Shenyi
One-piece Confucian robe of ancient China
The shenyi (deep robe) is one of the most representative forms of Chinese hanfu, a one-piece garment connecting the upper and lower body that dates back to the Zhou dynasty before the Han. Featuring wide, flowing sleeves and a cross-collar closure, its name means "deeply wrapping the body." The garment carried deep Confucian symbolism — the round upper portion representing heaven and the square lower portion representing earth — and its exact cutting and sewing methods were recorded in the Book of Rites.
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