00:00This might look like a harmless fashion trend, but it plays right into the hands of the Chinese Communist Party.
00:05They were wearing hanfu, that's traditional clothing inspired by centuries of Chinese history.
00:11It's grown from a niche hobby to a major industry worth some $31 billion.
00:17Period dramas such as The Pursuit of Jade and Sianxia fantasy games have also helped to fuel its popularity.
00:24Because for a generation that's facing a punishing job market, relentless competition, and collapsing property prices,
00:32the past offers something that the present simply doesn't, and that's comfort.
00:37This has become a valuable political tool under President Xi Jinping.
00:42The Communist Party is increasingly framing itself as the ultimate guardian of a 5,000-year-old civilization,
00:49a story of national greatness that doesn't depend on how the economy is doing.
00:55He's not alone. Just look around the world.
00:57Vladimir Putin points to Russia's imperial destiny.
01:00Narendra Modi pitches India as the rebirth of an ancient Hindu civilization.
01:05And Donald Trump's MAGA movement promises to restore a lost American golden age.
01:11The strategy is always the same.
01:13When leaders feel uncertain, they sell the past.
01:16But this nostalgia can't create jobs.
01:18Revive a property market or persuade young people to start families.
01:23Until China can offer a more convincing future, the past will remain an attractive place to hide.
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