Move over Western gowns, hanfu 'is coming'

Walking up on a dais in traditional Chinese dress to receive your baccalaureate degree.

Well, that can become a reality if a Peking University design contest throws up something novel and exciting enough to replace the Western-style gown, which till now have been worn by students.

The prestigious seat of higher learning, long known for its tradition of innovation, launched the academic-gown designing contest on Thursday. The criterion: the costume has to be traditionally Chinese.

The top design could become a must at the university's graduation ceremony in the not-so-distant future, according to the university's Communist Youth League committee, which is in charge of students' activities.

"If the gown proves a success, we could introduce it in other universities, too," committee director Han Liu said.

The contestants, students and teachers both, have been asked to submit their gown and cap designs before June 8. After the preliminary eliminations, the selected costumes will be displayed at this year's graduation ceremony on July 3.

"It's an innovation because students in all Chinese colleges today use the same Western-style gown," said Lu Peng, another committee official. "It's also part of our campaign to promote culture and tradition on campus."

Colleges students used to wear different types of gowns at the graduation ceremony till the State Council's Academic Degrees Committee promoted a standard one, the Western-style gown, in 1994.

The degrees committee, however, told China Daily on Friday that it was not compulsory for all colleges to use the same gown.

Scholars and students have been asking if Chinese people should wear traditional clothes on important occasions, such as graduation ceremonies.

"Why should Chinese students wear Western gowns while receiving their degrees?" Sui Yue said. Sui is a sophomore and president of Peking University's Costume and Culture Association for Communication, a students' association that's helping organize the contest.

The contest is open to all traditional Chinese clothes, she said, but "hanfu", the pre-17th century traditional dress of the Han Chinese, the majority ethnic group of China, has the edge because of its popularity among students. Wide sleeves, crossed collar-bands, layered robes and a fabric belt are the striking features of the hanfu.

The contest reflects the revival of traditional Chinese culture, Li Zhisheng, a professor of history at Peking University, said.