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8 Ideas for Your Chinese Halloween Costume

Trick or treat! The scariest day of the year is coming up, and the best way to prepare for it is to make sure that we look our best. 

Whether you want something cute, terrifying, or both, we have it all covered. Here are eight Chinese-inspired costume ideas that you can pick up for Halloween:

 

1. A Panda Suit

Did you know that pandas are the national animal of China? That said, believe us when we say that there’s absolutely nothing cuter or more wholesome than wearing a panda onesie to pick up your candy! Perfect for boys, girls, kids, and adults, we can imagine this costume is perfect for cuddling in the whole day. 

 

2. Journey to the West Characters

If you want to dress up as a Chinese hero, why not try out the iconic monkey king Sun Wukong or the pig immortal Zhu Bajie? You probably won’t go wrong with using Journey to the West as an inspiration. Since it was published in the 16th century, this popular Chinese fantasy novel has been brought to life in dozens of movies, plays, TV shows, and even video games! 

 

3. Qipao and Changshan

Maybe you want to dive a bit into the past. If you look into department stores during the Lunar New Year, you’ll find a lot of mannequins silkenly dressed up with traditional Manchu costumes such as qipao or cheongsam dresses and changshan tops. There’s no reason why you can’t wear these too during Halloween! If you want to relive the glamor of 1920s Shanghai, then rest assured — this is definitely the best costume for you!

 

4. Hanfu

Have you ever dreamed of becoming one of those immortal wuxia heroes from your favorite Chinese dramas? If you’ve watched Nirvana in Fire, Eternal Love, or The Untamed, then you know exactly what we mean. Elegant and ethereal, hanfu — the umbrella term for the historical clothing of the Han people — is undoubtedly a gorgeous choice that celebrates the traditional culture and fashion of ancient China. 

 

5. Jiangshi

For those who want to try something spooky, why not become a jiangshi? This supernatural creature is something like a cross between a zombie and a vampire. According to Chinese legend, when a person’s soul fails to leave their body because of an improper death like suicide, their corpse can be resurrected into a jiangshi, which sleeps during the day and hops around with its arms outstretched to absorb the life energy of living creatures during the night. 

 

6. Chinese Ghost Bride

In ancient China, it was once considered shameful for families to have unwed daughters. After all, a daughter who does not have a husband would have no descendants to care for her. In the case that these daughters pass away before being able to marry, their parents would arrange for ghost marriages, making sure that the daughter can join a family after death. But this, of course, can be a scary thing. There are plenty of horror stories that come with marrying a dead person to someone in the realm of the living. 

 

7. Dimsum

Just think about it: siopao, hakaw, xiao long bao. Delicious, fluffy, and probably squishy, there are just so many adorable dim sum foods that both children and fun-loving adults can be! You won’t even need candy anymore — you’ll all be the yummy treats! 

 

8. Laoganma

You may think we’re joking, but we’re really not. Yes, we’re telling you that you can dress up as this iconic Chinese chili sauce. It’s not that hard. They even had their own official sweatshirt that appeared in New York Fashion Week! 

 

Looking for something else to do this Halloween? Check out our Asian horror movie list here!

 

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