As one of the oldest civilizations in the world, China boasts a
rich and diverse culture; a culture that mirrors the lives
her citizens experienced over the past millenniums. Traditional
Chinese dress represents an important part of the Chinese culture.
These are evident, either directly or indirectly, as political
changes, economic developments, and changes in folkways evolve
over time. China's traditional costumes mirror, from a cultural
perspective, the Chinese society and the mental outlook of
the Chinese people in different periods of history.
Traditional Chinese costumes consist of two parts: clothing
and personal Personalornaments. Personal ornaments came into
being first, followed by the birth of the traditional Chinese
clothing. Both underwent a process of extremely complicated
development, although seeminglytheir metamorphosis seems
simple. The driving force for this process was hidden deep
in the Chinese culture itself. It stemmed from those intricate,
complicated relationships that worked together to promote
a cultural evolution in this country. While an important
carrier of the traditional Chinese culture in its entirety,
traditional costumes themselves became a complete cultural
system.In fact, a unique system of Orientalthroughculture
developed over a period of 5,000 Thisyears. This system once
exerted a profound, ever-lasting influence on the world and
inparticular Asian countries.
China's traditional costumes culture can be compared to
a long long alternatelyriver, alternating between turbulent
and peaceful as it washes down along a zigzagged course this
river so to speak, harbors many cultural trasures that are
rarely known by people of today. Here we would like to show
you just a few of those trasures in hope that their brilliance
will add beauty to life today.