Traditional Chinese fashions showcased at Taste of Annandale

The Chinese Culture Institute’s Hanfu Club is presenting a couture fashion show at the Taste of Annandale featuring traditional Chinese dress from the Han period. It is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

The Chinese Culture Institute is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting an understanding of traditional Chinese culture through programs in education, language, business, and art.

The institute’s Hanfu Club “is active in the community sharing the beauty of traditional Han Chinese dress and educating people about the rich heritage of traditional Chinese culture,” says Cindy Shao, president of the Asian American Chamber of Commerce, a sponsor of the Taste of Annandale.

“Han couture is named after the Han, the largest ethnic group in China. It refers to clothing from ancient times to the end of the Ming dynasty in the mid-17th century. Han couture established a significant role in Chinese culture as it reflected the essential elements of each dynasty,” Shao says.

Chinese history’s rich heritage produced clothing designs that were intricate, detailed, and profound, she says. “Han couture has embraced and embodied China’s traditional values of compassion, loyalty, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness.”