Traditional culture more than old clothes

Shanghai-based stand-up comedian Zhou Libo, known for his "venomous tongue", has been widely criticized for "vilifying" traditional Chinese culture. The event in question was a TV show, during which Zhou, in a teasing tone, asked some young people wearing hanfu (traditional Chinese clothes worn by ethnic Han people in days of yore), after they had finished a group dance, whether the costumes were Korean in origin and which bathhouse they were coming from.

Once clips of the TV show hit the Internet, Zhou became the target of criticism with some netizens saying his use of language was an insult to the dancers. Some have argued that, Zhou, as a popular TV anchorperson, has exposed his ignorance of Chinese sartorial culture and his prejudice toward lovers and advocates of traditional Chinese culture.

Dugu Yi, a writer born after 1980, has said Zhou has committed "blasphemy" against traditional Chinese culture and lacks even the basic sense of propriety. According to the young writer, hanfu is not a simple garment, but an "incarnation" of traditional Chinese culture. And as a carrier of the Chinese nation's history and quintessence, it represents Chinese people's spiritual and cultural pursuit. Dugu has suggested Zhou run naked inside the Forbidden City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site seen as a symbol of China's traditional culture, in a show of apology and to ease public anger.