China Focus: Behind the Hanfu frenzy among international tourists in China

BEIJING, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- With an increasing number of foreign tourists visiting China, the sight of foreign nationals dressed in Hanfu, a type of traditional Chinese clothing, at scenic spots across the country has become a captivating cultural phenomenon.

By the moat of Beijing's Forbidden City -- the over 600-year-old complex that once served as China's imperial palace -- Jessica Savano, a travel content creator from the United States, wore a phoenix coronet, held a round silk fan and dressed in exquisitely embroidered clothes, posing for photos against a backdrop of red walls and glazed yellow tiles.

"This is a must-do if you ever come to China. I will have these pictures forever. How incredible," Savano said excitedly in her China vlog.

Just like Savano, more and more foreigners are embracing this brand-new way to get immersed in the Chinese culture, sharing their pictures on social media platforms. By June, the #Hanfu hashtag on TikTok had amassed nearly 300,000 videos, fueling a global fascination with traditional Chinese fashion.

In one of these videos, an international student from South Africa shared her ancient-style photoshoot in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province. "I feel like the female lead in a Chinese TV drama," she said. Her video resonated with thousands, drawing nearly 40,000 likes.

Meanwhile, a wave of TikTok influencers have joked in their videos, "Unfortunately, I'll never feel pretty again, because this was my photoshoot in China." The humorous exaggeration underscores a genuine sentiment: these Chinese-style photoshoots often capture what feels like a peak moment of beauty for their subjects.

The comment sections of these videos were flooded with applause from netizens globally. Users complimented the amazing clothes, intricate hairstyles and stunning final results. Many were left with serious wanderlust, commenting, "I wish I could go to China for a photoshoot too!"

Adjacent to the Forbidden City, the Wangfu Century Plaza has become a popular destination for tourists who want to wear traditional Chinese costumes, put on makeup and have a hairdo. The building now houses hundreds of studios providing such services, with Kai Wen (pseudonym) operating one of them.

Inside Kai's studio, clothing racks are neatly arranged, displaying a diverse collection of around 400 sets of traditional clothes, which have covered the dressing styles of various ancient Chinese dynasties.

"Since the beginning of 2025, we've served nearly 70 groups of foreign tourists. Compared to last year, there's been about a 20-percent increase in foreign customers," the owner said, adding that his shop had received foreigners as young as two years old and as old as nearly 70.

"Most people find it a novel and enjoyable experience when they try on these clothes," he said.

For many foreign tourists, the unique charm of Chinese culture plays a key role in the traditional costume frenzy.

"Traveling (abroad) is largely an experience of foreign cultures and a form of cultural consumption, and clothing is an important external expression and carrier of a country or region's culture," said Zhang Jinshan, a research fellow at Beijing Union University.

A featured article on the Shanghai-based Youth Daily noted that nowadays, overseas tourists wear traditional Chinese clothing not out of curiosity as was the case in the past, but because of a genuine connection and appreciation for the culture.

"Over millennia, Chinese clothing has developed into an aesthetic system that is both diverse and cohesive. It offers a wide range of options for people from various cultural backgrounds and social classes, allowing everyone to find a Chinese style that resonates with their personal taste, further expanding its audience," the article said.

Behind this phenomenon is also the rapidly growing global enthusiasm for traveling to China, boosted by the country's expanding visa-waiver policies under which China now has mutual visa-exemption agreements with 29 countries and offers unilateral visa-free entry to nationals of 48 countries, spanning Europe, Latin America and the Middle East.

As of Nov. 23, ports in cultural tourism hotspot Beijing had recorded 5.78 million inbound and outbound trips made by foreign nationals, a 35-percent rise year on year. Approximately 60 percent of these inbound travelers benefited from China's visa exemption or temporary entry permit policies.

In the third quarter of this year, foreign nationals made 7.25 million visits to China under its visa-free travel policies, a 48.3 percent year-on-year increase and accounting for 72.2 percent of all entries made by foreign nationals, according to the National Immigration Administration.

As foreign tourists surge, a rising number of them engage in traditional Chinese clothing experience and participate in cultural activities, which not only helps enrich their tourism experience in China, but also expands consumption scenarios, and elevates the level of tourism spending, said Zhang, the university research fellow. ■