Chinese Culture and Art in Movie: The Past and Present of Cheongsam (Qipao)

In the Mood for Love, a famous Hong Kong film, has been considered as a film which perfectly presents the beauty of Cheongsam (Qipao). Cheongsam, which features slender and skintight with the attractive slits up from the sides, adds the elegance and charm to the heroine Zhangmanyu and the romantic atmosphere to the whole film. The Chinese best-known actress Gongli possesses great preference for Cheongsam which perfectly shows her delicate, bewitching figure.

Two women wear cheongsam in this 1930s Shanghai advertisement

The 1911 Revolution ended Manchu rule, and thereafter Chinese men shed their long braided hair and changed their style of clothing, as previously stipulated by the Qing (1644-1911) government. Qing-style gowns, like the dynasty, became history. Just as clothing styles changed at the start of Manchu rule, again clothing changed and complicated styles were replaced. During the first decade of the Republic of China (1912-1949), influenced by new lifestyles and ideas, as well as Western garb, the Han-style women’s dress and cheongsam, two totally different styles, both exhibited change. Becoming simple in terms of design, wardrobes began to more show off the female form, an intention manifested in varying designs. And so was raised the curtain on a new style of cheongsam.

In the film In The Mood for Love, Maggie Cheung overwhelms the audience with her cheongsams. With an elegant air, noble temperament, refined figure, and gloomy mood, she unfolds the style of Shanghai women with the 23 cheongsams. Both outward and inner beauty is needed for wearing a cheongsam. Maggie Cheung’s unique charm and qualities makes her an idea model for the costume.