Parades of traditional Chinese clothes will be held at St. Mark's Square in Venice, Italy on Feb 17 and 21. Volunteers from China and Italy will put on hanfu, or traditional dresses of the Han Chinese people, made with silk from Suzhou, showcasing the aesthetics of Chinese clothing and the allure of Suzhou culture.
Hanfu is the representative of traditional Chinese clothing, and Suzhou is one of the major birthplace of Chinese silk culture, boasting multiple related intangible cultural heritages such as Song brocade, kesi, and Suzhou embroidery. A total of 14 pieces of hanfu with the features of different dynasties, coupled with Suzhou fans and Suzhou lanterns, will be presented.
Venice is the first international friendship city of Suzhou, and the first friendship city that signed "the Belt and Road" cooperation agreement with Suzhou. The parades are strongly supported by the government of Venice, the Confucius Institute of Ca' Foscari University of Venice, and the organizing committee of Venice Carnival. The Confucius Institute of Ca' Foscari University of Venice carried out a campaign to recruit models for the parades. Some 20 applicants made the final list, including seven from Italy.
This is the first show of traditional Chinese clothing at Venice Carnival and the first time Suzhou silk will be involved at major festivals abroad in the form of parades. Following the parades, the dresses will be shown across Venice.
