Spotted in Duxton Hill: a 'long shirt' wearer from a kilometre away. Celine Asril fans out into strides to pose burning questions.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ONIN LORENTE | www.style-anywhere.com
You are the founder of the Cheongsam Society…
[Yes], it is an association of men and women from around the world dedicated to the restoration and preservation of the cheongsam. Members of the Cheongsam Society are encouraged to wear the cheongsam on all formal occasions and celebrations – especially to events that stipulate Western dress codes – and on a regular, even daily, basis.
A picture of a shophouse filled with wisps of smoke, a singer on stage and a speakeasy in the back just came to mind. Are your gatherings like that – if so, how high does the slit on the side of the cheongsam have to be for us to get in?
That seems incredibly romantic. Our gatherings are in fact a little more sober. At Mid-Autumn, we gathered to appreciate gong fu cha (kung fu tea) at a teahouse while discussing traditional Chinese musical instruments. We might watch a Chinese opera performance next, although it sounds equally appealing to have guests join us in replicating a scene from 1920s Shanghai, replete with vintage cups and metal flasks.
Hey, just tell us where and we’ll show up. So is there a special name for the male cheongsam?
The English loanword ‘cheongsam’ is derived from the Cantonese word that literally means ‘long shirt’ (cheung sam). The word is gender-neutral and refers to the loose, one-piece garment worn by men and women during and after the Qing dynasty.
Why do you choose to wear the cheongsam everyday?
It is the most visible way to preserve a part of our Chinese heritage and communicates the message of the Society without even having to say a word.
And the pants, shoes, socks, bag and fan?
It’s part of the package! You won’t know how comfortable cloth shoes and kung fu pants are until you put them on. As for the fan, it serves a very practical purpose, especially when you’ve been under the sun for too long. But it doesn’t mean I should also keep the queue [the long pigtail hairstyle worn during the Qing dynasty]; the Society’s not about going back in time, it’s about perpetuating a natural, organic development of our heritage.
Isn’t this a very warm and restrictive outfit for our weather?
Not if it’s well tailored and made of appropriate fabric. A cheongsam is naturally loose fitting, and one that’s made of linen is also highly absorbent, provides high air permeability and is a good conductor of heat. Most of my cheongsams are made of linen. It’s just about the most comfortable attire to be in all day, any day.
But what happens when it rains?
If the cheongsam flaps too much in strong wind and rain, the lower portion might get a little damp, but it dries faster than a pair of denim jeans or polyester pants. And if necessary, I can always take the cheongsam off to dry, which is not possible with jeans or trousers. Thankfully, I’ve never had this problem!
So where can we get your outfit and for how much?
The kung fu pants cost $16 from a martial arts supply store across from Chinatown Point; my black cloth shoes cost $7.90; the black cloth bag was $18 from a shop in Marina Square; and my cloth fan was only $5, also from a shop in Chinatown. I’m sure you can find cheaper ones elsewhere.
Do you get funny looks from the public?
All the time! But anything that is at first unusual will surely draw attention, and sometimes it gives me a chance to talk about the Society. Wearing the cheongsam lets me show others that it can be regular attire, and hopefully to inspire them to do the same.
Has anyone come up to you to ask you about your attire yet?
It happens very often. They are usually curious, but the strangest question ever put to me was, ‘Are you a fortune teller?’
And what did you say?
‘I’m wearing what we’ve been wearing for the past 400 years; it’s called a cheongsam.’ It was, and is usually, met with admiration, positive responses and compliments.
I bet it’s harder to run away from screaming teenage girls in this.
Because it is so loose fitting, you’re able to run faster for buses and trains, and look peerlessly cool doing it. There is just one thing a cheongsam restricts – ungracious postures. The structure of the cheongsam forces you to adopt a proper, elegant posture when you're walking, standing, and especially sitting.
Is it harder to go to the loo in this?
Without going too much into graphic detail, it is probably sufficient to say it takes just two steps and you’re ready to do business.
[Blushes] Right. Thank you. Speaking of business, have you been subjected to any alternative treatment, good or bad, at establishments?
Fortunately not, but my attire has become a great conversational starter everywhere, and in various situations it has paved the way to meeting a few important people.
How else are you promoting the art of the cheongsam?
I’ve set up a website and Facebook page. I’ve also been trying to think of ways to interest the National Heritage Board in our cause, and perhaps work with Chinese institutions or bodies. The idea of busking has come up, although we first have to come up with a convincing act to get the National Arts Council to grant us a letter of endorsement.
Any last words?
The cheongsam is but a tiny aspect of our heritage. We Chinese have a history that dates back 5,000 years; we’re sitting on a gold mine, and many of us don’t even know it. Hopefully, in generating awareness of Chinese culture and traditions, more people will come to a deeper level of familiarity and appreciation of our priceless inheritance.
For more about the Cheongsam Society, go to www.cheongsamsociety.com
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@宗承 Thank you very much for your sincere response. I really don't think it's appropriate to get into a Han vs Manchu argument here, and I think I've sufficiently answered why I choose to wear the cheongsam over the hanfu in an entry on the Cheongsam Society website titled "On Why I Wear the Cheongsam". @SoL I believe we've resolved this issue on the SHCS page (since you've revealed your identity to me on that page).
Posted on Tue 08 Nov 2011 11:36:46
With due respect, I would like to ask Mr. Kenny where did you get the information on the Manchurian government relaxing the rules on clothing, while there's a folk saying of "十從十不從", it has not been verified by historical records, and even so, the closest to what you have said is 官從隸不從, but I would say that 官從隸不從 sounds rather different from 官從民不從, I believed you can understand the different between a commoner and a slave/servant.
I would like to enlighten us by showing official government records on the law on clothing being relaxed after 1944. Thanks, and have a nice weekend. ^^
Posted on Fri 04 Nov 2011 19:37:46
If you really love your own culture, then you should understand your own culture, rather than taking it externally.
So happened that it was the Manchurians that invaded China. if it was the Japanese or the Europeans who successfully took over China, and did what the Manchus did, are you going to take kimono or western suit as part of your own heritage?
There is a political reason why the yuan and the qing were taught to us as part of China's dynasties but in fact that is the time China is under occupied. Yuan belongs to the Mongolian history, qing belongs to the manchu's history.
During qing, China became a part of the country Manchuria, instead of Manchuria becoming a part of China. understanding the fact that qing emperors and the period they occupy china as not emperors but invaders, how could we as chinese advocate a invaders culture as our own?
this is the same for cheongsam (qipao). cheongsam is also called 旗袍,instead of 汉袍，beause they are from the 旗人which is another term for the manchus. during yuan period, han chinese attire worn by the majority were also infulenced by mongolian culture.
if that was accepted as han culture. why the ming emperor 明太祖 wants to revive hanfu by referencing to 唐，宋 &汉朝 records？明太祖accepted that the han culture was broken by the yuan mongolians, so there is a need for revival.
similarly the han culture was broken again by the machus, so there is a need for revival too. and this revival is not by the common people but the learned ones(士人)，who have knowledge in this things. common people only take up the norm and follow the trend, I will not disagree if you are a manchu promoting cheongsam culture.
But if you are chinese, and love chinese culture, than i urge you as a brother of the same kind to relook again.
Posted on Fri 04 Nov 2011 18:27:37
Here is some China government website and government related websites depicting the costumes of every 56 ethnicity in China. Take a closer look on 漢族（華族）costume. What do you think about it? China government official website http://www.gov.cn/test/2006-04/17/content_255861.htm 中國網 http://www.china.com.cn/culture/aboutchina/56mz/node_7078114.htm 人民日報 http://politics.people.com.cn/GB/8198/58705/index.html
Posted on Wed 02 Nov 2011 05:06:08
Here are the evidences. Video evidences 百家講壇： 1）http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IN10GWdoEl8 2）http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eCAaT0yK8o 3）http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrX5dfySU30 CCTV documentary: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hEpS5YOFtE Zhu Jiang TV Documentary: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yqE_Qm9280 Historical evidences 《東華錄》崇德三：1636年（後金崇德元年），皇太極命令：“凡漢人官民男女，穿戴要全照滿洲式樣……有效他國（明朝）衣冠、束髮、裹足者，重治其罪。” 《清太宗實錄稿本》卷十四：“凡漢人官民男女，穿戴要全照滿洲式樣，男人不許穿大領大袖，女人不許梳頭纏足。” 《清世祖实录》卷五 ：“投誠官吏軍民皆著剃髮，衣冠悉遵本朝制度”。 《東華錄》卷五：“於眾人未剃髮之前，即行剃髮，舉家男婦皆效滿裝。” 《東華錄》卷五順治元年條：“不隨本朝制度剃髮易衣冠者，殺無赦。” 《清世祖實錄》卷二十八：“凡有為剃頭、圈地、衣冠、投充、逃人牽連五事具疏者，一概治罪。” 江寧巡撫土國寶告示：“剃髮、改裝是新朝第一嚴令，通行天下，法在必行者，不論紳士軍民人等，留頭不留發，留發不留頭！南山可移，此令不可動！ ”
Posted on Wed 02 Nov 2011 01:46:14
Dear SCY,
Like I wrote to SoL, it is my understanding that after the fall of the 明朝 in 1644, the 清 government relaxed the rules on clothing — although everyone had to keep the queue (or lose his head), only officials were required to wear Manchurian attire. The commoners were permitted to wear the hanfu, but most adopted the 长衫 instead.
If you have evidence that suggests otherwise, I'd love to see it, because this is wholly relevant to my research.
Thank you, SCY.
Posted on Tue 01 Nov 2011 16:38:17
Cheongsam was not adopted by the Chinese willingly instead it was force upon the Chinese to adopt such clothing.
Do you know about 剃髮易服令? Do you know about the strong resistance given by the Chinese in order to preserve clothing, hairstyle and culture? Do you know about all the massacres that happened in order to forcefully enforce the 剃髮易服令?
Posted on Mon 31 Oct 2011 20:31:42
Hi Sol,
Thanks for your note. It is my understanding that after the fall of the 明朝 in 1644, the 清 government relaxed the rules on clothing — although everyone had to keep the queue (or lose his head), only officials were required to wear Manchurian attire.
The commoners were permitted to wear the hanfu, but most adopted the 长衫 instead.
Do you have any evidence pointing to the contrary?
Posted on Sun 30 Oct 2011 13:09:51
The thing is the Cheongsam was not freely adopted by the Chinese plp 450 years, it was forced on our forefathers.
The Manchurian government made a law that whoever that didn't shave most of their hair and tied into a mice tail (later slowly relax into the pigtail we are more familiar with) and wear a Cheongsam in place of the HanFu would have himself and his whole family arrested and killed.
While we accepted that it has become part of the Chinese image today, and have no problem with anyone wearing it or promoting it, I think we do need to get our historical facts straight.
Posted on Sun 30 Oct 2011 05:28:38