Eight Generations of Xunpu Hairpin Flowers: From Near Extinction to Nationwide Popularity

My surname is Huang, I am 64 years old, and I have been running a traditional hairpin shop in Xunpu Village, Quanzhou, for fifty years. Our family runs the most traditional hairpin shop on this street.

In the past, all the shops in our village were traditional hairpin shops, but later, outsiders came in. We might earn a few thousand yuan a month running our own shop, but the outsiders would say, “Rent it to me, and I'll give you ten thousand yuan.” That made it more profitable for many locals, so we let them take over. There were no franchise stores; we simply rented them out. Many of these stores were either flower shops or travel photography studios. When “Xishuangbanna” became popular, they opened there; when “Xunpu” flower shops became popular, they opened here.

Our shop has been open for fifty years, and I am the eighth-generation owner. After reform and opening-up, traditional clothing nearly disappeared until the government began protecting it in 2003. At that time, our family was the only shop in the village still persevering. It can be said that I “saved” this craft.

Promoting it at first was not easy. Initially, we organized the village grandmothers into a “Grandmother Waist Drum Team” to perform in traditional clothing. Later, we introduced related courses from kindergarten to university, gradually bringing hairpin flower culture into schools. After over a decade of effort, it finally gained popularity in 2022. Zhao Liying came after seeing the buzz in 2023. Many other celebrities have also visited for filming, such as Shen Mengchen and Ye Yixi. The current buzz is the result of over a decade of accumulation and government support.

After it became popular, changes happened too quickly. In our fishing village of Xunpu, traditionally, men went out to sea to fish, while women managed the household and the hairpin flower shops. Therefore, women held a relatively high status in both the economy and the family. The development of tourism did bring changes, driving industries such as catering, snacks, and cultural creativity. The entire village became lively and diverse.

After it became popular in 2022, within just two or three months, over a hundred shops opened on this street, and later, many influencer photography studios run by outsiders also poured in. At its peak, there were over 300 shops in the entire village.

With all these chain stores from out of town opening up, it's definitely having an effect on our local culture. You see a lot of outfits put together without any care, like a qipao with a Mamianqun (a traditional Chinese skirt) and clashing patterns. It really takes away from the traditional beauty. My feeling is we need to set up some unified standards and a proper brand system, one that actually respects our local traditions.

Many young people come here just to take photos and don't understand the stories behind our clothing. We hope tourists can truly experience and understand our culture, rather than just coming to “check in” and take a photo before leaving.

Currently, our business has around ten employees, with clear divisions of labor, including flower appliqué, makeup, and photography roles. The staff includes both local residents and college graduates with specialized degrees. We also do online promotion, but the competition is fierce, and we have to spend money to buy traffic. Promotion is effective, but the quality varies greatly.

To pass down the craftsmanship, we also teach at vocational colleges, imparting traditional techniques, and encourage young people to innovate based on tradition, but not through random combinations or reckless modifications.

Looking back on the business process, the biggest challenge was before 2003, when no one was willing to wear traditional attire. It took over a decade of promotional efforts before it gradually gained acceptance.

For the future development of Xunpu, my greatest hope is that we can preserve our traditions, establish our own brand and standards. We should not focus solely on commercial development but also pay attention to local culinary customs, attire, cultural creativity, and other cultural content. I hope that in the future, young people come to Xunpu to truly understand our culture, rather than just for photo opportunities.

- Mr. Huang

Quanzhou, China

Floyd｜Content curator

Gabriel｜Editor

孙逸铭｜Translator