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The qípáo (旗袍), qípáor (旗袍儿), or ch'i-p'ao, also known as the cheongsam (長衫) or mandarin gown, is a body-hugging (after Shanghai modification) one-piece dress for women (although there are male variations which are often worn with trousers) in China originating from the Manchus, modernized and popularized in 20th-century Shanghai.
The English loanword cheongsam, which comes from the Cantonese pronunciation of the original Shanghainese term, is used for the garment when worn by either men or women. Cheong means "long", and sam reffers to "tunic". The word qipao refers only to women's clothes. Cheongsam were the formal dress for Chinese men before Western-style suits became common in China; they are not often worn today, except during traditional Chinese celebrations or as stylish party dresses.
History
When the Manchu established the Qing Dynasty over all of China, certain social strata emerged. Among them were the Banners (qí), mostly Manchu, who as a group were called Banner People (旗人 pinyin: qí rén). Manchu women typically wore a one-piece dress that came to be known as the 旗袍 (qípáo or banner quilt). The qipao fit loosely and hung straight down the body. After 1644, all Han Chinese were forced to make a close shave and dress in cheongsam instead of Han Chinese clothing (剃发易服), or they were to be killed. For the next 300 years, the cheongsam became the adopted clothing of the Chinese. The garment proved popular and survived the political turmoil of the 1911 Xinhai Revolution that toppled the Qing Dynasty. The qipao has become, with few changes, the archetypal dress for Chinese women.
The modern version of the qipao was first developed in Shanghai around 1900. Slender and form fitting with a high cut, it contrasted sharply with the traditional qipao which was designed to conceal the figure and be worn regardless of age. In Shanghai it was first known as 長衫 (or long dress. Mandarin: chángshān, Cantonese: cheongsam, Shanghainese: zansae).
The cheongsam (the Cantonese term later popularized by Hong Kong) went well with the western overcoat and scarf, and portrayed a unique East Asian modernity. The modernized version is especially noted for accentuating the figures of women, and as such is highly popular as a dress for high society. As Western fashions changed, the basic cheongsam design changed too, introducing high-necked sleeveless dresses, bell-like sleeves, and the black lace frothing at the hem of a ball gown. By the 1940s, cheongsam came in transparent black, beaded bodices, matching capes, and even velvet. Later, checked fabrics also became quite common.
The 1949 Communist Revolution ended the cheongsam and other fashions in Shanghai, but the Shanghainese emigrants and refugees brought the fashion to Hong Kong where it has remained popular. Recently there has been a revival of the Shanghainese cheongsam in Shanghai and elsewhere in Mainland China; the Shanghainese style functions now mostly as a stylish party dress (see also Mao suit).
Many secondary schools in Hong Kong use a plain rimmed sky blue cotton and/or dark blue velvet (for winter) cheongsam with the school badge as part of a basic uniform for their female students to be worn to regular classes. Schools known to do this set this standard include St. Paul's Co-educational College, St. Stephen Girl's College, etc.
It is also important to note that a black cheongsam was and sometimes still is the burial attire for Chinese men, along with a rounded black hat. However, one must not mistake the cheongsam as burial attire exclusively, as it is worn in pictures, weddings and other more formal historically Chinese events.
The Tibetans and Vietnamese (ao dai) have related versions of this dress as their national dress.
The cheongsam in popular culture
- In older movies about Wong Fei Hung, the kung fu master was always portrayed as a well-dressed gentleman in cheongsam.
- As recently as the 1970s, Sun Ma-chai (新馬仔), a male celebrity in Hong Kong, always wore a cheongsam for public appearances.
- The movie In the Mood for Love by Wong Kar-wai of a Shanghainese community in Hong Kong is notable for its use of a variety of cheongsams worn by female lead Maggie Cheung.
- In the movie The World of Suzie Wong, Nancy Kwan made the cheongsam briefly fashionable in the west.
- Popular Street Fighter video game character, Chun Li, is known for her signature blue cheongsam, worn with white knee-high boots, hair bun covers, and oversized spiked bracelets.
See also
External links
- Cheongsam article on the Beijing Official Website
- Chinese Dresses
- About.com entry on the qipao
- Documentary on the qipao on CCTV website
- Slideshow of a few items from the Fashion Institute of Technology's China Millennium exhibit
"Qipao"