At the Panjiayuan antique market in Beijing this weekend, several young ladies in flowing robes embellished with intricate embroidery became the center of attention. The ladies are hanfu enthusiasts from a club dedicated to promoting the culture of hanfu, plus size qipao a style of clothing traditionally worn by the Han people. Fu Jiamei, one of the activity’s organizers, adding that they took their cues from similar events held recently in cities including Hangzhou, Changsha and Kunming, the latest sign of a growing craze for hanfu among young Chinese people. They invited passersby to recite ancient Chinese poems, and those who succeeded in the challenge received a lotus flower. The passion for traditional clothing has swept across the country in recent years, with bevies of youngsters dressed in hanfu becoming a common sight on the streets in many cities, especially ancient Chinese capitals like Xi’an and Luoyang. Gao Wenjing, an expert in traditional Chinese garments at the Tsinghua University Art Museum. Gao said that social media platforms have also served as a driving force to transform the niche hobby into a vast market that reaches the masses. Drawn by the gorgeous attire, some passersby took on the challenge this weekend. The hanfu market in China was estimated at 12.54 billion yuan (about $1.81 billion) in 2022 and will likely rise to 19.11 billion yuan in 2025, traditional chinese male clothing according to research firm iMedia Research. On the microblogging platform Weibo, the hashtag “Hanfu” had over 7.88 billion views as of Sunday, while on the video-sharing app Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, videos relating to hanfu had been viewed more than 93.4 billion times. For many young Chinese people, putting on hanfu serves as a reminder of their cultural heritage and history, and inspires them to delve deeper. Yan Zimo, a devotee of traditional culture, has visited more than 40 museums in 20 cities, dressed in a different hanfu suit on each visit. The other reason Yan enjoys wearing hanfu is because the outfits are usually loose and comfortable, allowing her freedom from certain constraints and burdens. Gao believes that many young people come to love hanfu as a result of heightened cultural awareness, while the love for hanfu, in turn, spurs them to learn more about Chinese culture and history.