The people of Xi'an are masters when it comes to recreating ancient Chinese architecture and lifestyles. It may be because they have a rich history to draw upon, or because the traditions are in their blood.

     A renaissance of traditional Chinese culture is not only shown in the city's mushrooming numbers of traditional-style buildings but also in some people's clothing.

    The Han people of China worn Hanfu a millennia ago. Its distinguished features include long and loose sleeves and crossed collars, with the lapel on the right. It is often bound by belts around the waist. The costume was gradually abandoned during the Qing Dynasty in 1644. Nowadays Hanfu are only seen in performances or during certain festive occasions.

    But an increasing number of people take Hanfu as a hobby, such as Jingde and her friend Ya'er.

    "Hanfu can be described as one of the Han people's costumes, just as ethnic minorities in China have their own costumes," Jingde explains, while she herself is dressed in a plain white floor-length Han costume. She is in one of Xi'an many heritage parks to participate in a small-scale ceremony commemorating China's Dragon Boat Festival.

    "There are many people in Xi'an who are interested in Hanfu. We call each other 'Tong Pao' quoting the name from a Chinese poem" Ya'er said.

    Jingde and Ya'er are members of the Xi'an Hanfu Association, an organization which unites all Hanfu enthusiasts in town and engages them in various events aimed at learning traditional Chinese culture.

    Zhang Xisong, founder of the association, has turned his Hanfu passion into a burgeoning career.

    His company has just provided Hanfu to 62 couples who tied the knot in Xi'an on the 1st of May this year. It was the largest ever group wedding during which everyone was dressed in Hanfu.

    Zhang said he left his hometown in southeast China's Fujian province and came to Xi'an with only one aim - to learn the Hanfu culture.

    "Xi'an is a city of profound history and a perfect place to learn traditional Chinese culture," Zhang said. His association has won support from numrous scholars and academics throughout Xi'an, who regularly join the association's activities.

     "After years of studying and practicing, I felt myself growing more mature and peaceful. For instance, I used to be very annoyed by people who couldn't understand our love for Hanfu, but now, I have learnt to make peace with different opinions," Zhang said.

     There is so much Chinese wisdom contained in Hanfu, among which the most obvious is being modest, he said. "Our ambition is not to persuade people around us to dress in Hanfu or to return to the ancient way of living, but only to inform others that there are things we can learn from this ancient form of dressing and many many philosophies related to it," he explained.

    Zhang and his association hold gatherings on traditional Chinese holidays such as the Dragon Boat Festival, Qingming Festival and Lantern Festival.