A designer works on hanfu at a studio in Caoxian county. YANG LURONG/CHINA DAILY

Brand building

Hanfu producers in Daiji are focusing on original designs in an attempt to earn an increased market share.

At Meng's center, horse-face skirts made from different materials featuring embroidered designs are selling well. These colorful pleated skirts, which originated in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), were worn by celebrities and fashion icons.

"We have seen impressive growth in sales of horse-face skirts during the first half of this year," said Meng, who studied for a bachelor's degree of arts.

Showing the garments to visitors, Meng said, "For example, this particular set of horse-face skirts is designed for a family, and we added an embroidered peony to the skirts to make them more elegant." She added that the set is selling well, both online and offline.

Meng feels that one of the most important ways for the hanfu industry in Caoxian to develop is by studying and understanding the characteristics of clothing from ancient Chinese dynasties.

"We need to combine the characteristics of ancient clothing with modern people's aesthetics and dress habits to integrate hanfu into their daily lives," she said.

Meng hopes that more talent will join the nation's hanfu industry in clothing design, product operation, technology application and management.

Li, the Party secretary, said more young people are returning to Daiji to seek opportunities in the hanfu industry, helping to build such brands with their entrepreneurial spirit and dedication to original design.

More than 7,000 young people, including over 700 university students, have returned to the town to start businesses, Li added.

Zheng, the Qianwei Hantang manager, who is 36, returned to Daiji, his hometown, last year to run his hanfu business.