Scroll revives cheongsam beauty in New York

In fine make-up and vintage high heels, 11 ladies dressed in cheongsams walk before the audience, demure yet sexy. At the "Cheongsam Culture Salon" held at the City University of New York on March 6, the cheongsam - the quintessential ladies' dress of China popularizedinthe 1920 -seems ready to re-blossom in New York City after almost a century.

Organizers of the fashion show, presented by the Chinese University Alumni Alliance and the Tianjin Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, were invited to gather and share the history of the classic garb.

Liu Bing, creator of the "Guohua-Global Chinese Cheongsam Image Giant Scroll", and Meng Qinggang, heir to a time-honored cheongsam name brand, were on hand along with some of the women depicted on the scroll.

The scroll is an ongoing project, initiated by Liu Bing, a cheongsam enthusiast and local TV host from Tianjin, that invites women to dress in cheongsams and pose for photos that will be added to a giant printed scroll in the manner of the classic Chinese painting Scene at the Upper River during Qingming Festival.

Liu said his interest in the cheongsam was inspired at a young age by old photos of women wearing cheongsams in the movie magazines founded by his grandfather, a former newspaper editor.

So far, his camera crews have captured photos of more than 7,000 women in cheongsams, women from many walks of life, including both celebrities and retired workers, ranging in age from 4 to 80.

"None of them are professional models," said Liu. "They participate in this project by just signing up."

"Extending the giant scroll is aimed at inspiring more women to experience the cheongsam culture and cheongsam's glamour. We're using the giant scroll as a vehicle not only because of its length, but also because its breadth and depth express the cheongsam culture," Liu added.

Meng Qinggang, the inheritor of Tianjin-based cheongsam brand Meng Luochuan, led listeners back through the evolution of cheongsam by showing dozens of antique cheongsams more than 100 years old.

"The cheongsam is to the Chinese what the kimono is to the Japanese and the hanbok to Koreans. It is a formal dress that can represent our nation. To some degree, the cheongsam does bind the female body with its high collar and body-hugging shape, highlighting feminine beauty," Meng said.

Made of pure silk, which can be preserved up to 1,500 years, according to research, there couldn't be better a more apt carrier of Chinese culture than the cheongsam, Meng said.

Quan Wenhua, a consultant in China, was one of the 11 ladies on the scroll who came to the US at their own expense.

"When I wear a cheongsam, I feel confident and elegant," Quan said. "I feel proud to bring cheongsam culture to America, especially when we walked into the United Nations wearing cheongsams yesterday, and people who we don't know asked us to take photos since they thought we were very beautiful and traditional in cheongsams. I really enjoyed their appreciation."

The Guohua-Global Chinese Cheongsam Image Giant Scroll is now being shot in New York, and the project's camera crews have received invitations from Chinese communities in Washington, Los Angeles and San Francisco to add to the cheongsam scroll there.