Constructing Modern Ethnic Myth: A Cultural Analysis of the Hanfu Movement

Abstract: This ethnographic study investigates the rising Hanfu movement in China. Hanfu, literally means the clothing of Han ethnicity, but it is a newly coined terminology. The movement takes Hanfu as a symbol and aims to redefine the position of Han ethnicity in Chinese society and extend the influence of Chinese culture in the worldwide. Methods including interviewing, netnography and critical discourse analysis are employed in the research. In this thesis I explore the narratives around Hanfu, the identity and self-image constructed by Hanfu supporters and the paradoxes of the movement. Daniel Miller’s concept of stuff, Benedict Anderson's imagined communities and Manuel Castells’ idea of contemporary identity are the basis of the theoretical framework. The findings from my fieldwork indicate that the Hanfu movement is a typical nationalist movement, the movement per se faces multiple challenges. Besides, the nation-building process of modern China is still ongoing.