Darla & Dana Discover the Cheongsam

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<a href="https://wordforward.academy/">Word Forward Academy</a>

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Credit: Wikipedia Creative Commons

"It didn’t get any easier. During the Cultural Revolution, they threw me in gaol. Three times they dragged me to that nasty place called the Cow Pen. We educated types lawyers, teachers, artists and thinker were “cow demons and snake spirits” just for being educated, and in case we spoke against the government. They let me out in 1976 and I taught quietly in a small provincial university. Not an easy time but, Daddy, I always believed, like you, that work is sacred. So I taught and lived alone in my quarters, just 15-square metres until I died in my sleep in 1978.

The Cheongsam Makers

Credit: National Heritage Board. <a href="https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/style/lai-chan-cheongsam-singapore-fashion-designer-196431">Goh Lai Chan</a> is an internationally renowned Singaporean couturier has been designing cheongsams for 40 years.

You have to sit upon this seat, and dangle down two small feet. Tiny and sweet, so small and petite both bound up tight, dear lotus feet.

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DANA: That's a beautiful dress you're wearing. DARLA: Thank you, sis. This is called a cheongsam. DANA: You look lovely. Why are you wearing it? DARLA: For my school presentation about modern Chinese women's fashion. DANA: That sounds fun! Want some help? DARLA: That would be amazing! DANA: I have a cheongsam in my wardrobe. I'll go change. DARLA:&nbsp;[To the audience] I wonder why more women don't really wear cheongsams nowadays? And I must ask Dana what cheongsam means? [sound effect] DANA: [She returns] Good questions. I found this old book on my shelf. Let me see if this helps: What we wear reflects how we want to be seen, and this special garment means different things to each Chinese generation. During the past one hundred years the cheongsam or “long dress” in Cantonese), also known as the qipao in Mandarin, became the fashion standard of the modern Chinese woman. During the past one hundred years, it became the fashion standard of the modern Chinese woman. Cheongsam means different things to each Chinese generation.

DARLA: Sis, I believe there is a lot of scope to continue this 'cheongsam craze'. What do you think? DANA: Well, famous Chinese and Western designers keep using Mandarin collars. DARLA: It's a signature. DANA: But some say that Hollywood actresses have appropriated Chinese fashion. DARLA: It's a global world and all over the Net? DANA: Right. DARLA: Instagram and Tik-Tok prove my point. DANA: Well, I hope this has been helpful for your assignment. DARLA: Time to go and write it up. Thanks sis. I couldn't have learned all this without you!

DANA: Darla, let's fast foward: what do you want to be? DARLA: A fashion designer! Or a singer! Or maybe a fashion designer who sings? I can't decide. DANA: Speaking of interesting jobs, there was once this lady named Teo Soon Kim who was Singapore's very first barrister. DARLA: Barista? Did she make coffee at Starbucks? DANA: Not barista, barrister! That means lawyer. DARLA: Oh! Silly me. DANA: Okay, let's look in my book. Here's a letter from Teo Soon Kim to her dad, Teo Eng Hock, the rubber magnate.

The cheongsam also known as the qipao is a tight-fitting dress of Manchu origin. It has a high mandarin collar with a slit up each side of the skirt to allow women to walk more freely. Originally loose-fitting with a low hemline reaching the ankles, the cheongsam was an expression of women's empowerment first worn from 1912 by Shanghai female students as a bid for gender equality. In fact, the original cheongsam was a modification of the male long robe known as the changshan or changpao. Re-tailored as a body-hugging garment made from silk, satin, brocade, velvet, lace and cotton in the 1920s, it piqued the interest of socialites, film actresses and was soon standard wear in the Western-influenced Shanghai club scene. From there it spread to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, South-east Asia, and throughout the global Chinese diaspora. Eventually, the cheongsam's influence as daywear gave way to mass-produced Western fashion trends from the 1960s, yet is still worn on occasions such as Chinese New Year, at weddings or for special evening events. Political leaders' partners often wear the cheongsam as a cultural power statement. In addition, it still exerts a subtle influence and continues to be styled by leading fashion houses in Asia, Europe and the US. Long worn by Chinese actresses, it has also reached Hollywood, modelled by celebrities on the red carpet at the Academy Awards. When people think of Chinese women's fashion it is the image of the elegant cheongsam that still comes to mind. Chris Mooney-Singh

LEFT: Cameron Diaz; RIGHT: Kirsten Durnst

DANA: Did you know Darla that from the 1970s onwards, younger Chinese women preferred more affordable, mass-produced Western clothes? DARLA: I guess so. I had to go to Chinatown to buy this cheongsam for my special presentation on Racial Harmony Day. DANA: I bought mine to go to my friend's wedding. DARLA: Now we can both dress up together. DANA: Sure. Well, despite social change prominent women continue wearing the cheongsam at public functions, perhaps to remind women of their origins and as a sign of elegant feminist power. DARLA: That's right! I know our Singaporean aunties and grandmothers still wear the cheongsam at weddings and on festive occasions like Chinese New Year.&nbsp;

DARLA: Do women still wear cheongsams these days? DANA: Oh yes, of course! Most Chinese women keep one in their wardrobe and it has become a symbol of their identity and position. In fact, did you know that the wife of Singapore's former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, usually wore an updated version of the cheongsam to many high-profile social functions. DARLA: Yes, yes. I've seen her in the paper before. DANA: So, like China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia and Indonesia, the cheongsam became popular. As I mentioned, most women kept one in their wardrobe and it also became a symbol of womens’ identity and position. Singapore Mrs Lee Kuan Yew, wife of Prime Minister Lee kept a large cheongsam wardrobe. She ran a prominent law firm and when appearing at high-profile social functions she wore an updated version of this special dress all through her life until 2020. DARLA: So, cool! Fashionista politics!

DANA: Darla, you want to be a designer, right? DARLA: Yep, as long as I can sing as well. DANA: Alright, I have a special project for your up for it and I'll help. DARLA: What do you have in mind? DANA: For the next Chinese New Year Reunion Dinner let's all wear the same design. DARLA: I'm in! As long as you buy all the cloth. DANA: Done! Turn the page for inspiration and see all the cheongsam girls. So cute!

LEFT: Nicole Kidman; RIGHT: Anne Hathaway

Artwork: Chris Mooney-Singh; Teo Soon Kim's study years in London.

"Studying law in London, then coming back and getting married - these were the happy years. My wedding was huge. You were so proud, the event splashed across all the newspapers. After that, I practised law and won my first few cases. Many cheongsam ladies came to watch from the public gallery looking down at me in my robes and old-fashioned lawyer’s wig. Underneath it all was my cheongsam. You were so proud, dear father. Then there were the years following my husband for work to Hong Kong and on to the mainland. A pity my Mandarin wasn’t that good. I could only argue cases in the English court, so I taught in colleges and universities.

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Top L: Dana (Dew Chaiyanara) &amp; Darla (Siti Z) @ Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall exhibition and Cheongsam Storyline performance space.

Photos: Top Left: Chris Mooney-Singh; Bottom Left &amp; Right: Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall

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Here are six Hollywood movies that show the West's appreciation of the cheongsam.

Cheongsam in Six Movies: European and American Stars in Chinese Style

Kwa Geok Choo: a public cheongsam profile

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Highlights from Word Forward's 'Cheongsam Storyline' performed at Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall from 20-25 Nov 2021 performed by Dew Chaiyanara and Siti Z.

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Credit: Wikipedia Creative Commons, public domain

DARLA: Sis, would it be fair to say that the story of modern Chinese women’s fashion is the story of the cheongsam? DANA: Pretty much. Here are some key facts. The cheongsam is a long garment with a mandarin collar and side slits which gives freedom of movement. It opens at an angle across the front, fastened by knotted buttons and loops sometimes called 'frog buttons.' DARLA: Can I look in your book? DANA: Sure. Here. DARLA: (Reading) Materials used include satin, silk, brocade, velvet, lace, cotton and modern acrylics. Daytime cheongsams are simpler and often sport decorative prints. Evening cheongsams are more elaborate with sequins and beads. The hem has changed with the times rising up to mid-calf length and became more form-fitting. Over time, full length sleeves became increasingly shorter or non-existent.&nbsp; So interesting, sis!

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Source: Wikipedia Creative Commons; plan of the Summer Palace, c. 1888.

I had a dress factory -- new fashions, fine shoes, &amp; sang rather well, loved gardens and birds. Yet what rules the world? Clear thoughts, strong words; good writing &amp; speech can change peoples’ views. Look, my story is complex: was I power-hungry? A ruler must do whatever to rise. What could China do? Stay backward or modernise? I wanted a future for my mother country. I did the hard things &amp; scribes penned my laws; I worked very hard yet stole time to linger in my new Summer Palace hardly lifting a finger. Remember Dragon Lady with her jade and gold claws.

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Chris Mooney-Singh gained his PhD (Monash University) with a doctorial thesis that examines Asia influences in Australian poetry. He writes across genres - poetry, fiction, plays and blogs at <a href="https://linktr.ee/chrismooneysingh">Medium.com</a> Dr Mooney-Singh lives in Singapore and has been writing about Asia since 1989. He is the Artistic Director of Word Forward. Over the years he has written and produced four dramatised storytelling events at Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall.

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This book is about the cheongsam past &amp; present and four women associated with it.

Our story presents Cixi, the Dowager Empress of the late Qing Dynasty, a fashion trend setter and supporter of women's education. Thus, it is not surprising that after her half-century of rule, Manchu garments worn by both men and women gave rise to the cheongsam as a symbol of their active presence in the new egalitarian society. Madame Sun Yat Sen (Soong Ching-ling), First Lady of the Chinese Republic became a visible role model as was her sister Madame Chiang Kai Shek (Soong Mei-Ling) who modelled the cheongsam across the globe making it both a fashion item and symbol of Chinese prestige and power. Singaporean women began wearing the cheongsam in the early 1930s. Teo Soon Kim was the daughter of Teo Eng Hock, the pioneer rubber magnate closely associated with Dr Sun Yat Sen between 1900 and 1911. Through her modern-thinking father, Teo Soon Kim became Singapore's first female barrister, and like her contemporaries wore the cheongsam throughout her life. Later, the wife of Lee Kuan Yew (Kwa Geok Choo) also a lawyer and educated at Cambridge adopted the cheongsam as a personal style and continuing expression of Singaporean statecraft.

An Imaginary Posthumous Letter to Teo Eng Hock, My Father  - 1

"It’s been a long time since we talked, dear father. Without you, I, your eldest, could not have become Singapore’s first female barrister. That wasn’t easy in 1904 when families wanted girls to stay home to be wives and mothers, but you believed women should be equal. That was revolutionary thinking. So you sent me to the Methodist Girls School. Our teachers also believed girls were special. I also remember you saying how education lasts, unlike money. Armed with your support I worked even harder. Why? When Dr Sun Yat Sen, the revolutionary leader came to Singapore to fight for a modern China. You housed and helped him. I was just a baby but as I grew I remember those private talks and meetings and our family mother and others who sewed the first flag of the Chinese Republic. It was so exciting! Like most Chinese girls my age, I started wearing the new cheongsam. It gave us confidence - women could now move in the world.

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DARLA &amp; DANA DISCOVER THE CHEONGSAM

So what do you think of my fingernail claws, my ornate protectors - jade, silver and gold? I didn’t wear them to make me look old but to show I held power. That’s the truth, and because I was a smart wife with one baby son when my emperor husband passed away before time. My small crying babe was too little to climb to the gold Dragon Throne and be Number 1. So I took full control at Beijing, the capital, though the men of the court thought a woman unfit to claw her way up to the grand chair and sit. Then I ruled all of China, 47 years in total.

A 'semi-Chinese' painting by Hubert Vos, 1905

DANA: That was a touching song. DARLA: Thanks, sis! I'm glad all that foot-binding is in the the past. DANA: Okay, let's learn about another notable woman in Chinese fashion history -- Soong Ching-ling, wife of Sun Yat Sen. She became the First Lady of the modern Chinese Republic and wore the early, loose-fitting cheongsam unlike her sister who wore a tight-fitting one. DARLA: You see? Fashion is about personal expression. That's why I want to be a designer! DANA: I totally get you, Darla. There's a poem about her and her sisters. Turn the page.

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Long Fingernails Were No Game In China

Why did Chinese Qing dynasty women (and men) grow long fingernails and create finger covers?

Story 2 First Lady of the Chinese Republic

Reader Feedback for Discover the Cheongsam

What does a Soong girl do who wants the best for others? I mastered English, essay-writing with China in my heart. What does a Soong girl do who wants the best for others? I married Dr Sun Yat Sen and helped with the work.&nbsp;

The Soong sisters after graduating from college in the US. From left: Soong Ching-ling, Ai-ling, and Mei-ling.

Top Left: Manchu period fashion; Bottom Left: evolution of the first loose-fitting cheongsam; Top Right: early form-fitting cheongsam styles circa 1920s; Bottom Right: a contemporary cheongsam. Source: Wikipedia &amp; https://www.newhanfu.com/1890.html (through CC)

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Left: actress and singer Zhou Xuan in the 1930s. (Photo: C.H. Wong) Wikipedia Creative Commons; Right: painting by Xu Beihong (Public Domain)

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Dear lady feet so small and petite you may be rich yet incomplete. It’s hard to walk, so bittersweet, and take small steps with your lotus feet.

"Those times were difficult. The new democratic government kept changing hands. And you, dear father, also came to China to help the cause, until the Japanese invaded. That put you on the wrong side of public opinion as a member of the puppet government, even though you only wanted to help our people survive the war.&nbsp; Politics is double-edged but the law is the law. I repaid the debt of love through my legal mind getting you acquitted as well as restoring family property and assets. As you always said, education lasts, even when wealth slips through our fingers.

L: 'Dana' (Dew Chaiyanara) &amp; R: 'Darla' (Siti Z). Photo: Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall

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LEFT: Taylor Swift at the Grammys; RIGHT: Ni Ni in 'The Flowers of War' with Christian Bale

DARLA: Hey, I just looked up the cheongsam and Hollywood on my phone. So many famous actresses have worn it. Kind of a craze. DANA: They must wear them on the red carpet at the Academy Awards and other big events like Taylor Swift at the Grammys. DARLA: Hey, here's a list. Nicole Kidman's at the top, not to mention Kirsten Durnst, Katy Perry, Cameron Diaz, Emma Watson, Celine, and Paris Hilton. DANA: Oh, and closer to home - Michelle Yeoh nearly always wears one. That's a power woman for you! Turn the pages and check out a few.

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DARLA: Who was that lady in the book? Her dress looks different. DANA: That’s Cixi, the Empress Dowager. She lived at the tail end of the Qing Dynasty. DARLA: An empress? Wow! DANA: Yes, she was a strong lady. Male western male critics at the time painted her in a controversial way. DARLA: They must have been jealous of a woman being in charge. DANA: Precisely. Later feminist critics have been much kinder. DARLA: So what came before the new fashion look? DANA: Let’s go back to the end of the Qing Dynasty around 1900. Turn the page and see a poem spoken by the Dowager Empress.

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Credits: Wikipedia Creative Commons, public domain

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What does a Soong girl do who wants the best for others? I emerged like a butterfly in the new qipao. What does a Soong girl do who wants the best for others? I upheld my husband’s vision long after he passed. What does a Soong girl do all of her 88 years? She serves, she fights, puts others first as the mother of the nation.

Story 3 Singapore's First Woman Barrister

<a href="bookcreator://page/9eZyAwAZQY2YG6VmChjXaA">Introduction</a> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <a href="bookcreator://page/RW-Bu7olRZitXgkRovKInw">4 Stories</a> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <a href="bookcreator://page/IdvqPoLfRxOyfMKvngHgkg">Video: Cheongsam Storyline </a>. . . . . . . . . . . . . <a href="bookcreator://page/NGYbTayxRN-epHmqps3bEg">Story 1: Empress Cixi</a> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <a href="bookcreator://page/aC7wgnS4SZuOMEjAsnNnzg">Video: Long Nails</a> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <a href="bookcreator://page/XHlnrX8iRqG34KDLRgeyhw">Poem: Empress of Dragon Claws</a> . . . . . . . . <a href="bookcreator://page/7FsvB6asS8yyPUsefBV-4g">Foot Binding</a> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <a href="bookcreator://page/id7ROwUzREKPuTfJAdIVzw">Poem: Lotus Feet</a> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <a href="bookcreator://page/azlvzYnJTjORe00lbNPmEg">Story 2: Choong Ching-ling </a>. . . . . . . . . . . . . <a href="bookcreator://page/yCcADOeyTXutILhTKKZZ8A">Poem: Mdm Sun Yat Sen Speaks</a> . . . . . . . . . <a href="bookcreator://page/Wd2RYM-FQ4acbg3aej-76g">Cheongsam: Basic Design</a> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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<a href="bookcreator://page/6uTf9tAuQY-5F3fyz1Wx2Q">Video: The Cheongsam Maker</a> . . . . . . . . . <a href="bookcreator://page/rY9TcpEMSTmyWzszdyfhww">Story 3: First Woman Barrister</a> . . . . . . . . . <a href="bookcreator://page/TVhpMiPOQIWeqWNx6wF5vw">Imaginary Letter</a> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <a href="bookcreator://page/Z45xkf5eQ9iW0Ogdg_0wZg">Story 4: A PM's Lawyer Wife</a> . . . . . . . . . . . . <a href="bookcreator://page/po5QrqQNR5SMt66oHNtj7g">The Cheongsam Today</a> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <a href="bookcreator://page/LAP6qBSoRfKVxlsJWiu20Q">Mothers &amp; Daughters</a> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <a href="bookcreator://page/C3umTk6kTDq1J5fUlK28vA">Cheongsams for Girls</a> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <a href="bookcreator://page/JiOZjOxlQLCzE1yT_FvgjQ">Cheongsam Celebrities</a> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <a href="bookcreator://page/H_OnV0ZjQEWJvjATDLosxQ">Video: Cheongsam in Hollywood</a> . . . . . . . . <a href="bookcreator://page/vV0FjKljR0efQ4bt_dR0vQ">Video: Maggie Cheung</a> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <a href="bookcreator://page/cz2OR9A1Tt-XtsTuVqKQhg">The Global Cheongsam</a> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <a href="bookcreator://page/PhZoD5baSEqcMuJ9vvlDFA">About the Author</a> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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This eBook is based on four Word Forward performances of dramatised storytelling at Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall, Singapore for the Wan Qing CultureFest x Children's Season 2021 (20, 21, 23 &amp; 25 Nov 2021)

The cheongsam colour-in &amp; poetry fun sheet

Photo credits: Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall

DANA: The Empress banned the practice of binding women's feet. Strips of cloth were wrapped tight around them to prevent them growing properly. DARLA: How old were they? DANA: From about 3 years old up 12 which meant their feet grew deformed as the girls became women. Foot-binding was considered a symbol of status and feminine beauty. DARLA: Nothing beautiful about deformed feet. Ouch! DANA: Yes, it was very painful to have 'lotus feet.' Darla, on the next page there's a song about it. You love to sing, right? DARLA: Sure, sis. Pass me the book.

Early portraits of Soong Ching-ling in loose-fitting cheongsam with Sun Yat Sen (left)

Maggie Cheung in 'The Mood for Love'

20 Cheongsams Worn By Maggie Cheung in the Movie: IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE

"Where am I now? Who can say. As a Christian I have my views. Looking back, there’s one last thing I am glad about. Thirty years later, Wan Lei, my granddaughter brought my ashes home to rest in the Garden of Remembrance at Choa Chu Kang. She found a few of my old family photographs, even though someone had drawn a red, not-so Christian cross on my face. It doesn't matter now. Time forgives. For what it's worth, they inducted me into the Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame and our Teo family name is alive and well. More importantly, father and patriot of the revolution, I believed in you, and you believed in me; in the end that is all that matters."

Credit: Rojak Librarian <a href="https://mymindisrojak.blogspot.com/2014/04/teo-soon-kim-pioneer-female-lawyer.html">blog</a>

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Early pictures: Lee Kuan Yew and Kwa Geok Choo

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So did I do bad? You can judge for yourself: I banned the old practice of binding girl’s feet and sent girls to school. No more in the backseat a girl might become equal, not dolls on the shelf. I brought in the railway, the telegraph, too. Through coal mines &amp; steel we could come up to speed. The West at our door flashing teeth full of greed I made it my goal to make China new. I would rise before dawn and worked through the pile of state documents -- the archives will tell. I loved Peking opera and supported it well, and loved things of beauty, Qing dynasty style.

What does a Soong girl do who wants the best for others? I ripped down the Dragon flag and raised up the Sun. What does a Soong girl do who wants the best for others? I took the Empress’ study grant and sailed to USA.

DANA: These days, younger Chinese women see the cheongsam in fashion terms. Informal variations, again influenced by Western fashion. A Singaporean couterier <a href="https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/style/lai-chan-cheongsam-singapore-fashion-designer-196431">Goh Lai Chan</a> has been doing that for years. He has a lot of overseas clients. DARLA: Oooh! I like that. I'm going design a pattern! DANA: Those who wear a modern cheongsam modify it to suit their busy lifestyles while at the same time helping them to stand out from the crowd.&nbsp; DARLA: Perfect!&nbsp;Be original! DANA: Try wearing one with a skirt or jeans, or turn it into a trendy blouse, or even use modern fabric with fun patterns instead! DARLA: Wow! That's so cool! I'm going to do just that!