BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//VNC | Vereniging Nederland China - ECPv6.18.0//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:VNC | Vereniging Nederland China X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://www.vnc-china.nl/en/ X-WR-CALDESC:Events for VNC | Vereniging Nederland China REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Europe/Amsterdam BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0200 TZNAME:CEST DTSTART:20250330T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0200 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:CET DTSTART:20251026T010000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0200 TZNAME:CEST DTSTART:20260329T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0200 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:CET DTSTART:20261025T010000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0200 TZNAME:CEST DTSTART:20270328T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0200 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:CET DTSTART:20271031T010000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Amsterdam:20261120T200000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Amsterdam:20261120T220000 DTSTAMP:20260702T131654Z CREATED:20260702T131654Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260702T131654Z UID:10000283-1795204800-1795212000@www.vnc-china.nl SUMMARY:Lecture World Heritage in China DESCRIPTION:by En Shi de Weijer \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \nWith my traditional Chinese dress\, which is called a qipao in Chinese\, I used to go to school proudly. At the time\, I thought you could only buy something like that in China. I saw Chinese clothing at most once as part of a carnival costume. Now\, a few years later\, I walk through the city and suddenly I see dresses hanging in the Zara that look suspiciously like a qipao. It now suddenly seems to be part of the Dutch street scene\, but how did such a Chinese dress actually end up in Dutch stores? \n \n \n \n \n \nRunning for a Tang jacket\nAt the beginning of this year\, Adidas went viral on the internet with its Chinese New Year collection. One of the most popular items was its own interpretation of the Tang jacket\, which made its debut at Shanghai Fashion Week 2025. The design was inspired by the traditional tangzhuang\, but was combined with the contemporary style that is so characteristic of Adidas. The tangzhuang is a modern version of the magua\, a traditional Chinese garment that was originally worn by soldiers in the army during the Qing Dynasty. The tangzhuang has a long history within Chinese clothing culture and is mainly characterized by the mandarin collar and the characteristic pankou buttons: decorative\, often fabric-covered button closures that are intertwined. Thanks to the enormous online attention\, Adidas brought the jackets exclusively to the Western market and they also proved extremely popular in the Netherlands. They were sold out in a short time and interested parties even had to participate in a draw to have a chance of winning such a jacket at all. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n (Image Adidas website: Viral Adidas Tang jacket\, February 2026) \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Chinese identity in fashion\nWhile Adidas seems to have been an important catalyst for the visibility of Chinese fashion elements in the West\, the brand was certainly not the first to bring this style to an international audience. Chinese sports brand Li-Ning combined contemporary clothing with traditional Chinese elements for the first time in 2018. This turned out to be a huge success and a new movement within Chinese fashion emerged. \nElsbeth van Paridon\, sinologist and journalist who has lived and worked in China for years\, knows all about the trends and developments within Chinese fashion and urban culture. “At the moment\, Guochao 国朝 the biggest trend in China\, which means ‘national trend’ in English. In recent years\, Chinese fashion brands and designers have started to look much more at what can be found in their own cultural arsenal\,” says Van Paridon. This is closely related to a growing pride and appreciation for their own culture among Chinese consumers. Pride in one’s own culture was especially fueled during the corona pandemic\, a period in which China was in a very uncertain position internationally. \nIt was a smart move by Adidas to capitalize on that Guochao trend. By working together with Chinese designers\, they came to understand Chinese culture better. In doing so\, they go beyond the traditional\, often stereotypical image of the dragon or the excessive use of the color red. For international brands\, this is the way to connect with the Chinese consumer\, who belongs to one of the most important consumer markets in the world. \nTradition with a modern twist\nBut what exactly is what we see in Dutch clothing stores? For example\, with average denim jackets\, where you can see that the press studs have been replaced by pankou buttons. Van Paridon explains that this falls under the Neo-Chinese style (Xinzhongshi). “This trend is also super popular in China at the moment and also originated from Guohao. It is not traditional clothing\, but the characteristic elements are applied to contemporary silhouettes and materials.” \nWhile traditional Chinese clothing is mainly worn during festivals and ceremonial occasions\, Neo-Chinese fashion translates this tradition into everyday life. The designs are suitable for work\, social occasions and other everyday moments. The essence of traditional clothing is retained\, but given a new interpretation that is in line with contemporary\, global fashion. This creates clothing that is culturally meaningful\, but at the same time fits into everyday life. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n (Image En Shi de Weijer: Top of lace with pan-cold buttons in a Dutch shop window)\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Many explanations for the increasing popularity\nThere is no one clear explanation for the growing popularity of this style in the Netherlands. The visibility of the style may be partly due to the Chinese diaspora; for Chinese people living abroad\, fashion is a way to express one’s own identity. Wearing Western clothes sometimes lacks the cultural connection for them\, while wearing traditional clothing is too ceremonial. With that\, the Neo-Chinese style offers the perfect combination. \nIn addition\, the hype surrounding the Adidas Tang jacket has greatly enhanced the development. Van Paridon thinks it is therefore not surprising that fast-fashion brands\, which usually adapt quickly to new fashion trends\, go along with this. The visibility among major brands creates extra attention and increases the chance that this aesthetic will be widely adopted. Moreover\, the style is spreading at a breakneck pace via social media. China has become increasingly present in the online lifestyle culture in recent years. An example of this is the online phenomenon ‘Chinamaxxing’\, in which young people in particular are inspired by Chinese culture\, lifestyle\, fashion and beauty. \nThe leading fashion and lifestyle magazine Vogue highlights the minimalist nature of Neo-Chinese fashion\, which can be seen as one of the characteristics that contribute to the popularity of this style. The aesthetic fits seamlessly with the minimalist design trend that has been popular in Europe for some time\, in which timeless designs\, high-quality materials and a modest appearance are central. The feeling of luxury also plays a role in this; Due to the emphasis on quality\, material and careful workmanship\, the clothing does not have to be outspoken or striking to make an impression. \nUltimately\, the rise of this trend shows that fashion knows no boundaries. We don’t just copy trends from each other\, but constantly exchange ideas\, styles and influences with each other. What becomes popular in China finds its way to Europe and vice versa. Trends come and go and are influenced by what is going on in the world. Still\, I secretly hope that this style will stay for a while. This way I can bring a little bit of China to my wardrobe\, without having to travel far. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \nIn addition to Neo-Chinese fashion\, you can also encounter this on the streets of China: \n(Images A. Swijtink) \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Sources: \nImage Adidas Tang jacket: adidas Tang Track Jacket New Chinese Style “Focus Olive”- KT3847 \nAnonymous. (2023\, July 18). National Trend – 国朝 (guó cháo). CHIN 3343: Chinese Popular Culture Terms\, Vol. 1. https://uhlibraries.pressbooks.pub/chin3343sp23/chapter/nationaltrend/#:~:text=Guochao%2C%20%E5%9B%BD%E6%9C%9D%2C%20gu%C3%B3%20ch%C3%A1o%2C%20means%20%E2%80%9Cnational%20trend%E2%80%9D.%20This\,faith%20and%20took%20on%20a%20Taoism%20inspired%20look. \nBabayigit\, S. (2026\, January 25). Cultural appreciation: this is why ‘mandarin jackets’ are absolutely not a trend. Cosmopolitan. https://www.cosmopolitan.com/nl/fashion/a70089397/mandarin-jackets-cultural-appropriation/ \nCalloway\, J. (2026\, August 31). Tang Suit Chinese Style: A Beginner’s Guide to Tangzhuang. The Garment Atlas. https://thegarmentatlas.com/asian-traditions/chinese-tang-suit-beginner-guide \nCriales-Unzueta\, J. (2024\, April 8). What is “New Chinese style”? and everything else you missed from Shanghai Fashion Week. British Vogue. \n https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/new-chinese-style-shanghai-fashion-weekNeo Chinese Style Clothing | Modern Chinese fashion. (s.d.). Hanfu Story. \n https://thehanfustory.com/collections/neo-chinese-style卢晓芳. (2026\, March 11). The Rise of Neo-Chinese Style in 2026: Why Modern Chinese Fashion Is Redefining Global Elegance. Luxury Orienta CO.\, LIMITED. \n https://luxeorienta.com/blogs/fashion-trends/the-rise-of-neo-chinese-style-in-2026-why-modern-chinese-fashion-is-redefining-global-eleganceGoudsmit\, L.\, & Goudsmit\, L. (2026\, January 6). Jackets and cardigans with this special closure are an unexpected hit. Vogue NL. https://www.vogue.nl/shoppings/mandarijns-jasje-vest-sluiting/ URL:https://www.vnc-china.nl/en/event/lecture-world-heritage-in-china/ LOCATION:Volksuniversiteit Lisse\, Vuursteeglaan 9\, Lisse\, Zuid-Holland\, 2161 GD\, Nederland CATEGORIES:Cultuur en Maatschappij,Partner ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.vnc-china.nl/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IMG_20200612_182304_849-PEST2K.jpg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR