Hanfu vs Qipao, Cheongsam: What’s the Difference?

Hanfu vs Qipao, both are excellent representatives of traditional Chinese costumes. Hanfu (汉服) is the traditional costume of the Han people. Qipao (旗袍, cheongsam) is the women’s clothing that took shape in the Republican era.

Whenever traditional Chinese clothing is mentioned, the cheongsam is usually the first thing that comes to mind. But with the expanding influence of hanfu, a costume that better represents Chinese history is being preferred by more and more people. What exactly are the differences between the two costumes?

Hanfu vs Qipao at a Glance

The short answer is that hanfu and qipao belong to different eras and different construction systems: hanfu is the garment system worn before the Qing conquest, and the qipao is a twentieth-century dress built on Qing-era robe foundations. The table below sets out the differences readers ask about most often.

1. Hanfu vs Qipao in Different Origins

Origin of Hanfu

Ancient hanfu was the traditional clothing and accessory system of the Han Chinese from the time of the Yellow Emperor to the middle of the 17th century AD (late Ming and early Qing dynasties).

Origin of cheongsam

Cheongsam was formed in the 1920s and later became the most common women’s clothing at that time, being one of the most splendid phenomena and forms in China’s long-standing dress culture.

The controversy of the origin of cheongsam

There is still no agreement on how the cheongsam should be defined or when it first appeared. Six positions account for most of the argument.

1. Qing robe descent. The most widely repeated view traces the cheongsam directly to the Manchu robe of the Qing dynasty.
2. Qi suit inheritance. A second line links the cheongsam to the banner system’s Qi suit, and pushes the origin much further back, to the narrow linen tube dress of the Western Zhou or the shenyi of Qin and Han.
3. Continuity of the robe. Chinese women wore robe-form garments as far back as the Zhou, Qin, Han, Tang, Song and Ming dynasties, so the robe itself was never exclusive to Qing-era women’s dress.
4. Westernisation. On this reading the cheongsam is a westernised variation on Chinese traditional clothing rather than a direct survival of it.
5. Ming aoqun descent. Another account derives the cheongsam from the aoqun, the jacket-and-skirt combination of the Ming dynasty.
6. Gender imitation. Women took up the cheongsam, this argument runs, by deliberately imitating men’s dress out of an interest in gender equality.
   

2. Hanfu vs Qipao in Different Costume Styles

Styles of Hanfu

In terms of style, hanfu is much richer, and between different dynasties (Han Dynasty, Tang Dynasty, Song Dynasty, and Ming Dynasty), all developed very representative hanfu styles.

Hanfu can be broadly summarized into the following three clothing forms.

• Shenyi Zhi (深衣制): the upper garment and lower garment are sewn together.
• Yichang Zhi (衣裳制): the upper garment and lower garment are separated.
• Tongcai Zhi (通裁制): no seam between the upper garments and lower skirt, and they are cut straight.

Styles of Cheongsam

The cheongsam has evolved over the centuries, interpreting colorful styles as people’s lifestyles and aesthetic sensibilities change.

Most of the classical cheongsam uses flat and straight lines, the body is loose, the sides are open, and the chest and waist circumference are closer to the size ratio of the bodice and skirt.

In the 1930s and 1940s, the golden age of cheongsam development, style changes and very rich. Cheongsam also entered the era of three-dimensional modeling, the piece of clothing appeared on the dart, the waist is more fitted and with Western-style inset sleeves, cheongsam length, sleeve length greatly shortened, the waist is also the more fitted.

Cheongsam lapel, collar, sleeve, skirt, and other parts of the style is different:

• Lapel has round lapel, square lapel, long lapel, etc.
• Collar has Yuan Bao collar, low collar, etc.
• Sleeves have long sleeves, short sleeves, and flared inverted large sleeves.
• In the cuffs of the decoration, with inlay, embroidery, piped edge, and other different processes, very chic.
• Skirt hem in addition to the length of the change, but also increased the fishtail shape, wave shape, and other styles.

In modern times, whether in the international fashion stage, or daily work and life, modern cheongsam with a variety of postures to show the beauty of women, interpretation of a different Oriental style.

3. Hanfu vs Qipao in Different Characteristics

Characteristics of Hanfu

• Jiaoling Youren (交领右衽): the collar is directly connected with the lapel, and the lapel is crossed in front of the chest, and the lapel on the left side presses the lapel on the right side, which shows a “y” shape in appearance.
• Baoyi Guangxiu (褒衣广袖): loose clothes with long-wide sleeves. Hanfu formal dresses are generally wide-sleeved, showing a graceful and generous.
• Jidai Yinkou (系带隐扣): restrain the waist by belt and lacing.

Characteristics of Cheongsam

The appearance of cheongsam generally requires all or part of the following characteristics.

• Right overlapping large lapels in the form of a lapel or half-lapel.
• Standing collar.
• Paneled buttons.
• Side hem slit (not necessary).
• The single piece of fabric.
• The sleeves are attached to the body of the garment.

4. Similarities between Hanfu and Cheongsam

Both hanfu and cheongsam faded out of the limelight due to historical reasons. But as the revival of Chinese traditional costumes continues, they both regained their former glory.

Hanfu

Due to the policy of “Tifa Yifu” implemented by the rulers of the Qing Dynasty, for more than two hundred years of history, Han Chinese men’s clothing was basically modeled on Manchu clothing, and Changshan, Magua were all improvements and developments of Manchu-based dress, rather than traditional Han Chinese dress.

At the beginning of the 21st century, with the development of China’s national power, people began to examine the outstanding parts of their traditional culture.

Some people restored the traditional hanfu costume by examining it and taking its essence to remove the dross, and at the same time re-promoted the restoration of traditional hanfu and wearing it for promotion by restoring traditional festivals, promoting traditional doctrines and propagating traditional musical instruments, and called it the hanfu movement.

Cheongsam

After the 1950s, cheongsam was gradually been forgotten. Until the 1980s, with the renewed emphasis on traditional culture and the influence brought by film and television culture, fashion shows, and beauty pageants, cheongsam was gradually revived not only in mainland China but also in various fashionable places around the world.

1. In 1984, the cheongsam was designated by the Chinese State Council as the dress for female diplomats.
2. From the 1990 Beijing Asian Games onwards, the cheongsam was chosen as the ceremonial dress for the Olympic Games, Asian Games, and international conferences and expositions held in China.
3. On May 23, 2011, cheongsam making handicrafts became one of the third batches of China’s national intangible cultural heritage.
4. In November 2014, at the 22nd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting held in Beijing, the Chinese government chose cheongsam as the clothing for the wives of the participating leaders.

5. How to Tell Hanfu and Qipao Apart

Four cues settle the question in a few seconds, and all four come from the construction rather than the decoration.

• Closure direction. A hanfu top closes with a crossed collar, the left panel wrapping over the right and tied with laces. A qipao closes at the side or the centre with pankou knotted buttons. The closure is the fastest tell, because it follows from how the garment is cut.
• Piece count. Hanfu is usually two garments, a top and a skirt or trousers, or a one-piece shenyi with a visible waist seam. A qipao is a single continuous panel with no seam at the waist.
• Silhouette. Hanfu hangs from the shoulders and is loose through the body; the sleeves are wide and cut separately. A qipao follows the body from bust to hip, and its sleeves are cut with the body rather than attached.
• Collar height and shape. A standing collar suggests a qipao, but it does not prove one: Ming-era hanfu also uses high collars. What marks the qipao is a standing collar sitting on a fitted one-piece body.

6. Which One to Wear, and When

The two garments solve different problems, and the choice usually follows the occasion rather than personal preference.

• Cultural festivals and hanfu events. Hanfu. A qipao at a hanfu gathering reads as the wrong register, and organisers of some events will say so.
• Weddings. The qipao has a long record as bridal and banquet dress, particularly for the tea ceremony and the evening reception. Hanfu-style weddings use their own formal forms, which are a separate category of dress rather than an everyday ruqun.
• Formal and official occasions. Qipao. It is the form that has served as diplomatic and ceremonial dress since the 1980s, and it reads as formal without explanation.
• Daily wear. Modern hanfu (新中式) or a short qipao. Both are cut for movement and for a modern wardrobe; a full formal hanfu set is not.
• Photography and travel. Either, depending on the setting. Hanfu photographs better against architecture and landscape; the qipao photographs better indoors and in urban settings.

One caveat on cost and effort. A hanfu outfit is rarely one garment: shoes, hairpieces and accessories carry much of the look, and a formal set takes longer to put on. A qipao is one piece, but it depends on tailoring, so an off-the-rack fit is usually worse than a made-to-measure one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is qipao a type of hanfu? No. Hanfu is the clothing system of the Han majority before the Qing conquest; the qipao emerged in the 1920s, after that system had already ended. Both are usually grouped under the wider label of traditional Chinese dress, which is where the confusion starts.

Which is older, hanfu or qipao? Hanfu, by roughly two and a half thousand years. The recorded hanfu system runs from the Yellow Emperor era to the mid-17th century; the qipao took its modern form in 1920s Shanghai.

Can I wear a qipao to a hanfu event? Usually not. They belong to different dress registers, and hanfu events are typically organised around historical forms. A modern hanfu or xinzhongshi outfit is the safer choice if you want to blend in.

Is cheongsam the same as qipao? Yes. Both name the same one-piece dress: qipao is the Mandarin term, cheongsam the Cantonese-derived one used in Hong Kong and overseas. The difference is linguistic, not a difference in cut.

Which is easier to wear every day? A short qipao or a modern hanfu piece. A full formal hanfu set needs styling, accessories and time; a qipao needs a good fit but nothing else.

Do they use the same fabrics? Only partly. Hanfu historically used hemp, silk and cotton according to dynasty and rank; the qipao is associated with silk and brocade, and later with synthetic blends. Fibre content, not the garment name, is what determines how a piece wears.

For the construction history behind the qipao, see our guide to the cheongsam and the piece on modern cheongsam styling. Readers starting from the other direction can read traditional Chinese costumes and the account of the hanfu movement. The wider qipao guide collects the regional variants in one place.

Hanfu and cheongsam are representative of traditional Chinese dress costumes, which follow the times and carry civilization.

Fortunately, the revival of Hanfu and Qipao continues. They are the crystallization of Chinese national costume culture casting, and moreover, they mean the awakening and recognition of Chinese cultural elements.