Old is good

Obviously, Ipod and Louis Vuitton are not enough.

As a musician playing a seven-stringed zither, an old Chinese music instrument, Yang Qing prefers to wear a long robe with broadsleeves and a high hat at his concerts, in a way that intellectuals and poets wear 1,000 years ago.

The 58-year-old man is one of the activists to promote a dressing style which Chinese have abandoned since the 17th century. They called it Han Costume.

Widely recognized traditional Chinese costumes such as Qipao or Cheongsam, which Westerners are familiar with, emerged after the Qing Dynasty (1636-1911) and became a national dressing code in the early 20th century.

"They are not old enough," Yang said. "When I perform on the same stage with traditional musicians worldwide, I would like to wear something that really presents the 5,000 years the country undergoes."

"Chinese are feeling the impulse to show the world the uniqueness we have and the special contribution we made to the world," Prof. Zhang Yiwu said. "In addition, facing the globalization, every country including China needs not only to open to the world but to highlight its own characteristics."

Every month, Yang holds a small concert and gathering with his students and friends. Everyone is dressed in their Han Costumes.

At the opening ceremony of Guozijian school, students also wear Han Costumes as their school uniforms.

"There is no harm for people to try to restore traditional customs in their daily life in a rational way," Zhang said.

After more than 150 years of harsh reflection and criticism against tradition, Zhang believes Chinese today have a different perspective from their ancestors who lacked knowledge about the outside world.

"We all have a understanding about the negative side of the traditional culture. I don't think today's people will take them back," he said.

(Xinhua News Agency September 14, 2009)