Zhan Guoping
01 · Lineage & Regional School
Zhan Guoping, Male, Han, from Huian, Fujian, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Huian Nv Costume (Ⅹ-64). The tradition is documented in Huian, Fujian. Within the regional tradition and school record of Huian Nv Costume in Huian, Fujian: In Hui'an, a local folk rhyme — "feudal head, democratic belly, thrifty clothes, wasteful trousers" — summarizes the characteristics of the various parts of Hui'an women's dress. Although Hui'an women's dress has settled into a set form, small differences remain from place to place. Local people summarize the features of its parts with a single rhyme: feudal head, democratic belly, thrifty clothes, wasteful trousers. The "head" refers to the tightly wrapped headscarf; the "belly" to the short garment that bares the navel and leaves the waist free for work; the "clothes" to the frugal use of fabric in the upper garment; and the "trousers" to the thick, wide, dirt-hiding black trousers for which no fabric is spared. The survival of the dress is concentrated along the eastern coast, where the fishing women of three townships — Chongwu, Xiaohe and Jingfeng — preserve it most completely, with the strongest customary coloring; women in some inland townships such as Dongling and Shanxia also still wear it, but their patterns and accessories are no longer as refined as those on the coast. The main room for choice lies in the headscarf patterns and silver ornaments: every headscarf is square, about sixty-six centimeters, mostly white flowers on blue, white flowers on green, or green flowers on white, each pattern different yet all clear and elegant. The development of Hui'an women's dress has its own law: it always presupposes adaptation to life and labor, follows its own aesthetic concepts, and takes fitting the body, following fashion, and conforming to custom as its pursuit. For this reason it was not wholly abandoned with the passage of time, but neither has it been able to withstand rapid change in ways of life. It originated in the ancient Baiyue culture, absorbing the finest elements of Central Plains culture and maritime culture, and has been tenaciously preserved through more than a thousand years of evolution and transmission. The overall style of Hui'an women's dress was fixed in the Tang dynasty and gradually matured in the Song dynasty.
02 · Mastery & Signature Works
The bearer record for Zhan Guoping is anchored in the documented technical standards of Huian Nv Costume in Huian, Fujian. Within the documented technical tradition of Huian Nv Costume in Huian, Fujian: Hui'an women's dress is a distinctive women's costume passed down in Hui'an County on the southeastern coast of Fujian Province. In the early Qing dynasty it underwent fairly marked changes, forming its basic characteristics: an unusual cut, distinctive ornamentation, harmonious colors, and richly colored patterns. The bamboo hat is the most conspicuous part of modern Hui'an women's dress; its main color is pure yellow, very bright. The headscarf is the most distinctive part of Hui'an women's dress. Every headscarf is square (about 66 cm), with color schemes such as white flowers on a blue ground, white flowers on a green ground, or green flowers on a white ground. Although no two headscarves have the same pattern, all are clear, elegant and pleasing to the eye. The hairstyles and hair ornaments of Hui'an women carry on the traditional Chinese esteem of women for jewelry. The greatest feature of the upper garment is "short clothes baring the navel". The waist ornaments of Hui'an women are of two kinds: one is woven from colored plastic ribbons, about 7 to 9 cm wide in total, with very eye-catching colors; the other is hammered from silver. The trousers worn by Hui'an women are mainly black, giving a steady, dignified look and making it easy to match with fabrics and ornaments of other colors. The coordination among the parts of Hui'an women's dress — in color, cut, line and pattern — is quite harmonious and well proportioned; it carries a traditional flavor while also bearing a certain modern air. The development and change of Hui'an women's dress follow their own inherent law: they presuppose adaptation to life and labor, strictly adhere to their own aesthetic concepts, and take "fitting the body, following fashion, and conforming to custom" as their goal. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "The straw hat and the square kerchief": The bright yellow hat and the square kerchief, some sixty-six centimetres across. "The short jacket exposing the navel": The short jacket leaves the navel bare, suiting labour by the sea and framing the waist ornaments. "Plastic bands and silver waist ornaments": Two kinds of waist ornament: brightly woven plastic bands and beaten silver. "The local song about the four parts": A local ditty sums up the covered head, bare midriff, economical jacket and ample black trousers.
The straw hat and the square kerchief
The bright yellow hat and the square kerchief, some sixty-six centimetres across.
The short jacket exposing the navel
The short jacket leaves the navel bare, suiting labour by the sea and framing the waist ornaments.
Plastic bands and silver waist ornaments
Two kinds of waist ornament: brightly woven plastic bands and beaten silver.
The local song about the four parts
A local ditty sums up the covered head, bare midriff, economical jacket and ample black trousers.
03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status
In 2025, Zhan Guoping was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Huian Nv Costume, with Huian, Fujian as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Huian Nv Costume in Huian, Fujian: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2006 (batch 1), with Huian, Fujian as its declared area, and Huian County Cultural Center as its safeguarding unit. Since the project was inscribed in the national inventory, its declared area and safeguarding unit have carried out documentation, transmission and presentation within the national safeguarding framework. Together, the inventory record and the project archive form the public documentary basis for the bearer’s transmission practice.
04 · Associated Heritage Item Dossier
Historical origin
It originated in the ancient Baiyue culture, absorbing the finest elements of Central Plains culture and maritime culture, and has been tenaciously preserved through more than a thousand years of evolution and transmission. The overall style of Hui'an women's dress was fixed in the Tang dynasty and gradually matured in the Song dynasty.
05 · Fellow National Bearers Lineage
National representative bearers recorded under the same item code, ordered from the first to the sixth batch. Batch order is not a teacher–student relationship.
| Bearer | Declared area | Roster code | Relation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zhan Guoping | Huian, Fujian | — | This page |
06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography
This static English edition is rendered at the edge for search engines, AI crawlers and readers without JavaScript. Compiled from official national representative bearer archival records and the associated project dossier, organized by topic and translated into English. 阅读中文版。