Lào zi

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Lào zi, also called Tāo zi, is an old Chinese knotting craft. It refers to what we now call Chinese knots. The name “Chinese knotting” became common after Lydia Chen wrote about it in the 1980s. In Hanfu clothing, Lào zi/Tāo zi is a waist ornament tied to the belt with silk or cotton ribbon. The character lào means knotting and wrapping, while tāo refers to a decorative ribbon woven from silk.

In classic Chinese texts, making Lào zi means tying knots for the waist. The knots can be decorative and may have tassels for small objects or furnishings, similar to the Norigae used with Korean hanbok. The craft could also be used to knot a small net pouch for keeping items.

You can see Lào zi in old paintings that show ribbon knots at the waist. The tradition goes back to the Spring and Autumn period (early China). The Zuo Zhuan (a classical text) even mentions tying ribbons as belt knots in its Zhaogong chapter.