Space buns are very popular right now but they look like Odango hairstyle, but I heard that 牛角头 actually originated from China?? Are hairstyles an important part in the Hanfu movement.
Hi, thanks for the question, and sorry for taking ages to reply!
The double bun hairstyle you’re referring to has a long history in China, where it goes by several different names (depending on the specific style). It is most commonly know as Shuang Ya Ji/双丫髻 (lit. “double maiden bun”), so-called because it was mainly worn by girls & unmarried women. It was also worn by young boys, maids, and dancers. It is a hairstyle associated with youth. Niu Jiao Tou/牛角头 (lit. “ox horn head”) is a type of double bun hairstyle, but its shape is more angular and pointed. You can read more on the history and different types of double bun hairstyles here and here.
Below - Tang dynasty artifact depicting a maiden with a double bun hairstyle. Note the cute flower ornament on each bun! (x):
The hairstyle is still commonly worn today, mainly by young girls for festive occasions. Below - young girls in hanfu with double bun hairstyles:
As for your second question - yes, hairstyles are definitely an important part of the hanfu revival movement! After all, you can’t revive hanfu without also reviving the hairstyles to wear with it. The hanfu movement isn’t only about reviving clothing - it also involves reviving hairstyles, makeup, accessories, art, customs, etiquette, etc. And out of all of these, I’d say hairstyles get the second most amount of attention after clothing.
Hi! Yes, I’d say Chong Tian Jiu/冲天鬏 is another one of the many names for this type of double bun hairstyle. Baidu’s encyclopedia names Chinese folk deity Nezha and Street Fighter’s Chun-Li as examples of well-known depictions of the chongtianjiu hairstyle:
Update: Wanted to add that there’s another type of double-bun hairstyle (which I briefly mentioned here) called bang zhu tou/蚌珠头, which literally means “clam pearl head”. Bangzhutou was popular during the mid-to-late Qing dynasty into the early Republican era. The hairstyle consists of one or two buns tied on either side of the head. The buns were typically decorated with beads and flowers, resembling clams with pearls, hence the name. Bangzhutou was mostly worn by young girls who hadn’t reached the age of marriage. (Source)
Below - historical art and photos of bangzhutou (1/2/3):
Below - bangzhutou in historical Chinese films/dramas (1/2):
If a double-bun hairstyle has round buns that are more horizontally oriented on the head and have some kind of bead/pearl ornaments, I’d say it’s most likely bangzhutou (or inspired by it).
Asked by Anonymous
