Women identity and Traditional Wear- Cheongsam (Qipao)

On the last entry, we discussed about how kebaya represented women’s identity, in this entry let’s discuss about Cheongsam. I know Cheongsam (Qipao) is not being a big hit in Malaysia because of western culture has been influenced us from time to time. Nevertheless, Cheongsam is part of our culture as a Chinese and we can’t avoid it.

 There’s a legend from China about cheongsam (Qipao): a young fisherwoman made a multi-looped-button gown with slits to enable her to tuck in the front piece of her dress, therefore making her job easier. This was called qipao, which replaced her long and loose fitting dress. After she married the young emperor of China, this qipao started to follow by Manchu women and became popular.

Whether this legend is true or not, but qipao was actually came from Manchu. When the Manchu ruled China during the Qing dynasty, their social strata emerged. Among them were the Banners, mostly Manchu, who as a group were called Banner People (QiRen). Why were they called themselves the Banners? Manchus were grown out of ancient Nuzhen tribes. In the early 17^th century, Nurhachi, a great political and military strategist, set up the Eight Banners System for the Nuzhen tribes. Passed many of years, a collarless and tube-shaped gown was developed. Qipao was translated as “banner gown’ for it came from the people who lived under the Banner System.

The original Qipao was wide and loose, plus, it covered most of the woman’s body. At that time, women were not allowed to wear clothes as they wish, not even if they want to wear more revealing clothes. The traditional gender ideology in China is patriarchal in nature, which was women’s ‘natural’ place defined as in the family, provide a stable and supportive for the family and for the male head of household. 

Guangxu Period (1875–1908) Lady Heseri

Qipao in Qing Dynasty was loose and wide.

Stereotype idea on Qipao to women was shifted in Shanghai in the 1920s. The Qipao were tailored to become more slender fitting and revealing as popularity of prostitute arose. But this was not the end of the story. After the War I, Belarus prostitute with their fitting gown and Japanese prostitute with their revealing clothing, started to come over Shanghai. The competitive for the Shanghai prostitute was heavy, thus, a slender and form fitting with a high cut Qipao was designed, to show their body line. 

Two women wearing cheongsam in a 1930s Shanghai advertisement.

Qipao by then had fitting and more revealing designs.

In modern age of China, Qipao was more defined as a political uniform. About 1950s, school girls was wore Qipao designed of uniform, defined as women were no longer uneducated and ready to participate in political issues. Women no longer defined as weakest human being thus they wear Qipao instead of Qi (Males back in the era were wore Pao especially the emperor was wore Huang Pao presented as higher status). 

Bibliography

Hongxia, L.(2009) ‘The Cheongsam- the Treasure of Chinese National Apparel’. Asian Culture and History 1(1) January. [online] http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/ach/article/download/371/327 [Accessed 14 June 2015]

My Qipao (2014) Chinese dress Qipao/ Cheongsam| History and legend. [online] http://www.my-qipao.com/qipaofct_engl/qipaofc1.html [Accessed 14 June 2015]

Wang, S.(2006) Explanation on the question of ‘Where Qipao was from and which races’. Baidu Zhidao. [online] http://zhidao.baidu.com/question/147034 48.html [Accessed 14 June 2015]

Xiang Yang, B.(2006) ‘The Origin of popularity in Qipao’. [online] http://tieba.baidu.com/p/127772027 [Accessed 14 June 2015]

Xiaolan, W.(2005) ‘Changing Face: The Evolution of Chinese Women’s Dress and Appearance’ University of Science and Technology Beijing. August. [online] http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-07142005-093123/unrestricted/Wangthesis.pdf [Accessed 14 June 2015]