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China is an ancient country with a very rich heritage. It is a history that has laid a strong foundation for many of the Chinese inhabitants today. While some of the ancient Chinese myths and cultural traditions have been forgotten or even discarded, many of them are still remembered and incorporated into everyday life. Taking a look into the cultural traditions of China can reveal a lot about the way that the people live.

1. Makeup Powder Box
The make-up powder used by women in ancient China has two types. One is called rice powder which is made by grinding rice grains with spices.  The other is paste-like facial powder, commonly known as "hufen". Because it is made of lead, it is also called "lead powder".
And then, the color of the makeup powder had also increased from the original white to a variety of colors, and blended with various precious spices to make women more charming after they made up.In ancient China, rouge was the main cosmetics matching makeup powder.  Rouge, similar to the blush we use today, is also known as "Yanzhi" in Chinese. It is a red pigment and the main product for ancient Chinese women makeup.

2.  Bronze mirror
Love beauty is human''s nature.  In China, the earliest surviving bronze mirror was unearthed in the tomb of Fuhao in Yinxu. In ancient times, bronze mirrors were used to dress up faces and ward off evil spirits.
In the Western Han Dynasty, the bronze mirror was started to become a symbol of love between men and women, taking the meaning of "the two hearts reflect each other". If felling in love each other, lovers would give a bronze mirror to be kept at any time each other during lifetime, which means " being together in whole lifetime." After death, the bronze mirrors would be buried in the tomb to show that "even if they die each other, they will not separate", which means that their love remains unwavering.

3. Handkerchief
According to historical records, the handkerchief was used  in the Eastern Han Dynasty. It was a square cloth which was originally used by people to wipe tears. Later, the handkerchief was usually folded into the concentric squares and tucked in the arms. And it became an ornament of ancient Chinese women's clothing. Silk handkerchiefs had also become a symbol of the powerful women in ancient China. But in the hearts of ordinary people, the Handkerchief was regarded as a jewelry-like secret for women.The handkerchief is regarded as warm and stelf-conscious in ancient China. if two women wanted to make each other as her sisters,  they needed to exchange handkerchiefs each other, so it was also called "Passing through heart Handkerchiefs ". After they showed the secret thought from each other‘s heart, the two women could be the real sister of each one's.

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4.Combs
Combs made of bamboo, ivory, jade and other materials further enhanced the ensemble of Ancient Chinese Clothing of women. Headgear in ancient times included hats for men and hairpieces for women. Traditionally, the Chinese wear their hats indoors as well as outdoors unlike their Western counterparts. This is mainly because most hats are too impractical to take off and carry around.

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5. Xieyi, Underwear
Ancient Chinese women's underwear was first called "Xieyi".  Used at first in the Han Dynasty, Chinese underwear has over 2000 years  history.The ancient Chinese women's underwear contains endless feelings. The front part was circle and short , the back part was squrre and long. There was a  cloth string to be tied at the waist, chest and shoulders respectively. There were pockets on the underwear which were embroidered with small patterns of different styles.
With improvement, the ancient Chinese women's underwears had been become more and more beautiful with  different styles. The photo shows a kind of modern Chinese  women's underwear, called " Doudou".

6.  Jade
Jade was a very fashionable emblem of ancient Chinese Culture. Jade was important in China not only because of its beauty, but also for its virtue and cultural significance. From ancient times, during the Western Zhou Dynasty, jade has been used as a decoration that used to hang from the sash holding the Hanfu (a garment that was a part of the Ancient Chinese Clothing) closed.

7. Dragon & Pheonix
As one of the most recognizable symbols of china, the dragon is a symbol of auspicious power in Chinese Folklore. This symbol is very obviously found in Ancient Chinese Clothing particularly on imperial robes. These ancient rulers considered themselves descendants of the dragon and so the scenes pertaining to dragons on their clothes were indicators of their power.
Traditionally, the Chinese being an agriculture-based nation are very dependent on water. So, the dragon is associated with the weather and is the bringer of rain and water in China. The dragon is also the embodiment of the yang (male). The female is known as the  Pheonix.

8.  Flowers & plants
Some of the other popular motif designs were and still are willow trees, chrysanthemums, cranes and bamboo. These are depicted on  of course clothes. Imagine owning a piece of Ancient Chinese Clothing complete with rich and elaborate patterns that once belonged to the rulers of this splendid civilization.
Chinese accessories aren’t really complete without a depiction of at least one of these four favorite plants - the bamboo, the Chinese plum, chrysanthemum and orchid. Of these, the bamboo is used in the most versatile manner. From tableware - chopsticks and utensils - to flutes to paintbrushes and even hair accessories.

9. Color
The fashion of ancient China has consistently evolved throughout every dynasty. For example, during the Sui Dynasty, the emperor declared that only the rich people could wear colors while the poor people had to be dressed in blue or black. Such was just a metaphor of what certain clothing or accessories meant to society even during ancient times.