Qizhuang

Qizhuang (; Chinese: 旗裝; pinyin: qízhuāng; lit. 'banner dress'), also known as Manfu (; Chinese: 滿服; pinyin: Mǎnfú; lit. 'Manchu clothes') and commonly referred to as Manchu clothing, is the traditional clothing of the Manchu people. Qizhuang in the broad sense refers to the clothing system of the Manchu people, which includes their whole system of attire used for different occasions with varying degrees of formality. The term qizhuang can also be used to refer to a type of informal dress worn by Manchu women known as chenyi, which is a one-piece long robe with no slits on either side. In the Manchu tradition, the outerwear of both men and women includes a full-length robe with a jacket or a vest while short coats and trousers are worn as inner garments. The Manchu people have a history of about 400 years; however, their ancestors have a history of 4000 years. The development of qizhuang, including the precursor of the cheongsam, is closely related to the development and the changes of the Manchu Nationality (and their ancestors) throughout centuries, potentially including the Yilou people in the Warring States Period, the Sushen people in the Pre-Qin period, the Wuji people in the Wei and Jin period, the Mohe people from the Sui and Tang dynasties, and the Nuzhen (known as Jurchen) in the Liao, Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties. The Qing dynasty was a period when the Manchu's clothing development stage reached maturity. In the Qing dynasty, the clothing culture of the Manchu people contradicted and collided with the clothing culture of the Han Chinese due to their cultural differences and aesthetic concepts. Some Qing dynasty court dress preserved features and characteristics which are distinct from the clothing worn by the Manchu prior to their conquest of the Ming dynasty. The Qing...