Two long plaits in 1950s. [chinanews.com.cn]

As people's living conditions improved following the onset of China's reform and opening-up policy 30 years ago, they started adopting new hairstyles.

Today, when you stroll along the streets in many cities, you see girls and women with different hairdos. Their hair is curled, dyed or trimmed in different patterns to display their individuality.

But decades ago, women throughout the country wore the same hairstyle??

Two long plaits. The hairstyle was popular with a great number of young, unmarried Chinese women girls in the 1950s. They liked to tie their braids with colorful strips and usually let them hang in front or in back.

From the late 1950s to the early 1960s during China's Great Leap Forward, short hair styles became popular throughout the country, especially among newlywed women. They trimmed their hair short and straight, so that their hair covered their ears. This page-boy hairdo was also known as the "Liu Hulan" style to commemorate the female martyr who was killed by the Kuomintang troops in the War of Liberation. Liu used to wear her hair in this style.

In the 1980s, with the increasing popularity of overseas movies and television shows, the hairdos of actresses started to determine hairstyles on the mainland. The hairstyles of Japanese star Yamaguchi Momoe, which featured shoulder-length hair parted on the side, became popular. The medium-length hairstyle of Taiwan star Brigitte Lin also became popular.

As pop songs became popular in Chinese discos and clubs in the 1980s, Afros became the hairstyle of choice for young women who frequented these places and dressed stylishly in tights and jeans. They wore their Afros tightly coiled, and they were soft to the touch.

Many young women in the late 1990s started wearing their hair in ponytails. Some placed their ponytails on the side of their heads, making them more cute and stylish. Colorful hair ties were the most popular ornaments.