On January 27th, a "T" runway show of Hanfu took place at the Nanhan Erling Museum, presenting meticulously designed women adorned with peacock headpieces and Tang Dynasty-style hair buns, Hu ethnic people engaged in falconry and the like. This event also brought the live performance of a makeup transformation contest of cultural relics.

The contest involves using cosmetics to imitate or recreate the makeup, attire, and postures of historical artifacts. The prototypes for this contest were all derived from two ongoing exhibitions at the Nanhan Erling Museum, named "Singing And Dancing For Peace And Prosperity: A Tang Dynasty Princess And Her Era" and "Yangzhou City During the Wu and Southern Tang".

The exhibition of the Tang Dynasty Princess presented a collection of painted pottery figurines that boast a high degree of historical, cultural, and artistic value. These figurines, created by the Imperial Kiln Workshop for the royal family and meritorious officials, are believed to be the finest examples of pottery figurines from the Tang Dynasty. The exhibition of ancient Yangzhou City presents a series of engraved gold Buddha statues, coffin decorations of Hu ethnic people, and exquisite wooden figurines unearthed from the tombs of Princess Xunyang and Lv Derou.

These cultural relics refer to valuable physical evidence for studying the clothing and cultural traditions of the Tang and Five Dynasties (907-960) period. The responsible person from the Nanhan Erling Museum explained that the makeup contest aims to explore and innovate the revitalization of cultural relics. On one hand, it guides Hanfu enthusiasts to enter the museum and study the distinctive features of Tang and Five Dynasties clothing as presented by archaeological artifacts. On the other hand, through the form of "makeup transformation", it establishes a connection between cultural relics and the public, bringing these relics to life.

According to the introduction, the event was launched on January 1st, 2024, and consists of four stages: preliminary round, semifinals, online voting, and final evaluation. The contest attracted nearly 50 Hanfu enthusiasts, with 21 participants advancing to the final round. During the event, the 21 contestants introduced their makeup works, the relics they imitated, and their creative processes. The event also featured a Hanfu "T" runway show in the exhibition hall and a procession of Hanfu ensembles around the museum, providing the museum visitors with a grand Chinese cultural performance.

The cultural relics featured in this makeup contest are closely related to the music of the Tang and Five Dynasties periods. Therefore, the event also included performances of the vertical flute and a Tang Dynasty music salon, allowing the audience to immerse themselves in the traditional music of China's Tang and Five Dynasties periods.