The other day, I was thinking about films by two of my favourite directors (Ang Lee and Zhang Yi Mou), when I suddenly remembered the incredible costume design in Curse of the Golden Flower (2006).
Gong Li’s acting was captivating, and the level of detail in the costume work was unforgettable 🤩
It’s fun to trace dragon symbolism across historical epic films.
Other I’ve watched in a similar genre include Hero, House of Flying Daggers, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and Shadow.
I don’t recall much dragon imagery in those, but I’ll take another look one of these days.
Curse of the Golden Flower
Here’s a look at dragon‑themed imperial costume design in modern historical Chinese cinema.
Starting with Featuring Chow Yun‑Fat’s legendary regalia in Curse of the Golden Flower.
Costumes for Curse of the Golden Flower were designed by Yee Chung-Man, who earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Costume Design. His team created lavish, gold-dominated ensembles that visually reflected the decadent, oppressive rule of the Later Tang Dynasty.
The iconic costumes were crafted by an army of 40 artisans over two months. Some emperor and empress outfits weighed tens of kilograms (1 kg = 2.2 lbs).
Director Zhang Yimou mandated a dominant use of gold to represent the Emperor’s absolute power and wealth, and contrast with the tragic, decaying family dynamics unfolding within the palace.
Sources:
Chinese TV Dramas (Imperial Dragon Costumes)
Thanks to Spence Cdrama from chinese drama •|• historical 👘 • wuxia ⚔️ • xianxia ⛩️ • xuanhuan 📜 (FB Group) for sharing these.
Royal Feast
Royal Feast is known “as one of the most historically accurate Ming Dynasty dramas in recent years.”
The art team is led by Luan He Xin, who previously served as chief art designer for Empresses in the Palace, Story of Yanxi Palace, Winter Begonia, and more.
He is highly skilled at bringing historical materials, relics, and atmospheric props to life.
(Source: New Hanfu)
Dream of Chang’an
The 2021 historical drama Dream of Chang’an features costume design that blends Tang Dynasty history with modernized, romanticized wuxia aesthetics.
The costumes prioritize elegance and fluid silhouettes, using high‑quality traditional fabrics to evoke the grace of imperial Chang’an.
Source: New Hanfu
Under the Power
In Under the Power (2019-2020), two detectives investigate stolen government funds.
Costume design was handled by renowned designer Fang Sizhe, whose representative works include Bodyguards and Assassins, Noble Aspirations, and Sparrow.
Story of Yanxi Palace
Embedded from Reddit.
Costume designer Song Xiaotao and her team tailored around 2,000 costumes in the preparation period alone.
Rather than using flamboyant, modern fantasy colors, the team based the designs on historical documents and antiques housed in the Palace Museum.
Because of the detailed use of techniques like Kesi (finely-woven Chinese pictorial silk tapestry), some of the Empress’s robes cost as much as $60,000 USD.
Sources: China Daily, #Hanfugirl
Note to Self:
I added this blog post here before I forgot.
It’s part of a few other posts in the dragon fashion design category that need restructuring.
Further Reading:
- Ming Dynasty Aesthetics in Drama The Imperial Age: Costumes and Props (New Hanfu)
- Chung Man Yee’s costumes for “The Curse Of The Golden Flower” (Reddit)
- Korean Dragons (Joseon Dynasty costume design; Dragonsinn.net)