A Boston native girl has made it her mission to explore and showcase Hanfu, China's traditional attire, and promote cultural exchanges between the two countries.
Hanfu, a symbol of Chinese cultural heritage, was born in the ancient residential areas of the Han ethnic group, where it has been worn for generations.
With a renewed interest in traditional culture among Chinese youth and increased visibility on social media, Hanfu has regained popularity in recent times.
Captivated by the elegance and beauty of Hanfu, the American girl Rachel Yu likes to wear it and delve into its rich history. She can distinguish between the styles of Hanfu from various dynasties and create suitable hairstyles to complement each outfit.
Rachel creates and shares online videos showcasing her presentations of Hanfu.
"So when I very first started to do hair, my hair was very short at that time, so I looked online to see how to make a Hanfu hairstyle for short hair. I can't find anything. So I started to look at like drawings and like Tang Dynasty (618-907) artifacts and then I just tried to recreate it myself. And then I'm like 'Oh I figured it out.' So then I posted a video showing it for someone else since I couldn't find a video. And then people were like 'What? This is so cool.' And that's how I very first started making Hanfu videos," she said.
Rachel first encountered Hanfu through online videos in 2018.
"I actually got the video suggested to me. I love watching fashion content. I also got a video about the Hanfu in China. I was like, 'Oh, what is this?'"she said.
Rachel was immediately captivated by the charm of Hanfu and began to search for more information online. However, she found that there were few English resources about Hanfu, and most of the videos she discovered were in Chinese.
Determined to deepen her understanding, Rachel made up her mind to learn Chinese from that moment on.
"The language barrier is a big challenge because I will find a video like 'Ah, this is such a cool video.' It's a cool video, but I can't understand what it is saying. But I still just watch all the videos because I can learn from seeing even if I don't know what they're saying sometimes," she said.
In 2022, Rachel received her first Hanfu, and she vividly remembers how it felt to wear it.
"I feel this very elegant and very comfortable at the same time, like 'Oh, I feel like a royal princess,'" said Rachel.
Now, Rachel is familiar with the characteristics of Hanfu from different dynasties. She also blends Hanfu with modern outfits for her everyday style. She has amassed two full closets of Hanfu at her home in Boston.
Rachel has joined a Hanfu club in Boston and participates in various activities organized by the club, including Hanfu shows.
She is delighted to see that more and more Americans are developing an appreciation for Hanfu and discovering Chinese culture through this beautiful attire.
"Clothes, you don't need to know everything to appreciate it. Like you can just see and be like, 'Oh, that's so pretty.' And then I feel like that kind of thing brings people together. Like when people eat food from different cultures and they're like, 'Oh, this is delicious.' You know, and then that brings the people together. And I think that Hanfu, it's another thing that can do that and just have people enjoy the beauty. And it's like a little more special because it's connected to history. And I think that's really cool, because as you learn more about Hanfu, you also learn more about Chinese history, which is not taught very much in America," said Rachel.
American girl devotes to studying Hanfu culture, promoting cultural exchanges
