Hanfu: a systematic literature review integrating cultural tourism, digital technology, and national identity

Hanfu is one of the dominant traditional clothing cultures in China. However, current scholarly understanding of the Hanfu movement remains fragmented. Through a systematic literature review, the current study addresses this gap by examining the dimensions of Hanfu clothing culture and maps the interconnections among the thematic areas. The review uses Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases to identify studies. Following the PRISMA guidelines, 34 studies were selected after rigorous screening. Results indicate that nearly 68% of the included studies were published recently (2023 and 2024), suggesting that Hanfu has gained substantial academic momentum after receiving limited attention in earlier years. The analysis of the themes reveals five key dimensions that include (1) tourism and culture, (2) design and digital technology, (3) national identity, (4) purchase, and (5) social media. The first two themes collectively account for 70% of the studies, underscoring their central role in contemporary Hanfu research. The mapping of the current state of knowledge provides implications for culturally related policy and heritage protection. Hanfu played a fundamental role in the expansion of cultural tourism.