Cheongsam pageant adds colour to cultural festival

SIBU: It was a colourful night at the Borneo Cultural Festival on Saturday when elegantly attired women strode the catwalk on the Chinese Cultural Stage in a cheongsam beauty pageant.

Initiated by Sibu United Chinese Association ( Sibu UCA) and hosted by Sibu Foochow Association, the pageant dubbed ‘Sarawak Miss Cheongsam and Cheongsam Design Contest’ attracted 19 contestants from across Sarawak.

In his speech, Sibu Foochow Association chairman Lau Kui Seng said the cheongsam signifies a part of the Chinese culture.

He said Sibu UCA had been commended for hosting the event to promote this attire, adding that the contestants in the final round showcased classic styles harkening back to the olden days.

In her speech, guest- of-honour Jenny Chen noted that wearing cheongsam or ‘qi pao’ is the dream of every woman, adding the fashion is suitable for women of all ages.

She said the beauty pageant highlighting cheongsam fashion was hosted at the Borneo Cultural Festival to promote Chinese culture.

According to the history of Chinese fashion, the original cheongsam or ‘qi pao’ was wide and loose.

The baggy nature of the dress covered most of a woman’s body, revealing only the head, hands, and the tips of the toes.

However with the passing of time, the ‘qi pao’ has become more tailored, more form- fitting and more revealing.

The modern version, which is now recognised widely in China as the standard ‘qi pao’, was first developed in Shanghai in the 1920s, partly under the influence of Beijing styles, after the fall of the Qing Dynasty, when the Chinese were greatly exposed to Western influences.