Han Dynasty nostalgia in China
China is on the rise. And that's fueled nationalistic pride at home. It's also fueled a new pastime among some young Chinese. They've taken to strolling in the park in Han Dynasty-style clothing. The Han Dynasty lasted from about 200 BC to 220 AD. Some romanticize it as a time of superior morals, values, and philosophy. They say China today would do well to learn from it...
On a blustery, cold and wet Sunday afternoon – a couple dozen people, most in their 20s and early 30s, gather outside the gate of a Beijing park. Some come dressed in Han Dynasty-style robes and sashes. Others pick out costumes from a battered blue suitcase, brought along by organizer Feng Maofang. She’s a former marketing executive, who now devotes herself full-time to promoting Han culture:
“We want to use these costumes as a symbol to make people think about the richness and wisdom of ancient Chinese culture. Why is it that Japan and Korea still cherish their traditional costumes and culture, while ours have disappeared? I hope the young generation will take back what we have lost and forgotten. This is our aim.”
Read entire article at Report by Mary Kay Magistad, The World (PRI & BBC News)
On a blustery, cold and wet Sunday afternoon – a couple dozen people, most in their 20s and early 30s, gather outside the gate of a Beijing park. Some come dressed in Han Dynasty-style robes and sashes. Others pick out costumes from a battered blue suitcase, brought along by organizer Feng Maofang. She’s a former marketing executive, who now devotes herself full-time to promoting Han culture:
“We want to use these costumes as a symbol to make people think about the richness and wisdom of ancient Chinese culture. Why is it that Japan and Korea still cherish their traditional costumes and culture, while ours have disappeared? I hope the young generation will take back what we have lost and forgotten. This is our aim.”