Han-style ceremony marks coming of age in Xi'an

More than 50 young girls clad in hanfu, or traditional Chinese clothing took part in a coming-of-age ceremony to mark their entry into adulthood near Hancheng Lake in Xi'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi province on April 7.

At the ceremony, these hanfu buffs performed a series of rites according to the ancient customs, symbolizing they are to embark on a new journey in life.

Females in ancient China officially became adult at 15. And a big ceremony was held to mark this "passage to adulthood", with some events tracing their roots to over 2,00-year-old history.

Li Ji, or Book of Rites, a collection of texts describing the social norms, administration, and ceremonial rites of the Zhou Dynasty (c.11 century-256 BC), said the ceremonies signaled the entry of young people into adulthood, their right to get married and their duty to share family responsibilities. Only after the ceremony, the young people could be called "adult".