This director is vindictive.

Chapter 527 The Grand Show Begins, How Can We Say We Have No Clothes—A Thousand Years of War Drums Shake Chang'an
Amidst heated online debate over whether the "Hanfu Millennium Show" should uphold its cultural roots.

Even official media outlets have gotten involved.

The Renren Daily published a report titled "The 'Millennium Show of Chinese Clothing' should uphold its cultural roots and be wary of 'pseudo-innovation' eroding traditional aesthetics."

Recently, as the popularity of the "Hanfu Millennium Show" continues to rise, netizens' complaints about the chaotic use of "Chinese elements" at overseas fashion weeks have resonated widely. From "see-through dragon robes" to "studded horse-face skirts," the misinterpretation and appropriation of Chinese culture by some international brands not only exposes their aesthetic arrogance but also reflects their shallow cultural understanding.

True cultural confidence does not come from seeking novelty and deconstruction to grab attention, but from inheriting the essence with reverence.

As revealed in Shaanxi TV's "The Mystery of Qin's Dark Colors," the Qin Dynasty's preference for black originated from the Five Elements theory and military practicality, rather than "dark aesthetics."
The flowing skirts and blouses of the Tang Dynasty, which reached the chest, were a testament to the Silk Road trade and women's liberation, rather than a "sex symbol."

To simply distort traditional clothing into bizarre attire is tantamount to cutting off one's feet to fit the shoes.

The mission of the "Millennial Show of Chinese Costumes" is to showcase the true haute couture of Chinese clothing to the world—from the meticulous structure of the quju shenyi (a type of traditional Chinese robe) to the philosophical implications of the wide robes of the Wei and Jin dynasties, every stitch has its own historical logic. We welcome innovation, but we oppose the desecration of cultural roots in the name of "artistic freedom." As one netizen commented, "Shang Yang's act of moving a log to establish trust does not need to be interpreted with fishnet stockings, and Bao Zheng's case of executing Chen Shimei should not be reduced to a belt buckle decoration."

The international fashion industry's long-standing monopoly on aesthetic discourse has led to repeated misinterpretations of "Chinese style." The significance of this "Millennium Chinese Costume Show" lies not only in showcasing clothing but also in presenting an opportunity for cultural redefinition. We hope that this show, through meticulous restoration and ingenious innovation, will prove to the world that the systematization, scientific approach, and aesthetic sophistication of Chinese clothing are sufficient to define true "Oriental haute couture."

As Mr. Chen Mo, the initiator of the "Hanfu Millennium Show," said, "Making it understandable to the public" precisely hits the pain point of the current fashion industry—true art should never be separated from people's aesthetics. As shown in the documentary "Hanfu: The Costumes of China," the beauty of Hanfu lies in its attribute as a "history textbook worn on the body."

However, such immense popularity has also put tremendous pressure on the organizing team and designers of the "Hanfu Millennium Show".

After all, with such high popularity, it is no longer limited to China, but is attracting global attention.

Once you lose face, you truly lose face to the whole world.

Chen Mo didn't feel too much pressure about this, mainly because, at this stage, the public is actually quite easy to satisfy.

This "Millennium Chinese Costume Show" is the largest fashion show in the history of China.

Almost all domestic clothing brands participated.

The elites of the domestic fashion design industry gathered together.

Chen Mo reviewed the revised designs, which included not only "Hanfu" and "Huafu" from various dynasties, but also modern styles that incorporated the distinctive cultural elements of each dynasty.

Although it also has a bit of a combination of Chinese and Western elements, it is no longer like international fashion shows, which feature bizarre and eye-searing so-called "art designs" that make people laugh and cry!
Chen Mo's influence is still very strong. Of course, it's not just Chen Mo's influence; also, the high level of attention this time, even the official authorities, means that even designers with ulterior motives who want to stand out don't dare to make a move, because they wouldn't even pass the review process.

That's right, this review process specially invited senior historians and cultural relics experts from various regions to serve as the first round of judges.

Chen Mo's requirements are actually very simple: to create "aesthetics that the general public can understand" rather than "art" for a minority!
At this very moment, ancient capitals with long histories such as Chang'an, Kaifeng, Jinling, Luoyang, and the capital are all preparing for this grand show!
The "Hanfu Millennium Show" will be divided into several stages.

Each phase has a different dynasty as its theme.

For example, the first show in Chang'an City was themed "Qin, Han, Sui and Tang Dynasties"!
Kaifeng was the "dream of the capital of the Song Dynasty"!
Jinling City is a place where "the spirit of the Wei and Jin dynasties and the gathering of the Six Dynasties are present"!
In Luoyang, it was "the Empress reigning!"

and many more!

August arrived, and Chang'an City was bustling with activity.

From the initial fervor surrounding the splendor of the Tang Dynasty sparked by "The Empress's Wedding" to the later Welfare Week activities, the ancient city of Chang'an has burst forth with astonishing vitality.

Although the novelty wore off over time, customer traffic began to decline.

But now they've all come back all at once.

The first show of the "Millennium of Chinese Costumes" was held in Chang'an City.

The Chang'an City Cultural Tourism Bureau and the government also provided strong support for this grand show.

The Big Wild Goose Pagoda Square, the largest square in Chang'an and the largest Tang Dynasty-themed cultural square in Asia, is packed with people at this moment.

Among them were many foreign friends with blond hair and blue eyes.

This grand show is an open-air event and will be broadcast live globally.

The antique-style stage that had been set up was now surrounded by reporters from all over the world.

At this very moment, the live stream of "Hanfu Millennium Show" has already been flooded with countless netizens who were unable to attend the show in person. They come from all over the country and from all over the world.

The number of concurrent online viewers had already surpassed ten million before the show even started, and that number was still soaring.

Finally, the highly anticipated, controversial, and much-anticipated show began.

The lights in the Big Wild Goose Pagoda Square in Chang'an City suddenly went out, plunging the entire venue into darkness, with only the faint glow of cell phones in the audience seats remaining. Suddenly, a deep, thunderous war drum boomed, followed by the clear, resonant sound of chime bells striking like metal against metal, and a magnificent and awe-inspiring background music prelude instantly swept through the entire venue.

In the center of the stage, the mist billowed, as if the smoke of battle from a thousand years ago still lingered. Gasps of surprise rose and fell from the audience—"Whoosh!" The spotlight suddenly blazed on!

AR projection technology instantly constructed the majestic Xianyang Palace city wall on the stage, with the rammed earth texture clearly visible, as if one had truly traveled back to the Qin Dynasty. The ground LED screen simulated the texture of the loess earth, and with the vibration of the drumbeats, it even stirred up bursts of "dust," as if thousands of troops were trampling across this land.

The audience held their breath, and some subconsciously reached out to touch it, as if trying to confirm whether the "dust" was real.

The large screens around the stage suddenly lit up, and a deep, majestic chant echoed from the darkness—

"The King of Qin swept across the six kingdoms, his tiger-like gaze so majestic! He brandished his sword, parting the floating clouds, and all the feudal lords came to the west!"

His voice was deep and powerful, carrying an overwhelming aura that instantly ignited the entire audience.

The next second, the most breathtaking scene from the movie "Hero"—the "Qin Dynasty's Arrow Rain Siege"—suddenly burst onto the big screen.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" Arrows rained down like a storm, the dark arrow formation blotting out the sky and creating a suffocating sense of oppression.

The rain of arrows hit the ground, stirring up dust and making the entire stage seem to tremble.

In the audience, some people subconsciously held their breath, and some even leaned back slightly, as if they were truly in the midst of that war from a thousand years ago.

The images on the large screen slowly advanced, showing the Qin army's imposing battle formation, with black armor surging like a tide and battle flags fluttering in the wind; every frame exuded an unparalleled sense of solemnity and killing intent.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!" The sound of war drums was like thunder, combined with the whistling sound of arrows piercing the air, making people's blood boil.

Just as the atmosphere reached its peak, the scene suddenly froze—an arrow pierced the air and hurtled straight into the audience!

"Whoosh!" All the lights in the venue went out instantly, leaving only the hovering arrow on the big screen, as if it was about to pierce the boundary between reality and history in the next second.

In the darkness, that bold voice rang out once more—

"The Great Qin has arrived!"

Suddenly, a bronze beam of light pierced the darkness on the stage, and dry ice mist surged like battlefield smoke.

A five-meter-tall Qin Dynasty inlaid gold chime bell was projected onto the dome and slowly rotated. With a deep "dong" sound, thirty-six war drums were simultaneously beaten.

Eight male models, each 188cm tall, emerged from the thick fog, dressed in archaeologically restored Qin Dynasty general armor.

The close-up shot zooms in on the leader's chest—on a black linen lining dyed with oak fruit and iron slag using ancient methods, the iron armor plates are strung together using the "five vertical and five horizontal" weaving method recorded in the "Shuihudi Qin Bamboo Slips," with each armor plate's edge deliberately retaining the original rough edges from the forging process.

As the model turned around, the armor plates collided, producing a clanging sound like metal clashing against metal. Cold flames exploded on both sides of the stage, illuminating the armor as if it had just been taken out of the forge.

The camera suddenly pans down to the hem of the armor, where twelve pleats open and close with each step, like dragon scales.

AR technology simultaneously projects a three-dimensional anatomical diagram into the gaps between the pleats: the 3cm of movement allowance reserved in each pleat perfectly corresponds to the stretching and contraction trajectory of the thigh muscles when riding a horse.

The narration, mixed with the lingering sound of chime bells, resounded: "These seemingly decorative folds are actually the 'human body code' that enabled the Qin army to sweep across the six kingdoms—achieving 'omnidirectional maneuverability' two thousand years earlier than modern tactical trousers."

The model leading the group suddenly drew her sword, and where the cold light flashed, the stage screen instantly "cracked".

Crimson magma gushed from the cracks and solidified on the LED screen to form the names of the six countries in seal script.

As the sword pointed to the sky, all the "magma" suddenly froze into a black bird totem, accompanied by the booming, roaring chanting of the *Book of Songs* (Qin Feng section): "The king is raising an army; prepare my armor and weapons—"

The gasps that erupted from the audience at this moment resonated across time and space with the tremors that had gripped Hangu Pass two thousand years ago.

The spotlight abruptly narrowed into a bronze beam, and suddenly, a child's innocent voice pierced the somber atmosphere like a clear spring—

"How can we say we have no clothes? We share the same robes with you—"

Twelve female models appeared to the lingering sound of chime bells, their flowing robes perfectly replicating the style of the Qin tomb artifacts from Shuihudi in Yunmeng.

The right-fastening, cross-collar design is as sharp as a knife, and the slanted hem hides a secret. As the lead model turns around, she suddenly pulls out a roll of yellowed bamboo slips from the lining of her garment. A close-up shot reveals that the vermilion annotations of the Qin Dynasty's "Field Laws" on the bamboo slips are clearly visible.

With a flick of his wrist, a bronze tiger tally clattered to the ground. The slow-motion video on the screen showed the tally split in two, with the gold-inlaid inscription on the inner wall reading "The tally of armor and weapons resides on the right of the emperor" gleaming with a cold, bluish light under ultraviolet light.

The lights dimmed suddenly, and as the laser scanned across the lapel, the hidden vermilion patterns were revealed—the densely packed small seal script characters for "standardized writing".

The stage machinery roared as all the models turned their backs to the audience and unfurled their black cloaks. The lining of the LED cloaks was actually a glowing map of the Qin Dynasty's imperial road, with red lines centered on Xianyang extending like veins to the Baiyue and Liaodong regions.

The narration mingled with the neighing of warhorses: "The Qin people used the simplest black to wrap up their most magnificent ambitions—this is not 'dark aesthetics,' but the ambition of the Chinese nation to stitch the world together with needle and thread for the first time."

(End of this chapter)