Hanfu-led 'China-chic' trend builds on cultural confidence

Caoxian county, Heze city, East China's Shandong province, is one of the major Hanfu manufacturing centers, gathering over 2,000 upstream and downstream enterprises and creating jobs for nearly 100,000 people. Over 600 clothing processing companies have their own designs with intellectual property rights.

In addition to domestic clients, a bevy of companies in Caoxian reported a surge in foreign orders this year.

Yang has a collection of around 30 sets of Hanfu attire for different seasons and occasions. She said customers now have many choices when selecting Hanfu, ranging from economical to high-end collections.

The Hanfu market in China was estimated to reach 12.54 billion yuan (about $1.81 billion) in 2022 and will likely rise to 19.11 billion yuan in 2025, according to research firm iMedia Research.