From 1930s Glamour to Modern Fashion: Qipao Take Center Stage at Shanghai Museum

SHANGHAI — A new exhibition at the Shanghai Museum is putting the spotlight on the qipao, also known as the cheongsam, one of China’s most iconic garments. The show features a collection owned by pop singer Jeff Chang, along with qipao and personal items donated by prominent socialite Chiang Shih-yun (1912–2016), also known as Aileen Pei.

Titled Glamour and Modernity Beyond Shanghai, the exhibition is the Shanghai Museum’s first large-scale thematic showcase dedicated to fashion as an art form. It opens Tuesday and runs through May 5, presenting a total of 306 artifacts and artifact groups.

The core exhibits are drawn from nearly 300 items donated by Patricia Pei, Chiang’s daughter, as well as from Jeff Chang’s private collection. These pieces are shown alongside objects borrowed from institutions including the Shanghai History Museum, the Soong Ching Ling Memorial Residence in Shanghai, and the Shanghai Auto Museum.

Beginning in the mid-19th century, Shanghai gradually emerged as an international metropolis where Chinese traditions blended with Western aesthetics. This cultural exchange shaped the city’s distinctive urban lifestyle and fashion scene. The qipao, known for its form-fitting silhouette, became widely popular and frequently appeared in magazines, films, and posters, eventually becoming a symbol of Shanghai style.

“Qipao is not just a garment but a wearable piece of history,” said Chu Xiaobo, director of the Shanghai Museum, at the exhibition’s opening on Monday. He described the Shanghai-style qipao as a prism that reflects China’s 20th-century aesthetic evolution and growing cultural confidence.

Using the qipao as a starting point, the exhibition traces the development of Shanghai’s fashion and lifestyle over the past century. To better showcase tailoring, fabrics, and design details, some garments are displayed without glass cases. Specially designed mannequins illustrate changing ideals of feminine form throughout the 20th century.

Each of the exhibition’s four chapters also features period accessories and everyday objects displayed alongside the clothing. At the entrance, a cream-colored Austin 10 Saloon car evokes the glamour of 1930s Shanghai.

Jeff Chang played a key role in the exhibition’s curatorial planning. While best known as a long-standing figure in the Chinese pop music scene, Chang is also an avid collector with a deep interest in cultural history, Chu noted.

Last year, Chang donated 12 qipao to the Shanghai Museum and filmed a new music video at Shanghai Museum East. According to Chu, the collaboration reflects the museum’s efforts to reach wider and younger audiences by working with well-known cultural figures.

“We hope to tell stories of history and culture in a more approachable way,” Chu said, “and to encourage younger generations to visit museums.”

Speaking at the opening, Chang said he has felt a strong connection to Shanghai throughout his more than 30-year career. He has collected many Shanghai-related items, including furniture and historical documents. To him, the qipao embodies the unique beauty of Eastern aesthetics. He recalled that his grandmother was especially fond of the garment.

“We once had a thief break into the house,” Chang said, “and the only thing stolen was her beautiful qipao.”

“Each of these garments has its own story,” he added. “They may look elegant, graceful, or avant-garde. Even standing quietly in the exhibition, they speak to the viewer.”

Chiang Shih-yun, whose wardrobe forms another key part of the exhibition, was the daughter of a Chinese diplomat and the wife of Shanghai-born banker Tsuyee Pei (1893–1982). The family moved to the United States in the 1940s. Chiang passed away in Manhattan at the age of 104.

“My mother grew up influenced by both Chinese and Western cultures,” said Patricia Pei. “Living through a century shaped by traditional Chinese aesthetics and global design, she developed her own unique sense of style.

“By donating her clothing and personal belongings to the Shanghai Museum, we hope to preserve her legacy,” she said. “I hope her understanding of fashion and her insights into East-West design come alive through this exhibition.”