Zhou Huilin and her husband, both from Quzhou, stroll about in hanfu dress to celebrate Qixi. [Photo/wap.qz96811.com]

The Chinese equivalent of Valentine's Day — Qixi – has its origins in the mythological story of the star-crossed lovers, the cowherd Niulang and the weaver maid Zhinyu. The devoted couple were separated by the Queen Mother of the Western Heavens and could reunite only on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month – which was Aug 14 this year.

To celebrate this romantic day, Zhou Huilin, 27 and her husband – both from Quzhou city in East China's Zhejiang province – dressed in hanfu, a type of traditional clothing from the Han ethnic group. Suitably attired, they calmly went shopping and took photos in the city's downtown area.

The current hanfu craze is all in evidence about Quzhou, where more and more young people wearing long gowns with loose sleeves and elaborate embroidery can be seen touring the ancient city. 

According to a report by Chinese consultancy iiMedia Research, the number of hanfu enthusiasts in the country will have surged from 2.04 million in 2018 to 6.89 million by the end of this year, with over 70 percent of the fans being Generation Zers aged between 16 and 24.