HANGZHOU, China, May 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The 2025 “Chinese Hanfu Month – Celestial Craftsmanship and Heavenly Garments” launched its opening series at China National Silk Museum on May 10-11, highlighting the profound legacy of Hanfu culture and the ingenuity of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) craftsmanship through its thematic focus on traditional textile artistry.
Hanfu Night: The fashion show of reconstructed historical garments
The event featured an exhibition titled “Bridging Eras: Costume Design in ‘Lychees of Chang’an’,'” that examined how film/TV productions innovatively reinterpret traditional culture.
Other event highlights included academic forums where national ICH inheritors and scholars discussed West Lake silk parasols, woodblock printing, Zhe-style guqin, and fan-making techniques. Key topics included the digital preservation of textiles techniques, ICH in contemporary fashion design and engaging youth with traditional crafts.
The event offered immersive experiences, including live ICH demonstrations such as Linping Rolling Lanterns, Hangzhou Tanhuang opera, Xiaorehu storytelling, and guqin performances. Attendees also participated in interactive activities like the “ICH Discovery Challenge” scavenger hunt and explored artisan markets, creating a dynamic and engaging celebration of intangible cultural heritage.
As the highlight of the “Hanfu Month,” this year’s Hanfu Night closely followed the theme of “Celestial Craftsmanship and Heavenly Garments.” Six research teams showcased meticulously reconstructed historical Hanfu. Meanwhile, the “Lychees of Chang’an” team presented Tang Dynasty attire, with director Cao Dun dissecting its design, etiquette, and craftsmanship, highlighting TV drama’s role in cultural revival.
On-site, China National Silk Museum signed a framework MOU with CCTV-affiliated China Vision Media Group to co-develop silk-inspired products, leveraging textile patterns and cultural IPs like the upcoming documentary “Splendid Robes of China”.
The “China National Silk Museum Hanfu Festival” has been held for eight consecutive years and was upgraded to “Hanfu Month” this year. The entire event was live-streamed through official platforms of the China National Silk Museum such as Bilibili and Weibo, attracting nearly 5 million views, and ranked on Sina Weibo’s national trending list on May 10th. In June, the China National Silk Museum will also carry out a twin-city collaboration in Astana, Kazakhstan. The event bridges heritage and modernity, fostering dialogue between traditional artisans, designers, and the public through exhibitions, performances, and cross-industry partnerships.
Jinfang Li
lijinfang@cnsilkmuseum.org
