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China's latest online trend? Traditional culture and cosplay
A trend inspired by traditional Chinese dress, dance and poetry has found popularity on Bilibili and YouTube, but some see nationalism
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This article originally appeared on ABACUS
They recite Tang dynasty poetry, practice calligraphy and martial arts, and dress up in traditional Chinese clothes. They also get millions of views on popular video platforms in China and are leading one of the country’s most intriguing youth trends.
These are the fans of Guo Feng, which roughly means National Style. It’s a broad online trend among a new generation of influencers that’s meant to be about taking pride in traditional Chinese culture.
A prominent part of this trend is hanfu, a booming movement in China to bring centuries-old Chinese clothes back to the streets. The term refers to the traditional dress of the Han people, the largest ethnicity in China. But some argue the movement has more to do with nationalism than fashion.
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The impact of Guo Feng is being felt on a variety of online platforms, but it’s most visible on Bilibili, a video platform akin to YouTube that has traditionally catered to gamers and Japanese anime fans. Bilibili also publishes a list of the most impactful uploaders, similar to YouTube Rewind. This year included a couple of names under the Guo Feng banner.
Bilibili, China’s biggest anime site, covers the screen in user comments
One example is Shiyin, a creator known for recording videos of herself in hanfu clothes, especially the detailed renditions of Tang dynasty costumes. Another video star who made the list is Mo Yun, whom Bilibili officially named its “crown jewel” for ramping up 29 million views on one of her videos playing the traditional instrument guzheng, or Chinese zither.
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