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The city of Xian in western China – renowned as the country's ancient capital and home of the Terracotta Army – has long been a prime destination for tourists from home and abroad. But Chang Youli, a stylist of traditional Chinese clothing (hanfu) based in the city, has noticed many people are joining her trade to cater to a particular type of traveller.
'Thanks to government promotions, the tourism industry here has grown, and more people are coming to experience hanfu,' said Chang, who now runs her own make-up studio. 'It has inevitably led to more competition, but it also helps more people know about our culture.'
The elaborate costumes,
typically donned for photoshoots at scenic or historical points of interest, have exploded in popularity in tandem with calls from the government to embrace traditional culture as a means of expressing national confidence.
Tourists visiting Xian's city wall or other heritage sites often spend half a day or more dressing up, applying make-up and posing with notable landmarks. A cottage industry has developed to meet this new demand, employing costumiers, make-up artists and photographers – with some enterprising minds packaging these services together for an all-in-one experience.
Roughly 306 million trips were made to the city last year, generating tourism income of 376 billion yuan, a year-on-year growth of 10.3 per cent and 12.3 per cent, respectively.
