popularity of their respective destinations.
The recently opened 41st China Luoyang Peony Culture Festival showcased a scene of "peonies blooming in succession, Hanfu parades filling the city." Early-blooming peonies competed with visitors dressed in Hanfu for attention. Many female visitors, dressed in Hanfu and carrying folding fans, wandered through the garden of national flowers, immersing themselves in the colorful spring day. "Hanfu flower viewing" has become a unique way to experience tourism in Luoyang.
Hanfu has also gained popularity in Handan, the capital of the Zhao State during the Warring States period. The fitted cut and vivid colors of Warring States robes have made them a highlight within Hanfu. This fusion of classical and modern elements has become a new trend among many young people. It is reported that in Handan's Congtai Park, Zhaoyuan Park, Huiche Lane, and Xuebu Bridge, tourists wearing Warring States robes can be seen taking photos.
According to Guan Wenjing, deputy director of the Congtai District Cultural, Radio, Television, and Tourism Bureau in Handan, the local government has launched a free scenic spot tour activity for those wearing Warring States robes, integrating the national trend and ancient city tourism, bringing the three-thousand-year-old city to life and offering young people a unique experience.
In addition, since the horse-face skirt became the first fashion item to explode in popularity this year, young people's pursuit of "new Chinese lifestyle" has expanded from clothing to travel. Activities such as visiting spring tea gardens, learning about Chinese tea culture, and tasting the first spring tea of the year have become highly popular among young people. Inquiries such as "Recommended B&Bs offering tea-picking experiences," "Where in Guangdong can you pick spring tea," frequently appear in travel planning groups on travel platforms. Yunnan's Xishuangbanna, home to the world's largest contiguous tea plantation; Wuyishan, the birthplace of oolong tea and black tea; and Tonglu, Zhejiang, surrounded by mountains, water, and tea fragrance, have all made it to the "Spring Popular Tea Culture Experience List." Wuyuan, where you can experience both flower seas and tea fragrance, has seen a surge in popularity of over 200%.
Multiple Factors Drive the Rise of Hanfu Culture
The increasing interest of young people in Hanfu has gradually made it a popular fashion symbol.
Ten years ago, Hanfu was still an unfamiliar term to many people. According to relevant industry data, from 2015 to 2022, the number of Hanfu enthusiasts in China and the market size of Hanfu both showed high growth trends. Another data shows that the number of Hanfu enthusiasts has continued to expand, growing more than 30 times in the past ten years, with the number of Hanfu enthusiasts reaching 9.981 million in 2023.
Wu Yingjie, a Hanfu enthusiast from Wuhan, Hubei Province, told China Urban Daily, "I am a die-hard fan of Tonghua. After watching the TV series adapted from her novel 'Song of the Cloud,' I fell in love with Hanfu completely!"
Undoubtedly, costume dramas have played an important role in promoting the popularity of Hanfu. In recent years, the popularity of costume dramas such as "Changge Xing," "Yun Zhong Ge," and "Chang Yue Jin Ming" has sparked strong interest in the dressing of ancient people among viewers. The costumes, hairstyles, and makeup in these dramas are perfect representations of Hanfu elements, attracting a large number of young people.
"The reason why national trend products, especially those favored by young people born in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, have become popular lies in the continuous exploration of the seamless integration and transformation of traditional culture and contemporary tastes by relevant teams and companies, as well as continuous thinking about how traditional culture can be carried forward in contemporary times," said Liu Jun, professor and deputy director of the Center for Media Arts and Culture Studies at the Communication University of China, in an interview with China Urban Daily. He analyzed that this generation has grown up in an era of rapid development in China and has directly felt and enjoyed the convenience and dividends brought about by China's development in their personal lives and personal development. As "digital natives," they have also simultaneously encountered and understood a more diverse and comprehensive world.
Liu Jun further stated that compared to previous generations, this generation can confidently view China's comprehensive development trend and its relationship with the world. Confidence in development brings advantages and stimulates motivation, which is the deep reason why national trend products have penetrated into the daily lives of contemporary Chinese people.
It is worth noting that the concept of "new Chinese lifestyle" is playing an increasingly important role in the travel consumption decisions of young people. Feng Rao, director of the Mafengwo Tourism Research Institute, said, "From the continuously high popularity of museum tours to the folk and intangible cultural heritage experience tours that went viral on social networks during the Spring Festival this year, to the recent surge in popularity of tea-picking tours, young people's love for traditional Chinese culture and the strong motivation to 'travel with interest' will bring endless opportunities for the development of more niche destinations."
Wu Yingjie told China Urban Daily that in order to experience the beauty of Hanfu immersion, she specifically went to Luoyi Ancient City during the Spring Festival to try on Warring States robes and makeup. "At that time, I found a studio called Ying Luo Tang on Xiaohongshu, and I made an appointment for makeup and photo shoot projects. Because the Warring States robes I liked were so popular, I could only wear them for 4 hours during the experience. But even so, I had a great time," said Wu Yingjie.
In addition, the popularity of social media has also played a role in promoting the popularity of Hanfu. "Many Hanfu enthusiasts share their dressing experiences, matching skills, and various Hanfu activities on platforms such as Weibo, Douyin, and Bilibili, attracting a large number of fans," said Li Qi, who has worked in makeup design, to China Urban Daily. These social media accounts have become important channels for the dissemination of Hanfu culture.
National Trends and Related Products Drive Tourism Economic Development
Today, with traditional Chinese ethnic costumes represented by Hanfu experiencing a boom in tourism experiences, the status of scenic spots as corresponding scenes has become increasingly prominent.
In fact, it is not surprising that traditional Chinese ethnic costumes and scenic spots spark joy. Many scenic spots have ancient buildings and exquisite scenes full of national characteristics, which are very suitable backgrounds for these costumes. In these scenic spots, enthusiasts of traditional Chinese ethnic costumes, regardless of age or gender, some hold folding fans and jingle bells, some are gorgeous and elegant, presenting the beauty of the classics vividly. Beautiful scenery and even delicious food complement traditional clothing, helping scenic spots to become popular.
Staff at the Big Wild Goose Pagoda scenic spot in Xi'an once said that they had arranged some spots suitable for wearing Hanfu to take photos in the scenic area to increase the rate of tourist check-ins. This also helps to increase the exposure of the scenic spot on social platforms.
Seeing the driving role of traditional Chinese ethnic costumes, represented by Hanfu, in the tourism market, more and more destinations and scenic spots are targeting the national trend and organizing events such as Flower Festivals and Hanfu Festivals to attract people to come and visit. Luoyang, the ancient capital, has been rated by netizens as the most "Hanfu-friendly" city in the country. For example, wearing Hanfu allows free subway rides; going to Wangcheng Park to admire flowers, visiting Luoyi Ancient City, wearing Hanfu is free...
It is understood that at present, Luoyang has formed a "Hanfu + styling + photography + photography" full-chain industry, with more than 1,000 related stores. With the formation of the "Hanfu Economic Circle," the drainage effect of "Hanfu + Tourism" in Luoyang is gradually showing.
Nowadays, the Hanfu market has transformed from the past single clothing sales to a close integration with the cultural tourism industry, with immersive experience-based leisure activities becoming increasingly popular. Especially during traditional festivals and in tourist attractions, Hanfu has become a distinctive symbol of fashion and culture.
It is worth noting that while the Hanfu industry empowers tourism and promotes local economic development, it should also avoid "going too far." "For national trends and their products, a cautious attitude is still needed to prevent them from being a flash in the pan," Liu Jun reminded. Operators should not excessively consume traditional culture, not excessively ridicule traditional elements, and not excessively consume cultural feelings; the industry should not appear in a state of disorder and lack of rules, and should strengthen cultural inheritance and innovation. Only in this way can national trends and related products continue to grow and achieve long-term development.
