国潮兴起 The Rise of Guochao (China-Chic)

十年前shí nián qián，提到tídào“中国风Zhōngguófēng”设计shèjì，人们rénmen脑海nǎohǎi中zhōng浮现fúxiàn的de往往wǎngwǎng是shì大红dàhóng灯笼dēnglong与yǔ生硬shēngyìng的de龙纹lóngwén图案tú'àn，透着tòuzhe一股yì gǔ过时guòshí的de匠气jiàngqì。

Ten years ago, when people thought of 'Chinese style' design, what usually came to mind were bright red lanterns and stiff dragon patterns, giving off a stale, dated feel.

如今rújīn，情况qíngkuàng截然不同jiérán bùtóng：年轻niánqīng消费者xiāofèizhě愿意yuànyì为wèi印着yìnzhe“国潮guócháo”标签biāoqiān的de球鞋qiúxié、彩妆cǎizhuāng甚至shènzhì奶茶nǎichá排起pái qǐ长队cháng duì。

Nowadays, things are completely different: young consumers are willing to line up for sneakers, makeup, or even milk tea labeled 'Guochao.'

这股zhè gǔ风潮fēngcháo背后bèihòu，是shì本土běntǔ设计师shèjìshī对duì传统chuántǒng纹样wényàng、书法shūfǎ与yǔ工艺gōngyì的de重新chóngxīn诠释quánshì，而非ér fēi简单jiǎndān的de符号fúhào堆砌duīqì。

Behind this trend is homegrown designers' reinterpretation of traditional patterns, calligraphy, and craftsmanship — not merely piling up symbols.

以yǐ某mǒu国产guóchǎn运动yùndòng品牌pǐnpái为例wéi lì，它tā把bǎ敦煌Dūnhuáng壁画bìhuà的de色彩sècǎi与yǔ现代xiàndài运动鞋yùndòngxié的de剪裁jiǎncái结合jiéhé起来qǐlái，既jì保留bǎoliú了le辨识度biànshídù，又yòu不失bùshī时尚感shíshàng gǎn。

Take a domestic sportswear brand as an example: it combines the colors of Dunhuang murals with the cut of modern sneakers, keeping recognizability without losing a sense of fashion.

更gèng深层shēncéng的de原因yuányīn，是shì这一代zhè yí dài年轻人niánqīngrén对duì本土běntǔ文化wénhuà的de认同感rèntónggǎn明显míngxiǎn增强zēngqiáng，他们tāmen不再bú zài觉得juéde“洋牌子yáng páizi”才cái等于děngyú品味pǐnwèi。

An even deeper reason is that this generation's sense of identity with local culture has clearly grown stronger; they no longer feel that 'foreign brands' are the only mark of taste.

与此同时yǔ cǐ tóngshí，一些yìxiē企业qǐyè只顾zhǐgù贴上tiē shàng“国潮guócháo”标签biāoqiān，却què缺乏quēfá真正zhēnzhèng的de设计shèjì投入tóurù，产品chǎnpǐn粗制滥造cūzhì làn zào，消费者xiāofèizhě很快hěn kuài就jiù能néng识破shípò。

At the same time, some companies only bother slapping on a 'Guochao' label while lacking genuine design investment; their products are shoddily made, and consumers quickly see through it.

换句话说huàn jù huà shuō，国潮guócháo能否néngfǒu走远zǒu yuǎn，关键guānjiàn不在于bú zàiyú图案tú'àn是否shìfǒu传统chuántǒng，而ér在于zàiyú设计shèjì本身běnshēn能不能néng bu néng经得起jīng de qǐ审美shěnměi的de考验kǎoyàn。

In other words, whether Guochao can last depends not on whether the pattern is traditional, but on whether the design itself can stand up to aesthetic scrutiny.

真正zhēnzhèng的de国潮guócháo，应当yīngdāng是shì传统chuántǒng美学měixué与yǔ当代dāngdài生活方式shēnghuó fāngshì的de自然zìrán融合rónghé，而ér不是bú shì一场yì chǎng短暂duǎnzàn的de营销yíngxiāo秀xiù。

True Guochao should be a natural fusion of traditional aesthetics and contemporary lifestyle, not a short-lived marketing show.

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

国潮guócháoGuochao; China-chic

纹样wényàngpattern; motif

匠气jiàngqìartisanal staleness; lack of originality

辨识度biànshídùrecognizability

粗制滥造cūzhì làn zàoshoddily made (idiom)

认同感rèntónggǎnsense of identity

Grammar note 语法点

以…为例 — 'taking X as an example'

A formal way to introduce a concrete example supporting the preceding argument, common in essays and reports.

以某国产运动品牌为例，它把敦煌壁画的色彩与现代运动鞋的剪裁结合起来。 — Take a domestic sportswear brand as an example: it combines the colors of Dunhuang murals with the cut of modern sneakers.

关键不在于…，而在于… — 'the key lies not in A, but in B'

Used to redirect the reader's attention from a superficial factor to the real determining one.

国潮能否走远，关键不在于图案是否传统，而在于设计本身能不能经得起审美的考验。 — Whether Guochao can last depends not on whether the pattern is traditional, but on whether the design itself can stand up to aesthetic scrutiny.

应当是…，而不是… — 'it should be A, rather than B'

A formal prescriptive pattern often used at the end of an essay to state what the ideal form of something ought to be.

真正的国潮，应当是传统美学与当代生活方式的自然融合，而不是一场短暂的营销秀。 — True Guochao should be a natural fusion of traditional aesthetics and contemporary lifestyle, not a short-lived marketing show.

Check yourself 小测验

1. 十年前，人们心中的“中国风”设计往往是什么样的？

2. 一些企业只顾贴上“国潮”标签，却怎样？

3. 作者认为国潮能否走远的关键在于什么？

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国潮兴起Guócháo xīngqǐThe Rise of Guochao (China-Chic)

Key words 生词

Grammar note 语法点

Check yourself 小测验

Reading is the easy part. Speaking is where you get stuck.

More HSK 6 reading practice