On March 26, 2025, Ms. Dong Xiaoning, an inheritor of intangible cultural heritage, was cordially invited by the Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management Programme of the School of Culture and Creativity at BNBU, to deliver an enlightening lecture titled ‘Chinese Traditional Costumes and Etiquette’ in Classroom CC302.

The seminar began by delving into the historical evolution of Hanfu, tracing its development from the pre-Qin period to the Ming and Qing dynasties systematically. Ms. Dong Xiaoning particularly emphasized that Hanfu represents significantly serves as a vital vessel of Chinese ceremonial civilization. Its six unique features, like the planar structure and five-element color system, vividly reflect the ‘harmony between man and nature’ philosophy and the aesthetic of ‘balance and beauty’.

Regarding Chinese etiquette, Ms. Dong exemplified with Mianfu to illustrate the close bond between etiquette and clothing. She presented the dress norms in traditional rituals like sacrifices, capping and wedding ceremonies, and underscored the value and inheritance ways of traditional etiquette and clothing culture in modern times, inspiring teachers and students to think about cultural heritage.

This seminar emphasized the combination of theory and. Ms. Dong demonstrated on-site and guided teachers and students to practice standing postures and the salutation ceremony when meeting each other. During the Q&A session, students actively asked questions regarding issues such as the daily wearing of Hanfu and the modern application of traditional etiquette, creating a lively atmosphere at the scene.

In the form of ‘lecture and experience’, this seminar enabled participants to not only deepened their understanding of traditional culture but also cultivate a sense of cultural heritage through practical engagement. The School of Culture and Creativity is committed to continuously promoting traditional culture education initiatives, thereby facilitating the innovative inheritance of fine cultural traditions.

Ms. Dong Xiaoning is an inheritor of the intangible cultural heritages of Huaxia Han Chinese wedding ceremony and the Empress Wu's Hundred Thousand Music. She's an etiquette course consultant at Henan University of Science and Technology, a Key Teacher at Renmin University's Confucius Research Institute, a traditional Chinese culture and etiquette tutor at Beijing Heyi Education Group, and now serves as the Vice President of Henan Rites and Music Education Research Institute.

Text: Weilu Wang

Photos: Hairui Wang, Weilu Wang