"We conducted research on hanfu among college students, finding that eight out of every 10 students like hanfu, which represents big market potential," Zheng said.

He decided to return to run the business, as he knows that the complete costume industry chain in Caoxian will ensure easy access to the hanfu industry.

"What I need to do is create more original designs and make our brand known by more people," said Zheng, whose company now has five designers.

"They used to design ancient costumes for film actresses," he said, adding that these designers are familiar with history and culture, which will help them come up with good ideas for hanfu.

Another young entrepreneur, Yang Wei, manager of Caoxian Yunmu Apparel Co, has achieved impressive online sales of 5 million to 6 million yuan in just a few months through livestreaming.