Cheongsam (Qi Pao)

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The cheongsam is a female dress with distinctive Chinese features and enjoys a growing popularity in the international world of high fashion.

The name "cheongsam, " meaning simply "long dress, " entered the English vocabulary from the dialect of China's Guangdong Province (Cantonese). In other parts of the country including Beijing, however, it is known as "qipao" , which has a special history.

When the early Manchu rulers came to Beijing, they organized certain people, mainly Manchus, into "banners" (qi) and called them " banner people " ( qiren ) , which then became loosely the name of all Manchus. The Manchu women wore usually a kind of one-piece dress latercalled "qipao". Although the 1911 Revolution toppled the rule of the Qing (Manchu) Dynasty, the female dress survived after the political change and, with later improvements , has become the traditional dress for Chinese women.

Easy to slip on and comfortable to wear, the cheongsam fits well the female Chinese figure. Its neck is highs, its collar closed, and its sleeves may be short , medium or long, depending on seasons and tastes. The dress is buttoned on the right side, with a fitting chest and waist , and slits up from the sides, and all combine to set off the beauty of the female shape.

The cheongsam is not too complicated to make. Nor need many materials and accessories like belts, scarves, sashes or frills.

Another feature of the cheongsam is that they can be made of different materials at various lengths , and can be worn either on casual or formal occasions. In either case, it creates an impression of simple and quiet charm, elegance and neatness. No wonder it is so much liked by women not only of China but of foreign countries as well.