SHENYANG, May 24 (Xinhua) -- The first China Qipao Culture Festival was launched Friday at the Shenyang Palace Museum in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province.
The eight-day festival consists of forums, exhibitions, as well as Qipao culture-related activities.
It will serve as a platform for exchange and mutual learning among garment lovers, cultural and historical scholars and practitioners of Qipao from home and abroad.
Qipao, or cheongsam, originated from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), is a classic one-piece and figure-fitting Chinese dress for women.
At the opening ceremony of the festival, more than 1,200 models presented a show of different styles of Qipao with embroidered patterns, paintings, and ancient poetries.
From May 25 to 31, Shenyang Palace Museum, which was the imperial palace of two Qing emperors, will offer free tickets for 1,636 female tourists who wear a Qipao each day, said Li Shengneng, curator of the museum.
Shenyang, the birthplace of the Qing Dynasty, is known as the "Old Capital of Cheongsam." Through the festival and other Qipao-related activities, the city aims to further explore the Qipao culture and boost the development of the creative industry of the Qipao.
