Cheongsam(Qi Pao)

The Cheongsam is a female dress with distinctive Chinese features and enjoys a growing popularity in the international world of high fashion.
The name of Cheongsam, meaning simply Long Dress, entered the English vocabulary from Cantonese. In other parts of the country including Beijing, however, it is known as Qipao, which has a history behind it.
When the early Manchu Rulers came to China proper, they organized certain people, mainly Manchus, into Banners that is Qi and called them Banner People (Qi Ren), which then became loosely the name of all Manchus. The Manchu women wore normally a one-piece dress, which, likewise, came to be called Qipao or Banner Dress. Although the 1911 Revolution toppled the rule of The Qing Dynasty that was ruled by Manchu, the female dress survived 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 high, collar closed, and its sleeves may be short, medium or full-length, depending on season and taste. The dress is buttoned on the right side, with a loose chest, fitting waist, and slits up from the sides, all of which combine to set off the beauty of the female shape.
The cheongsam is not too complicated to make, nor does it call for too much material, for there are no accessories like belts, scarves, sashes or frill to go with it.
Another beauty of the cheongsam is that, made of different materials and to varying lengths, they 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.